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ABOUT THE STORE : NEWSLETTER

DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER

Events and News from Borderlands Books

February, 2006

Chapter One - Event Information, News, and Special Feature

Wondercon, Friday February 10th - Sunday February 12th

Guy Gavriel Kay drop-by signing, Saturday, February 11th

Donald Sidney-Fryer, Saturday, February 18th at 4 pm

Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld, Tuesday, March 7th at 7:00 pm

(for more information check the end of this section)

News

* Take our wardrobe -- Please!  We have to bid a reluctant farewell to the gigantic cardboard Narnia wardrobe that graced our front window in December.  If you want it, you'll have to come pick it up (it is very very large, but not heavy).  We would like for it to have a good home.  If you are the first to reply, we'll send you a confirmation email and you'll have one week to pick up the wardrobe -- after that, the chance goes to reply #2.  We have yet to find Narnia on the other side, but who says you won't?

*Al's well that ends well: We are happy to report that Al's Comics has found a new home in the space that Limelight books formerly occupied (Market at Octavia Street).  We wish Al and company great success in their new location.

* Thanks to Rina Elson for bringing the following press release to our attention -- "Variety Preview Room, owned and operated by Variety-The Children's Charity of Northern California, will be showcasing fantasy and science fiction artist Stephanie Pui-Mun Law.  Her artwork will be on display from February 2nd through March 24th, 2006.

Come and visit Stephanie Pui-Mun Law's fantastic otherworlds of mythology, legend and folklore.  While most of Stephanie's work is done with watercolours, she experiments with pen & ink, intaglio printing, acrylic, and digital painting as well.  Greatly influenced by the art of the Impressionists, Pre-Raphaelites, Surrealists, and the master hand of Nature, her work is notable for its swirling echoes of sinuous oak branches, watermarked leaf stains, and the endless palette of the skies.
Her beautiful and mysteriously alluring illustrations have also been showcased by  many game and publishing clients, including Wizards of the Coast, HarperCollins, LUNA Books, Tachyon Publications, Alderac Entertainment, and Green Ronin.  In addition to commissioned projects, she has also assembled a personal body of work with inspiration stemming from mythology, legend, and folklore."

* Thanks to Christopher Fulkerson, who told us about this "Miracle" -- "On February 10th, the Friday Before Valentine's Day, Christopher Fulkerson will present a reading of his science fiction opera A MIRACLE OF RARE DEVICE, first presented two years ago at Borderlands Books in a partial rendition.  The event, which begins a 8 pm, will be at the recording studio/home of Richard Wahlberg, at 2350 Webster Street in San Francisco.  Dr. Fulkerson will read the Ray Bradbury text (used with the author's permission) over a computer realization of the vocal and instrumental parts.  The work is in three acts, each just under half an hour in length; there will be two short intermissions, with refreshments.
A MIRACLE OF RARE DEVICE is an urban fable about two drifters who see a mirage of New York City over the Arizona desert.    They set up a vista point and begin charging people to see it, and are amazed to find that each person sees a different city.  When one customer sees Xanadu, and begins quoting Coleridge, the two drifters fear they have something too big on their hands.  Just then their lifelong archrival arrives with the paperwork to jump their claim.  However he cannot sustain the jump: since he did not believe in the city, he did not see it, and so neither did his customers, so, angrily refunding their money, he leaves the scene.  The two drifters reclaim the vista point only to find the mirage gone.  Just as their despair is at its height, one last family comes along: at first the boy sees it, then the girl, then the mother, then the father. At last the two men again see the mirage, and watch it until the sun sets.
Admission is free.  For more information go to ( http://www.ChristoperFulkerson.com )and click on Upcoming Appearances."

*World Horror Convention 2007 ( http://www.whc2007.org ) is proud to announce Chesley Award and World Fantasy Award-winning illustrator JOHN PICACIO as its Artist Guest of Honour.  We send our sincerest congratulations to John, who joins previously announced guests Nancy Kilpatrick and Michael Marshall Smith.

From The Office

This column will be a bit short this month since the combination of working on the Cafe and getting ready for WonderCon has caused a mild shortage of time (not to mention sleep and food).  And speaking of WonderCon ( http://www.comic-con.org/wc/ ), I hope that we'll see lots of our customers there.  We've got quite a large booth this year and we're planning on having a great time.  Of special interest to our Neil Gaiman fans, thanks to Eos books we will have a number of signed copies of Neil's ANANSI BOYS that we'll be raffling off as well as lots of other free goodies from Eos / Harper Collins publishers.  Plus Tor books has sent us some nice give-aways too. 

