Hardcovers
1. Matter by Iain M. Banks
2. The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
3. Rolling Thunder by John Varley
4. Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi
5. The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison
6. When the Tide Rises by David Drake
7. Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis
8. Singularity's Ring by Paul Menko
9. Halting State by Charles Stross
10. The Triumph of Night and Other Stories by Edith Wharton
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Snake Agent by Liz Williams
2. The Demon and the City by Liz Williams
3. Poison Sleep by T.A. Pratt
4. The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
5. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
6. The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
7. Judge by Karen Traviss
8. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
9. Spindrift by Allen Steele
10. The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction vol. 2, edited by George Mann
Trade Paperbacks
1. World War Z by Max Brooks
2. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams
3. Blindsight by Peter Watts
4. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
5. The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
April 01, 2008
Book Business Shakeups
by Alan Beatts
Thus far, 2008 has brought several things that may lead to some changes in the world of books - business moves that Amazon.com is making, the current financial trouble at Borders Books, and sharply increased interest in eBooks. I thought it would be interesting to talk about all three in this column. Over the next three months I'll talk about each one in depth but first I'm going to start with an overview of what's going on. Before I start, one warning -- much of what follows isn't very good news if you love traditional books and bookstores. I don't want to bring anyone down but I do think it's good to let people know what's going on. So, if you want cheerful and happy bunnies, you might want to give this column a miss for the next few months. On the upside, in the next three months I'm going to give some specific suggestions about what you can do if you don't like some of the changes I'm discussing here.
Thus far, 2008 has brought several things that may lead to some changes in the world of books - business moves that Amazon.com is making, the current financial trouble at Borders Books, and sharply increased interest in eBooks. I thought it would be interesting to talk about all three in this column. Over the next three months I'll talk about each one in depth but first I'm going to start with an overview of what's going on. Before I start, one warning -- much of what follows isn't very good news if you love traditional books and bookstores. I don't want to bring anyone down but I do think it's good to let people know what's going on. So, if you want cheerful and happy bunnies, you might want to give this column a miss for the next few months. On the upside, in the next three months I'm going to give some specific suggestions about what you can do if you don't like some of the changes I'm discussing here.
Overheard In The Store
This is a feature that appears periodically, usually as we attend conventions and overhear things. The tradition of keeping track of anonymous overheard bits and bobs started for us at the 2002 ConJose in San Jose, where trying (or trying not to) fill in the blanks on overheard conversations made us laugh so much that we made it a tradition. There wasn't much to report from the recent World Horror Convention, but there are plenty of funny things to overhear here at the store:
*"Now THIS is a work of absolute genius on par with the Sistine Chapel." - (Customer, brandishing the graphic novel V FOR VENDETTA at her friend.)
*"The next Goth club I go to, I'm totally going dressed as a Pilgrim."
*"There's no way that kid is making it through high school without a collection of dead birds in his locker." - (Author, discussing the character Charlie Brown)
*"Externalizing your organs is a sign of maturity." - (Bookseller, World Horror Convention)
*"Now THIS is a work of absolute genius on par with the Sistine Chapel." - (Customer, brandishing the graphic novel V FOR VENDETTA at her friend.)
*"The next Goth club I go to, I'm totally going dressed as a Pilgrim."
*"There's no way that kid is making it through high school without a collection of dead birds in his locker." - (Author, discussing the character Charlie Brown)
*"Externalizing your organs is a sign of maturity." - (Bookseller, World Horror Convention)
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