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ABOUT THE STORE : NEWSLETTER

DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER

Events and News from Borderlands Books

November, 2012

Chapter One - Event Information, News, and Special Features

Upcoming Author Events

S.G. Browne, I SAW ZOMBIES EATING SANTA CLAUS: A BREATHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL (Gallery Books, Hardcover, $14.99) Saturday, November 10th at 3:00 pm

SF in SF at the Variety Preview Room in the Hobart Building (582 Market Street) with authors Cecelia Holland and Kim Stanley Robinson, Saturday, November 10th at 7:00 pm

Max Gladstone, THREE PARTS DEAD (Tor, Hardcover, $24.99) and Ben Macallan, PANDAEMONIUM (Solaris, Mass Market, $8.99), Saturday, November 17th at 3:00 pm

An Evening with Patrick Rothfuss: A Reading, Q&A and Signing, Monday, November 19th at 7:00 pm

Drop-By Signing with Nalo Hopkinson, Saturday, December 8th at 3:00 pm

(for more information check the end of this section)

Borderlands takes a break from events between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, but we'll be back in 2013 with more fabulous authors including Cassie Alexander, Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells!

News

* For all of you Cthuluhu fans, something I never expected to see on NPR: "'Softball-Sized Eyeball' Washes Up In Florida; Can You I.D. It?" http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/10/11/162740104/softball-sized-eyeball-washes-up-in-florida-can-you-i-d-it
And then the mystery was solved: http://deepseanews.com/2012/10/solved-where-did-the-big-eye-in-the-sea-come-from/

* A bit of post-Halloween creepiness for you: skeletal remains found in 100-year-old tree uprooted by Sandy: http://blog.ctnews.com/sandy/2012/10/30/skeletal-remains-found-in-uprooted-tree/#8185-2

* Robert J. Sawyer shares the five biggest misconceptions about science fiction writers: http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadawrites/2012/10/robert-j-sawyer-five-myths-about-science-fiction-writers.html

* Thanks to Chats for the link to this New Yorker article on how bookstores select their stock & why even esoteric human selections trump suggestion engines: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2012/10/the-bookstore-brain-how-bookstores-choose-their-books.html

* The restored desk where Bram Stoker wrote DRACULA is up for auction, if you happen to have an extra $60,000 - $80,000 lying around. http://www.plushasia.com/article/18902

* Overheard in the store: "There ought to be a word for wanting to hug someone and strangle them at the same time.  There probably is, in German."

* Thanks to Amanda for this link to the Dead Author Podcast: http://thedeadauthorspodcast.libsyn.com/

* Holiday Hours:
Borderlands Books will be closed on Thanksgiving (November 22nd), Christmas Day (December 25th) and New Year's Day (January 1st, 2013).  We will  close early, at 6 pm, on Christmas Eve (December 24th) and New Year's Eve (December 31st).  We will be open late, until 10 pm, the week before Christmas (December 17th - 23rd).

Borderlands Cafe will be open from 8 am to 6 pm on Thanksgiving Day.  On Christmas and New Years Eve we'll be open from 8 am to 5 pm and on Christmas and New Years day we'll be open from 10 am to 5 pm.

From the Office

A few days ago we celebrated the 15 year anniversary of Borderlands Books and, at the same time, the three year anniversary of the Cafe.  We had a big sale and a party afterwards.  It was all really lovely and a good time was had by all.

Leading into the party I went looking for some amusing trivia to thow into my "thanks for coming, now go have a drink" speech.  Here's a tid-bit that I especially enjoyed -- if you took all the books that we've sold in the last 15 years and placed them, spine up, on the sidewalk along Market St. in San Francisco they would reach from the base of Market St. at the Ferry Building all the way to the intersection of Market and Castro Streets at the base of Twin Peaks.

If you don't live in San Francisco, let me give you two other comparisons - The same line of books would reach from Lakeshore Drive in Chicago all the way up Michgan Ave. to the Art Insitute . . . and all the way back again.  And, for those who prefer New York, the line of books would go from Washington Square Park up 5th Ave. all the way to E. 77th St!