Finally, if you're going to be at the show on Saturday, a bunch of the staff and I will be going out for a beer at The Thirsty Bear ((415) 974-0905, 661 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105) once the show closes.  If you'd like to join us, the first one's on me (stop by our booth if you need directions and so forth).  For those of you who aren't familiar with WonderCon, it's the big comic book convention in the Bay Area.  But, it's not just about comics -- all kinds of genre media are represented, including film, games, and, of course, books.  The guest list is huge but for my money one of the most exciting guests this year will be artist and author Gahan Wilson.  And, because I'm very lucky, I'll be moderating a panel with him, Mark Cotta Vaz (LIVING DANGEROUSLY : THE ADVENTURES OF MERIAN C. COOPER, CREATOR OF KING KONG and THE INVISIBLE ART: THE LEGENDS OF MOVIE MATTE PAINTING), and Peter David (SIR APROPOS OF NOTHING and KNIGHT LIFE) on Saturday at ten-thirty.  Right after the panel we will be having a signing with all three authors in the autographing area in the main hall.

Aside from WonderCon, my time has been full of planning and work for the cafe.  Almost all the demolition work is done (two and a half _tons_ of plaster, not to mention various chunks of 2 by 4) and we're getting ready to start the first phase of the construction work.  Planning proceeds apace with everything from menu options to choice of coffee roasters to computer network layout.  Which brings me to a question -- I'm forming an advisory board of our customers and friends to provide input on parts of the cafe planning.  Right now I'm looking for some people with very specific specialties to act as a sounding board and knowledge pool.  So if you are willing to read and possibly answer a few emails a week and have professional familiarity with any of the following specialties, please drop me a line. 

Electrical
Plumbing
State and Federal ADA compliance
Community Outreach
Computer Network Design
Mac OSX Network Security
Business and Employment Law
Architecture / Drafting
Dealing with SF Planing Department (especially change-of-use permits)

I should mention that I'm not asking for any of these services free of charge, I'm merely looking for people that I can bounce questions and ideas off of.

That's it for this month.  I hope to see you at WonderCon or around the store.  You can't miss me, I'll be the tired one looking more like a contractor than a bookseller.

All Best,
Alan

Top Sellers At Borderlands


Hardcovers
1. Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton (UK)
2. The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks
3. Olympos by Dan Simmons
4. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
5. Accelerando by Charles Stross
6. Learning the World by Ken Macleod
7. The Night Land and Other Perilous Romances by William Hope Hodgson
8. Liaden Universe Companion by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
9. 9Tail Fox by John Courtenay Grimwood tied with The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett
10. Healthy Dead by Steven Erikson

Paperbacks
1. Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
2. Gridlinked by Neal Asher
3. Declare by Tim Powers
4. Family Trade by Charles Stross
5. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
6. The Skinner by Neal Asher
7. Singularity Sky by Charles Stross
8. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
9. The Musashi Flex by Steve Perry
10. Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton.

Trade Paperbacks
1. The Graveyard Game by Kage Baker
2. Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
3. Air by Geoff Ryman
4. The James Tiptree Award Anthology vol. 2, edited by Karen Joy Fowler, Pat Murphy. Debbie Notkin and Jeffrey Smith
5. Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks

Notes From a DVD Geek

DVD’s, as a home video format, are one of the best things since sliced bread.  Not only do they offer incredible sound and picture quality, they can include bonus materials that can greatly enhance your appreciation of your favorite movie,  and/or provide some fascinating background material that puts that odd little movie into a larger cinematic context.  Another thing they offer is alternate cuts of the film.  Sure, the extras are often puff features that were produced to run on E!, and sure the “alternate cut” is sometimes just an extra 15 seconds, so that the marketing people can justify putting “special super secret preferred directors edition” on the cover.  But sometimes. . . sometimes you get the goods.  Sometimes the studios do the DVD’s up right.

Right now one of science fiction’s most recognizable series has one of the best special editions available.  No. . . I’m not talking about that Lucas stuff. . . I’m talking about the Alien(s) series.  The Aliens Quadrilogy Box Set is one that will make your mouth water.  Each movie gets two different cuts. . . the original theatrical, and a “directors/producers/whatever” cut.  In addition to the extra version of the film, each film gets its own disk of extras, including new documentaries and interviews shot exclusively for this DVD set.  You ever wonder why Aliens3 is such a mess?  The documentary included with the film explains why, and is a damn site more entertaining then the movie itself.  And the box set comes with a bonus DVD that has extras for the entire series of films.

Now, you may be saying that’s nice, but you only ever liked one of the series, and have no interest in owning super special editions of all four.  Not a problem.  The studio anticipated this, and broke out each film into its own 2-disk special edition.  Not nearly as cost-effective as the box set, but. . . if all you care about are the first two films, you can pick those up without breaking the bank.  These special editions, or the 4-movie, 9 disk box set come HIGHLY recommended.

