by Jeremy Lassen
Hey everyone. I’m going to totally put on my film geek hat for this one.
First up, I want to talk about Orson Welles. Most might not think of him when they think of SF and fantasy, but Welles was all about the SF and fantasy, and not just in a Shakespearian sort of way. Of course the most famous thing Welles did was his Mecury Theater War of the Worlds broadcast. I’m sure most of you have heard it, or have heard bits sampled from it. It’s quite the awesome piece of writing and radio production and well worth checking out.
September 01, 2008
August Bestsellers
Hardcover:
1. LITTLE BROTHER by Cory Doctorow
2. BY SCHISM RENT ASUNDER by David Weber
3. THE CITY AT THE END OF TIME by Greg Bear
4. TOLL THE HOUNDS by Steven Erikson
5. ZOE'S TALE by John Scalzi
6. PIRATE SUN by Karl Schroeder
7. VICTORY OF EAGLES by Naomi Novik
8. IMPLIED SPACES by Walter John Williams
9. JHEGAALA by Steven Brust
10. BREAKING DAWN by Stephanie Meyer
tie with
THE LAST CENTURION by John Ringo
Mass Market:
1. PLAGUE WAR by Jeff Carlson
2. THE LAST COLONY by John Scalzi
3. RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES by Scott Lynch
4. ALTERED CARBON by Richard Morgan
5. THE ACCIDENTAL TIME MACHINE by Joe Haldeman
6. COMPANION TO WOLVES by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette
7. CRY WOLF by Patricia Briggs
8. THE GOOD FAIRIES OF NEW YORK by Martin Millar
9. THE CITY, NOT LONG AFTER by Pat Murphy
10. GALE FORCE - WEATHER WARDEN VOL. 5 by Rachel Caine
tie with
MAINSPRING by Jay lake
Trade Paperback:
1. HEROES ARISE by Laurel Anne Hill
2. BARREN WORLDS edited by Eric T. Reynolds, Adam Nakama, and Rob Darnell
3. LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS by Joe Abercrombie
4. CROOKED LITTLE VEIN by Warren Ellis
tie with
MIRRORED HEAVENS by David J. Williams
5. THE LIVING DEAD edited by John Joesph Adams
1. LITTLE BROTHER by Cory Doctorow
2. BY SCHISM RENT ASUNDER by David Weber
3. THE CITY AT THE END OF TIME by Greg Bear
4. TOLL THE HOUNDS by Steven Erikson
5. ZOE'S TALE by John Scalzi
6. PIRATE SUN by Karl Schroeder
7. VICTORY OF EAGLES by Naomi Novik
8. IMPLIED SPACES by Walter John Williams
9. JHEGAALA by Steven Brust
10. BREAKING DAWN by Stephanie Meyer
tie with
THE LAST CENTURION by John Ringo
Mass Market:
1. PLAGUE WAR by Jeff Carlson
2. THE LAST COLONY by John Scalzi
3. RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES by Scott Lynch
4. ALTERED CARBON by Richard Morgan
5. THE ACCIDENTAL TIME MACHINE by Joe Haldeman
6. COMPANION TO WOLVES by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette
7. CRY WOLF by Patricia Briggs
8. THE GOOD FAIRIES OF NEW YORK by Martin Millar
9. THE CITY, NOT LONG AFTER by Pat Murphy
10. GALE FORCE - WEATHER WARDEN VOL. 5 by Rachel Caine
tie with
MAINSPRING by Jay lake
Trade Paperback:
1. HEROES ARISE by Laurel Anne Hill
2. BARREN WORLDS edited by Eric T. Reynolds, Adam Nakama, and Rob Darnell
3. LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS by Joe Abercrombie
4. CROOKED LITTLE VEIN by Warren Ellis
tie with
MIRRORED HEAVENS by David J. Williams
5. THE LIVING DEAD edited by John Joesph Adams
How We Love and How We Hate
by Alan Beatts
Ten Things that Customers Do that We Love
and
Five Things We Hate
We love it when a customer --
Tells us how much they like the store.
Lets us know when we suggested a book that they loved.
Brings their family and out of town visitors to see the store.