Any way you measure it, that's an awful lot of books.

A milestone like a 15 year anniversary is an obvious time to reflect on the past, which is what I found myself doing.  The end product of all the reflection was positive but the process wasn't really very pleasant.  As many of my long-term customers and readers know, I have quite a checkered past -- firearms instructor, labor dispute security officer, bodyguard, night club promoter, motorcycle shop manager and, for the past 15 years, bookseller.  As I was thinking about how I got here, as a store owner and 15 year bookseller, I realized on a visceral level just how messed up I was as a person through my teens and 20s.

Not that this was something I wasn't aware of at the time or later.  I knew that I was angry and violent.  I knew that I had a hard time functioning in a "normal" sort of way.  But time has given me more perspective and I see more clearly the problems that I had.  And the magnitude of them.

Opening the bookstore was probably the first thing that really started me on the way to coming to a relatively comfortable accommodation with the things that were getting in the way of me having a happier and more healthy life.  Now I have a much better perspective on myself, my failings, and the things that shaped me as I am.  I'm not sure I would have gotten where I am now were it not for Borderlands.

I know that running Borderlands has given me the chance to meet some of the best people I've ever known.  In addition I've gotten a job that I love and a way to make a living that is a million miles from what I had thought was my profession.

For that I am immeasurably grateful.

The gratitude that I feel extends to everyone who has helped Borderlands survive and succeed.  The people who've worked for me, the countless authors, editors, publishers, artists and fellow booksellers who've supported me, and, most of all, the customers who've kept me in business for these 15 years.  Words cannot express how thankful I am to each and every one of you.

It's been a great 15 years.  I'm pretty sure that I'm up for another 15, assuming that you're all willing to come along for the ride.

-Alan Beatts

Top Sellers At Borderlands

Hardcovers
1. Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow
2. Bowl of Heaven by Gregory Benford and Larry Niven
3.The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks
4. Rapture of the Nerds by Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross
5. The Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams
6. Dodger by Terry Pratchett
7. The Twelve by Justin Cronin
8. Forge of Darkness by Steven Erikson
9. Devil Said Bang by Richard Kadrey
10. Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Mass Market Paperbacks
1. A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
2. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
3. Zero History by William Gibson
4. Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire
5. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
6. Seeds of Earth by Michael Cobley
7. Count to a Trillion by John C. Wright
8. Micro by Michael Crichton
9. Changes by Mercedes Lackey
10. Feed by Mira Grant

Trade Paperbacks
1. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
2. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
4. The Cold Commands by Richard Morgan
5. The Wonderful Future That Never Was by the Editors of Popular Mechanics and Gregory Benford

Book Club Info

The QSF&F Book Club will meet on Sunday, November 11th, at 5 pm to discuss FLASHFORWARD by Robert J. Sawyer.  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, November 18th, at 6 pm to discuss THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern.  This book club will not meet in December because of the holiday, but will resume meetings in January.  Please contact bookclub@borderlands-books.com for more information.

Upcoming Event Details

S.G. Browne, I SAW ZOMBIES EATING SANTA CLAUS: A BREATHERS CHRISTMAS CAROL (Gallery Books, Hardcover, $14.99) Saturday, November 10th at 3:00 pm - We're happy to welcome S.G. Browne back to Borderlands for the premiere of his holiday-themed novella sequel to BREATHERS! "How does the leader of a failed zombie civil rights movement from California rescue a group of his undead brethren and help a lonely Breather girl as he hides from a band of medical researchers while disguised as Santa Claus?  If you’ve never believed in Christmas miracles, you wouldn’t understand.  Andy Warner has just escaped from a zombie research facility in Portland, Oregon, where he’s been subjected to experimental testing for the past year. With Christmas just days away, Andy figures that donning a jolly old St. Nick costume to throw off his would-be captors is just the ticket. But he never expects to encounter a sweet, lonesome nine-year-old girl who not only reminds Andy of the family he’s lost, but who thinks he’s the real Santa. He also doesn’t count on being recognized as last year’s national quasi-celebrity by a clandestine group of decaying supporters who look to him for leadership. For the living and the undead, this unforgettable holiday tale will truly put on display just who is gnawing and who is nice. . ."  RSVP for the event here if you're so inclined: http://www.facebook.com/events/189623324507593 (it's not required!).