On to some other science fiction offerings.  Equilibrium is a nice little “Matrix” clone staring Christian Bale that is definitely worth checking out.  Its take on “gun-fu” is pretty awesome – all in all, a fun movie that mostly got overlooked because of its Matrix-knock-off-marketing.

Speaking of fun, underrated little movies. . . Be sure to check out “Wrong Turn”.  This nasty little 70’s horror homage is wonderfully produced and acted (starring Eliza “Faith” Dushku) without suffering from the usual painful awkwardness of teen slashers, nor the heavy handed drudgery of contemporary grind house homages, such as Saw, or Hostel.  Rather then watching yet another tepid Hollywood remake of a 70's horror property, check out this little gem.

Another underrated gem is Bill Paxton (Aliens, Near Dark), whose directorial debut was a kick-ass little supernatural thriller called Frailty.  Creepy little kids, serial killers and prophesy in the haunted heartland, all with an X-Files sheen.  An incredibly well acted, well directed effort.  Sadly his second directorial effort was about a historic GOLF tournament. . . not quite hitting the sweet spot, IMO.  Just watch Frailty twice, and wait for his third movie.

Another science fiction-al movie that is worth checking out is Donnie Darko, which was recently re-released as an extended director's cut.  This film features human-sized talking bunnies and some interesting temporal juxtapositions.  This movie has a weird suburban nightmare quality, a la David Lynch's Twin Peaks, but does away with the weird for weirdness' sake, and instead presents a nice science-fictional effort that’s definitely worth a watch or two.

In a completely different vein, another overlooked SF movie is David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ.  This movie disappointed a lot of hardcore Cronenberg fans because it was his first step on the road back to entertainingly watchable movies, and away from his forays into “Lynchian incomprehensibility” (a la Naked Lunch, and Crash).  But on its own, it’s a fun alternate reality/VR extravaganza that makes most of Star Trek “Holo-deck” storylines look like the second rate crap that they are.

Speaking of Cronenberg. . . If you haven’t ever sampled his filmic ouevre, here’s a quick rundown of the highlights.  There’s eXistenZ, of course.  His first few 70’s horror films (Shivers, Rabid, and The Brood) are great low budget thrillers that hint at the biological obsessions that would eventually come to dominate his work.  Scanners is notable because it presaged a certain paranoia that would come to suffuse Cronenberg's work and featured on-screen exploding heads. 

Videodrome was what I consider to be Cronenberg's first true classic, and should be seen by anybody who likes their paranoid conspiracy theory SF and horror done intelligently.  There’s a scene in this movie that is an obvious inspiration to the Ring movies, but I’ll leave it at that, in case you haven’t seen it yet.  Criterion has a spectacular special edition of this movie, and it is well worth the price.

Videodrome was followed up by his two most accessible movies. . . a kick-ass adaptation of Stephen King’s Dead Zone, starring Christopher Walken.  This one is horribly underrated and puts the recent television series of the same name to shame.  After The Dead Zone came The Fly, which ushered in a new level of on-screen cinematic grossness, and at the same time featured a career making performance by Jeff Goldbloom.

Following The Fly, Cronenberg turned in one of his most ambitious and successful movies. . . Dead Ringers.  This twisted little piece of psychological horror followed the exploits of two brothers, (twins,) gynecologists whose descent into madness is lovingly detailed.  Jeremy Irons turned in a career-making performance, playing both twins to marvelous effect.

Naked Lunch, Crash, and M. Butterfly are all interesting, and successful on their own terms, but just not as mind-shatteringly compelling as some of his earlier work.  His latest movie was a twistedly-effective little non-genre piece, staring Viggo Mortensen, called “A History of Violence.”  Oddly enough, in this movie, Cronenberg again ellicits a career topping performance from Viggo.  I think it's safe to say that Cronenberg has a way of bringing out the best in his actors.

And I’d like to end by reminding everyone that Aliens vs. Predator was actually a terrible movie.  It wasn’t even a good “bad” movie.  It failed on every level.  And all I can think to myself is “Damn. . . David Cronenberg could have made a spectacular 'Aliens vs. Predator' movie."  Oh well.  When Twentieth Century Fox puts me in charge, I’ll make sure this happens.

Till next time, watch out for those face huggers.

- Jeremy Lassen
jlassen@borderlands-books.com

Book Club Info

The Gay Men's Book Club will meet on Sunday, February 12th, at 5 pm to discuss DECLARE by Tim Powers.  The book for March is JENNIFER GOVERNMENT.  Please contact the group leader, Christopher Rodriguez, at cobalt555@earthlink.net, for more information.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club will meet on Sunday, February 19th, at 6 pm to discuss AIR by Geoff Ryman  The book for March is DECLARE by Tim Powers (yup, that's right -- great minds think alike!).  Please contact Jude at jfeldman@borderlands-books.com for more information.