Writes nice things about us on Yelp.
Comes up the the counter and says, "Can you help me find a book? I don't remember the author or the title but it was about . . . ."
Makes sure we hear about a new author or book that we should have in stock but don't.
Suggests books to another customer and gets mistaken for someone who works here.
Warns us about bad movies.
Brings in their pets and / or children for us to meet.
Sits on the couch in back for hours, petting Ripley and reading.
We hate it when a customer --
Asks us to check the price of a book on Amazon.
Walks in and, without so much as a "How are you doing?", asks peremptorily, "Where's the cat!" (At this point we often explain that Ripley is a cat, not a geyser, and doesn't appear on a schedule).
Takes a bunch of books off the shelves, reads them while sitting on the couch, and then _leaves them on the floor_. (We're happy to re-shelve books but it's really nice when they're brought up to the counter and not hidden under the couch).
Brings in books to sell that a) are a mixture of all sorts of stuff, mostly _not_ SF, fantasy or horror and / or b) are covered with so much cat hair, dust or other matter that we have to vacuum them before buying them.
Comes in the shop -- past two signs listing our specialty, past two big displays of books -- stops at the counter -- in front of another sign which mentions our specialty -- and asks, "Where are your cookbooks?" And then is shocked and slightly offended when we tell them we don't have any.
Ten Things that Customers Do that We Love
and
Five Things We Hate
We love it when a customer --
Tells us how much they like the store.
Lets us know when we suggested a book that they loved.
Brings their family and out of town visitors to see the store.
Writes nice things about us on Yelp
Comes up the the counter and says, "Can you help me find a book? I don't remember the author or the title but it was about . . . ."
Makes sure we hear about a new author or book that we should have in stock but don't.
Suggests books to another customer and gets mistaken for someone who works here.
Warns us about bad movies.
Brings in their pets and / or children for us to meet.
Sits on the couch in back for hours, petting Ripley and reading.
We hate it when a customer --
Asks us to check the price of a book on Amazon.
Walks in and, without so much as a "How are you doing?", asks peremptorily, "Where's the cat!" (At this point we often explain that Ripley is a cat, not a geyser, and doesn't appear on a schedule).
Takes a bunch of books off the shelves, reads them while sitting on the couch, and then _leaves them on the floor_. (We're happy to re-shelve books but it's really nice when they're brought up to the counter and not hidden under the couch).
Brings in books to sell that a) are a mixture of all sorts of stuff, mostly _not_ SF, fantasy or horror and / or b) are covered with so much cat hair, dust or other matter that we have to vacuum them before buying them.
Comes in the shop -- past two signs listing our specialty, past two big displays of books -- stops at the counter -- in front of another sign which mentions our specialty -- and asks, "Where are your cookbooks?" And then is shocked and slightly offended when we tell them we don't have any.
Overheard at The World Science Fiction Convention
This is a feature that appears periodically, 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. In this issue we share the newest "overheards" from the World Science Fiction Convention in Denver. Thanks to Rina Weisman for her help in collecting quotes.
"Don't you even put that ass out; don't you even offer it to me!"
"Now when I smell hot dogs I think. . . . feminists."
"Wow, that's a BIG Jawa."
"I'm going to fire you if you ever say 'gerbil nookie' again."
"Connie Willis signed your banana?!"
"Tornadoes? In Denver?"
"It's kind of heavy on the donkey and light on the Pez."
"[Name omitted], what nice tentacles you have!"
"The last time I fit into those jeans was when I had the tapeworm."
Con attendee, as the lights in the bar come on for last call: "Is it morning?"
"Don't you even put that ass out; don't you even offer it to me!"
"Now when I smell hot dogs I think. . . . feminists."
"Wow, that's a BIG Jawa."
"I'm going to fire you if you ever say 'gerbil nookie' again."
"Connie Willis signed your banana?!"
"Tornadoes? In Denver?"
"It's kind of heavy on the donkey and light on the Pez."
"[Name omitted], what nice tentacles you have!"
"The last time I fit into those jeans was when I had the tapeworm."
Con attendee, as the lights in the bar come on for last call: "Is it morning?"
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