SF in SF at the Variety Preview Room in the Hobart Building (582 Market Street) with authors Cecelia Holland and Kim Stanley Robinson, Saturday, November 10th at 7:00 pm - We are happy to help SF in SF welcome these authors!  Each author will read a selection from their work, followed by Q&A from the audience moderated by author Terry Bisson.  Authors will schmooze & sign books after in the lounge. Books available for sale courtesy of Borderlands Books.  Seating is limited, so first come, first seated.  Bar proceeds benefit Variety Childrens Charity - learn more at <http://www.varietync.org/>.  We REALLY encourage you to take BART into the City, or use MUNI to get here - parking can be problematic in San Francisco, to say the least.  We are less than one block away from the Montgomery St. station.  Trust us - you don't want to be looking for parking and be late for the event!  Phone (night of (night of event) 415-572-1015.  Questions? Email sfinsfevents@gmail.com.

Max Gladstone, THREE PARTS DEAD (Tor, Hardcover, $24.99) and Ben Macallan, PANDAEMONIUM (Solaris, Mass Market, $8.99) - We're happy to host debut author Max Gladstone along with multi-genre veteran Ben Macallan (aka Chaz Brencheley)!   From the book jacket of Max's noel THREE PARTS DEAD: "A God has died, and it’s up to Tara, first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao, to bring Him back to life before His city falls apart.  Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb.  Without Him, the metropolis’s steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot.  Tara’s job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in.  Her only help is Abelard, a chain-smoking priest of the dead God, who’s having an understandable crisis of faith.  But when the duo discover that Kos was murdered, they have to make a case in Alt Coulumb’s courts -- and their quest for truth endangers their partnership, their lives, and the city’s slim hope of survival."  Ben's new book is PANDAEMONIUM, the sequel to DESDAEMONA: "Desdaemona has done a thing so so terrible that she has to run away from the consequences. Again. Where better to look for shelter than with the boy she was running from before?  But trouble follows. And if it’s not Jacey’s parents who sent the deadly crow-men, the Twa Corbies, in chase of her, then who is it? Deep under London, among the lost and rejected of two worlds, answers begin to emerge from Desi’s hidden past. Answers that send her north in a flight that turns to a hunt, with strange companions and stranger prey. Dangers lie ahead and behind; inconvenient passion lays traps for her just when she needs a clear head; at the last even Desi has to beg for help. From one who has more cause than most to want her dead…"  We hope you'll join us in welcoming these two fine authors!

An Evening with Patrick Rothfuss: A Reading, Q&A and Signing, Monday, November 19th at 7:00 pm -  We're incredibly excited to welcome Patrick Rothfuss back to Borderlands, this time at a reasonable hour!  (Some of you hearty souls may remember that due to tight scheduling, the last time Pat was here was at midnight.)  Now the author of THE NAME OF THE WIND and WISE MAN'S FEAR is back with more wit and wisdom, to answer your questions and sign your books.  We're grateful and enthusiastic and hope that you'll join us!  For you Facebook types, there's a Facebook event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/352393994850519/

Drop-By Signing with Nalo Hopkinson, Saturday, December 8th at 3:00 pm - Stop by to meet Ms. Hopkinson informally before her Writers With Drinks appearance at the Make-Out Room at 7 pm!  Feel free to bring your questions and books to be signed.

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 any of the author's available books signed or inscribed for you.  We can then either hold the book(s) until you can come in to pick them up or we can ship 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 for a nominal fee.  Call or email for details.

Dispatches from the Border
Editor - Jude Feldman
Assistant Editor - Alan Beatts

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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