Upcoming Event Details

Friday, February 10th - Sunday, February 12th: WonderCon - Borderlands will have four booths at this year's Wonder Con, the San Francisco ComicCon at Moscone Center -- we'll be representing ourselves, Eos Books/Harper Collins, Mondo Media (the Happy Tree Friends people), and Tor/VHPS.  The Con's special guests include Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Terry Moore, Grant Morrison, Gahan Wilson, and many others.  Borderlands will be hosting a signing with Timothy Zahn at our booth, as well -- Saturday afternoon from 1:00  - 3:00 pm.  Memberships are quite reasonable -- $30 for a 3-day membership in advance, $35 on-site, or $12 for a one-day membership in advance or $15 on-site.  It promises to be great fun, so do stop by and see us if you're attending the con.  Our booth numbers are 322, 324, 326, and 328.  We hope to see you there.  More information at ( http://www.comic-con.org/wc/ )

Saturday, February 11th: Guy Gavriel Kay drop-by signing - Guy Gavriel Kay, acclaimed author of TIGANA, A SONG FOR ARBONNE, the SARANTINE MOSIAC books, and many others has kindly agreed to stop by Borderlands to sign some of our stock.  If you have books that you'd like signed or personalized, please feel free to drop them off at the store, or purchase one here and we'll put it aside to be signed or inscribed.

Saturday, February 18th at 4:00 pm: Donald Sidney-Fryer, presenting Clark Ashton Smith's THE LAST OBLIVION (Hippocampus Press) - Borderlands is always happy to welcome a genuine gentleman, and Donald Sidney-Fryer is just that.  The last of the Courtly Poets will be sharing his insights on, and his performance of, the fantastic poetry of Sidney-Fryer's mentor, Clark Ashton Smith.  From Donald Sidney-Fryer's website: "Donald Sidney-Fryer has edited Clark Ashton Smith's Selected Poems as well as Smith's story collections OTHER DIMENSIONS, THE CITY OF THE SINGING FLAME, THE MONSTER OF THE PROPHECY and THE LAST INCANTATION.  He also assembled the mordant horror and fantasy poetry of Ambrose Bierce under the title A VISION OF DOOM.  His own first collection of verse, SONGS AND SONNETS ATLANTEAN, was the final book to appear from Arkham House. . ."  Join us for an unforgettable performance!  

Tuesday, March 7th at 7:00 pm: Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld -  Join us in welcoming these two versatile authors to Borderlands for the first time!  Justine Larbalestier is the author of the nonfiction THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES IN SCIENCE FICTION, the two novels MAGIC OR MADNESS and MAGIC LESSONS, and the forthcoming DAUGHTERS OF EARTH.  Scott Westerfeld is the prolific author of THE RISEN EMPIRE  and THE KILLING OF WORLDS, the awesome MIDNIGHTERS series, EVOLUTION'S DARLING, PRETTIES, UGLIES, and several more.  Don't miss this rare appearance! 

Borderlands event policy - all events are free of charge.  You are welcome to bring copies of an author's books purchased elsewhere to be autographed (but we do appreciate it if you purchase something while at the event).  For most events you are welcome to bring as many books as you wish for autographs.  If you are unable to attend the event we will be happy to have a copy of the author's books signed or inscribed for you.  We can then either hold it until you can come in to pick it up or we can ship it to you.  Just give us a call or drop us an email.  If you live out of town, you can also ship us books from your collection to be signed.  Call or email for details.


Chapter Two - Book Listings

Small Press Features

Nonfiction, etc.:

The Road to the Dark Tower - Exploring Stephen King’s Magnum Opus by Bev Vincent (Hardcover, Cemetery Dance, $75.00) - One of 1000 signed and numbered limited edition copies.

Sympathy for the Devil: The Best of Hail Saten: vol. 1 by Brian Keene (Trade Paperback, Delirium Books, $16.95)

Eton and King’s by M.R. James (Hardcover, Ace, $47.50) - First published in 1926, and never reprinted, Eton and King's, M. R. James's recollections of his time spent in the Colleges founded by King Henry the Sixth, is the only autobiographical volume bequeathed to us by the highly regarded scholar and antiquarian—the man known to us as the Master of the English Ghost Story.
    Displaying the wry humour so evident in his fiction, James fills the pages of Eton and King's with a lovingly detailed portrait of the artist as a younger man, discussing the people and experiences which were to influence his later life—including A. C. & E. F. Benson, E. G. Swain, James McBryde, and most notably 'my Tutor', H. E. Luxmoore. James reveals his deep affection for the venerable institutions of Eton and King's College, guiding the reader through many of their unique customs and practices.
    While Eton and King's is somewhat less than a traditional autobiographical study, the book does reveal some of James's beliefs, interests, and way of thinking, all of which found expression, to some extent, in his ghost stories. We also learn, somewhat surprisingly, of MRJ the sportsman—his involvement in the Wall Game at Eton, and his occasional outings on the cricket field. More especially, we experience James's Continental trips—to Germany, Scandinavia, and, particularly, to his beloved France—undertaken in the company of College friends and associates.
    The Chitchat Society, which witnessed the reading of the first of MRJ's ghost stories, also puts in an appearance when James discusses the life and workings of various College societies with which he was involved; and finally MRJ guides us through his work with manuscripts and his duties as Provost.
    This new edition of Eton and King's has been fully indexed by Rosemary and Darroll Pardoe, who have also provided an Introduction. A further article 'New and Old at Cambridge', which MRJ contributed to The Times, is also included as an appendix.

Horror:

The Shadow of the Unattained: The Letters of George Sterling and Clark Ashton Smith edited by David E. Schultz and S.T. Joshi (Trade Paperback, Hippocampus Press, $20.00)

The Long Retreating Day - Tales of Twilight and Borderlands vol. 2 by John Gaskin (Hardcover, Tartarus, $50.00) - One of 450 signed limited edition copies.

The Night Land and Other Perilous Romances - The Collected Fiction of William Hope Hodgson vol. 4 by William Hope Hodgson (Hardcover, Night Shade Books, $35.00)

Flaming London by Joe R. Lansdale (Hardcover, Subterranean, $40.00)

The Backwoods by Edward Lee (Hardcover, Cemetery Dance, $40.00) - One of 750 signed and numbered limited edition copies.

Punktown: Shades of Grey by Jeffrey Thomas and Scott Thomas (Hardcover, Bedlam Press, $45.00) - One of 300 signed and numbered limited edition copies.

Thirteen Specimens by Jeffrey Thomas (Hardcover, Delirium Books, $50.00) - One of 150 signed and numbered limited edition copies.

Failure by John Everson (Other Hardcover, Delirium Books, $19.95) - One of 500 signed and numbered limited edition copies.

A View from the Lake by Greg Gifune (Trade Paperback, Blindside Publishing, $14.95)

Fear of Gravity by Brian Keene (Trade Paperback, Delirium Books, $16.95) - One of 400 signed and numbered hardcover copies.

Kiss the Goat by Brian Stableford (Trade Paperback, Prime Books, $17.95)

Science Fiction and Fantasy:

New York Review of Science Fiction December 2005 No. 208, Vol 18, No. 4 edited by Kevin J. Maroney and David G. Hartwell (Oversized Softcover, Dragon Press, $4.00)

13 Phantasms by James R. Blaylock (Chapbook, Subterranean, $14.00) - One of 574 signed and numbered limited edition copies with matching envelope included. Illustrated by J.K. Potter.

Make a Joyful Noise by Charles de Lint (Chapbook, Subterranean, $18.00) - One of 574 numbered limited edition copies with matching envelope included.

The Bible Repairman by Tim Powers (Chapbook, Subterranean, $18.00) - One of 574 signed and numbered limited edition copies with matching envelope included. Illustrated by Tim Powers.

Questions for a Soldier by John Scalzi (Chapbook, Subterranean, $18.00) - One of 574 signed and numbered limited edition copies with matching envelope included. Illustrated by Bob Eggleton.

Healthy Dead by Steven Erikson (Hardcover, Night Shade Books, $45.00) - A tale of Bauchelain & Korbal Broach. Hardcover limited edition. One of 150 signed limited edition copies.  The trade hardcover edition is also available for $25.00.

Moonwise by Greer Gilman (Hardcover, Prime Books, $29.95)

Tainaron - Mail from Another City by Leena Krohn (Hardcover, Prime Books, $29.95) - Translated from Finnish by Hildi Hawkins

A Gathering of Widowmakers by Mike Resnick (Hardcover, Meisha Merlin, $23.95)

Singing Innocence and Experience by Sonya Taaffe (Hardcover, Prime Books, $29.95) - Introduction by Tim Pratt. The trade paperback edition is also available for $17.95

Atomik Aztek by Sesshu Foster (Trade Paperback, City Lights, $15.95)

Chrysalis by Lauren Halkon (Trade Paperback, Prime Books, $17.95)

Gunning for the Buddha by Michael Jasper (Trade Paperback, Prime Books, $17.95)

Annals of Klepsis by R.A. Lafferty (Trade Paperback, Wildside Press, $14.95)

The Reefs of Earth by R.A. Lafferty (Trade Paperback, Wildside Press, $15.00)

Not to Mention Camels by R.A. Lafferty (Trade Paperback, Wildside Press, $16.00)

In the Palace of Repose by Holly Phillips (Trade Paperback, Prime Books, $15.00)

Postcards from Hyphens by Sonya Taaffe (Trade Paperback, Prime Books, $15.00)

New and Notable

Nonfiction, etc:

A Gateway to Sindarin - A Grammar of an Elvish Language from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings by David Salo (Hardcover, University of Utah Press, $57.09)

Year’s Best Graphic Novels, Comics, and Manga - From Blankets to Demo to Blacksad edited by Byron Preiss and Howard Zimmerman (Trade Paperback, St. Martin's, $19.95) - Introduction by Neil Gaiman.

Voices of Vision - Creators of Science Fiction and Fantasy Speak by Jayme Lynn Blaschke (Trade Paperback, Bison, $14.95)

The Road to Science Fiction vol. 3: From Heinlein to Here by James Gunn, ed. (Trade Paperback, Scarecrow Press, $50.50)
 
Horror:

Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur (Hardcover, Bantam, $15.00)

Cell by Stephen King (Hardcover, Scribner, $26.95) - This fairly typical King novel fall between the "everything will work out OK" school and the "you're doomed" set.  That said, King still knows how to put together a narrative that keeps you going. - Cautiously Recommended by Alan

The Loveliest Dead by Ray Garton (Mass Market, Leisure, $6.99)

Berserk by Tim Lebbon (Mass Market, Leisure, $6.99)

The Myth Hunters - The Veil vol. 1 by Christopher Golden (Trade Paperback, Bantam Spectra, $12.00)

Science Fiction and Fantasy:

Shapers of Darkness - Winds of the Forelands vol. 4 by David B. Coe (Hardcover, Tor, $27.95)

It’s Superman! by Tom De Haven (Hardcover, Chronicle Books, $24.95)

Crippled Angel - Crucible vol. 3 by Sara Douglas (Hardcover, Tor, $25.95)

Wolfblade - Wolfblade vol. 1 by Jennifer Fallon (Hardcover, Tor, $25.95)

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke (Hardcover, Chicken House, $19.99) - Translated by Anthea Bell. Sequel to INKHEART.

Solstice Wood by Patricia McKillip (Hardcover, Ace, $23.95)

Draco Tavern by Larry Niven (Hardcover, Tor, $24.95) - Collects all of the Draco Tavern stories.  Written over a significant portion of Niven's career, these stores range from the brilliant to the deeply irritating (people need to _stop_ writing stories to either exorcise their ghosts or make their points about the World Trade Center bombings). - Strongly recommended for any Niven fans by Alan

Return to Quag Keep by Andre Norton and Jean Rabe (Hardcover, Tor, $24.95)

Boadica: Dreaming the Hound - Warrior Queen vol. 3 by Manda Scott (Hardcover, Bantam Spectra, $23.00)

Flashfire - Starfist vol. 11 by David Sherman and Dan Cragg (Hardcover, Del Rey, $19.95)

In High Places - Crosstime Traffic vol. 3 by Harry Turtledove (Hardcover, Tor, $22.95)

Fairyoplis - A Flower Fairies Journal by Cicely Mary Barker (Oversized Hardcover, Frederick Warne & Co., $19.99)

Grimm’s Grimmest by Brothers Grimm (Oversized Hardcover, Chronicle Books, $22.95) - Illustrated by Tracy Arah Dockray. Introduction by Maria Tatar

The Art of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire edited by Brian Wood (Oversized Hardcover, Fantasy Flight, $29.95) - Foreword by George R.R. Martin

The Book of Sea Monsters by Bob Eggleton and Nigel Suckling (Oversized Softcover, Overlook, $24.95)

Is this Apocalypse Necessary? by C. Dale Brittain (Trade Paperback, Wooster, $14.95)

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (Trade Paperback, Delta, $15.00)

Dusk by Tim Lebbon (Trade Paperback, Bantam Spectra, $12.00)

Nobody Gets the Girl by James Maxey (Trade Paperback, Phobos, $14.95)

No Present Like Time by Steph Swainston (Trade Paperback, Eos, $13.95) - Sequel to YEAR OF OUR WAR.   From the publisher - "God is still on vacation, the Emperor still leads the war against the insects, and his cadre of immortals is still quarreling among themselves. But a new land has been discovered, one that holds the secrets of centuries, and one of their own, now exiled, foments rebellion against the Circle. In the brutal battle that follows, Jant Comet will discover that even immortals can fall. . . ."

Wartorn: Obliteration - Wartorn vol. 2 by Robert Asprin (Mass Market, Ace, $7.99)

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (Mass Market, Ace, $7.99)

Battlespace - Legacy Trilogy vol. 2 by Ian Douglas (Mass Market, Eos, $7.50)

The Labyrinth Key by Howard V. Hendrix (Mass Market, Del Rey, $6.99)

Myrren’s Gift - The Quickening vol. 1 by Fiona McIntosh (Mass Market, Eos, $7.99)

The Gambler’s Fortune - Einarinn vol. 3 by Juliet E. McKenna (Mass Market, Eos, $7.99)

The Seven Hills by John Maddox Roberts (Mass Market, Ace, $7.99)

A Secret Atlas - Age of Discovery vol. 1 by Michael A. Stackpole (Mass Market, Bantam Spectra, $6.99)

Quicksilver - The Baroque Cycle vol. 1 by Neal Stephenson (Mass Market, HarperTorch, $7.99) - (The original 3 books have been split into 8 books for the mass market printing.)

The Sunbird by Elizabeth E. Wein (Mass Market, Firebird, $6.99)

Geodesica: Descent - Geodesica vol. 2 by Sean Williams and Shane Dix (Mass Market, Ace, $7.99)

New and Notable DVDs

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad directed by Nathan Juran (DVD, Columbia Pictures, $19.98) - Ray Harryhaussen stop motion effects.

Alien Quadrilogy directed by Ridley Scott, James Cameron, et. al. (DVD, Twentieth Century Fox, $79.95) - 9 Disk set containing two versions of each film (Alien, Aliens, Alien3, and Alien Ressurection) - , as well as a bonus disk with trailers and other special material.

Attack of the Puppet People / Village of the Giants directed by Bert I. Gordon (DVD, MGM, $14.98)

The Attic / Crawlspace directed by George Edwards and David Schmoeller (DVD, MGM, $14.98)

Big Trouble in Little China directed by John Carpenter (DVD, Twentieth Century Fox, $14.98)

The Card Player directed by Dario Argento (DVD, Anchor Bay, $19.98)

Count Yorga Vampire / The Return of Count Yorga directed by Bob Kelljan (DVD, MGM, $14.98)

Devil’s Rain directed by Robert Feust (DVD, VCI, $9.99)

Ecape From New York: Special Edition directed by John Carpenter (DVD, MGM, $29.95)

Empire of the Ants / Tentacles directed by Bert I. Gordon and Oliver Hellman (DVD, MGM, $14.98)

Golden Voyage of Sinbad directed by Gordon Hessler (DVD, Columbia Pictures, $19.98) - Ray Harryhaussen stop motion effects.

The Gospel According to Philip K. Dick directed by Mark Steensland (DVD, First Run Features, $19.95)

The Haunting directed by Robert Wise (DVD, Warner, $14.96)

Immortality (AKA The Wisdom of Crocodiles) - directed by Po-Chih Leong (DVD, Miramax, $14.99)

Invisible Invaders / Journey to the Seventh Planet directed by Edward L. Cahn (DVD, MGM, $14.98)

Jeepers Creepers 2 directed by Victor Salva (DVD, MGM, $14.98)

The Man Who Fell to Earth directed by Nicolas Roeg (DVD, Criterion, $39.95) - Starring David Bowie. This edition includes a paperback novel of the same name that was the basis for the movie.

Prince of Darkness directed by John Carpenter (DVD, Universal Pictures, $14.98)

Punishment Park directed by Peter Watkins (DVD, New Yorker Video, $29.95)

Solaris directed by Steven Soderbergh (DVD, Twentieth Century Fox, $14.98)

Trauma directed by Dario Argento (DVD, Anchor Bay, $19.98)

Tremors Attack Pack directed by Ron Underwood (DVD, Universal Pictures, $26.98)

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea / Fantastic Voyage directed by Irvin Allen and Richard Fleischer (DVD, Twentieth Century Fox, $14.98)

War Gods of the Deep / At the Earth’s Core directed by Jacques Tourneur (DVD, MGM, $14.98)

Wrong Turn directed by Rob Schmidt (DVD, Twentieth Century Fox, $14.98)

Featured Upcoming Titles

(These titles have not arrived yet.  You may pre-order any of these books by calling or emailing us.  Prices may be subject to change.  Of course, we have many more titles arriving each week . . . call or email us if you're curious about a particular upcoming title not listed here.)

We found out just a little while ago that THE BONEHUNTERS, Steven Erikson's sixth book in the Malazan series, will be delayed until the beginning of March.  We should have our copies mid-March.  This book is being released in hardcover and trade paperback simultaneously.  The hardcover will cost about $38.00  and the trade paperback will cost about $21.00.  If you haven't already, I urge you to reserve a copy right away, as these will surely go fast.

THE COMPLETE HAMMER'S SLAMMERS, VOL. 1 by David Drake (Night Shade Books, Signed Limited Edition Hardcover, $60.00, and Trade Hardcover $35.00) - Night Shade Books is proud to present Hammer’s Slammers: This three volume set presents for the first time the genre-defining Slammers series in a uniform hardcover set.
This volume features all of the Hammer's Slammer short fiction, as well as all of the interstitial material from the original Slammers collection, as well as new artwork, and new interstitial material. The first volume will feature an introduction by Gene Wolfe.
The limited edition will be bound in leather, with a bound-in ribbon bookmark. It will be signed by Drake, Wolfe and Berkey, and will contain an extra piece of artwork by Berkey. Limited to 250 copies.

SNAKE MOON by Ray Manzerek (Night Shade Books, Signed Limited Edition Hardcover, $49.00, and Trade Hardcover, $23.95) - Cover art by Mike Mignola.  The year is 1863. Deep in the backwoods of Coker County, Tennessee, farmer Boone Dillard and his family live in ritualistic harmony with the earth and its seasons, content to eke out a living from the land, unaware even of the Civil War that engulfs the nation around them... that is, until Boone is seduced by a mysterious traveling peddler’s dulcet promises of fame, fortune, and glory.

As Boone and his hulking yet childlike brother-in-law Jebber set forth in search of their destiny, they set into motion a haunting and disturbing chain of events that threatens to tear the family apart, awaken restless ghosts, and alter the course of their lives forever. From rock and roll legend Ray Manzarek comes Snake Moon, a bewitching and ghostly Civil War-era parable of Eden. Snake Moon stunningly blends ancient myth and fable with the charm and voice of rustic Americana and exposes themes of violence, heroism, and the loss of innocence amid the horrors of war with captivating intensity that builds to a stunning and unforgettable climax.

Doors co-founder and keyboardist Ray Manzarek is the author of the auto-biography Light My Fire: My Life with the Doors, and the novel Poet in Exile. In recent years he and co-wrote and directed Love Her Madly, which premiered in February of 2001. He currently tours with Doors co-founder Bobby Krieger, and Cult singer Ian Astbury, as Riders on the Storm.

Forthcoming from PS Publishing:

Streaking by Brian Stableford (Deluxe Slipcased Hardcover, Limited to 200 copies, $95, and Trade Hardcover, Limited to 500 copies, $50) - What is Luck? If it exists at all, where does it come from, and how does it operate? Is it a supernatural force? A genetic gift? Or a quantum phenomenon, a knack for adjusting probability in just the right way? In STREAKING, Brian Stableford, one of Britain's most honoured SF and fantasy authors, tackles these questions with all his customary flair, invention, intense logic, and dark wit.

Past Magic (A Collection) by Ian Macleod (Deluxe Slipcased Hardcover, Limited to 200 copies, $95, and Trade Hardcover, Limited to 500 copies, $50) - One of the finest SF and fantasy short fiction writers in Britain today, Ian R. MacLeod has won or been shortlisted for Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Sturgeon, British SF, Tiptree, and Sidewise Awards for his deeply felt, marvelously atmospheric, and highly ingenious stories. Like an inspired fusion of Ray Bradbury and Brian Aldiss, he captures brilliantly the intersection of future possibility and the extremes of human emotion. Now, PS Publishing presents Past Magic, MacLeod's third collection, and his strongest yet.

Butterflies of Memory (A Collection) by Ian Watson (Deluxe Slipcased Hardcover, Limited to 200 copies, $95, and Trade Hardcover, Limited to 500 copies, $50) - Ian Watson is one of the finest writers of SF and fantasy stories, and Butterflies of Memory is his 10th collection, with bonus prefaces to each of the 17 tales specially written by Ian. As Paul McAuley remarks in his Introduction to the whole ensemble, "Ian possesses an irrepressible energy and a restless, far-ranging imagination... His creative delight dances us through crossfires of plotlines, wild suppositions and general bizarreness, and irradiates his stories with a puckish sense of fun." Stories that are by turns serious and playful, and always wildly imaginative . . . .

This newsletter is distributed monthly free of charge and may be distributed without charge so long as all the following information is included.

Dispatches from the Border
Editor - Jude Feldman
Assistant Editor - Alan Beatts
Contributors - Jeremy Lassen,

All contents unless otherwise noted are the property of

Borderlands Books
866 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA  94110
415-824-8203
http://www.borderlands-books.com

Comments and suggestions should be directed to editor@borderlands-books.com

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