by Jude Feldman
Welcome to December! We've finally gotten our winter weather -- as a life-long, drought-hardened Californian, I have a superstitious aversion to _ever_ complaining about the rain -- and this is the perfect time to curl up with a good book yourself, or gift one to someone dear to you. Personally this year has been a very difficult one, and I will be glad to see the back of it -- but that means it's even more important to celebrate the good things we have and the friends and family we love; hatch, and feather, as Becky Chambers would say.
Those of you who have been around a while know that I always do an opinionated and rambling gift guide for December, and this year is no exception. I am excited to call your attention to just a few of the myriad cool and unexpected things we have in the store. However, if you don't see something appropriate here, we're always happy to make custom suggestions for you or anyone in your life. We'll even wrap 'em for you! (A special note to those of you purchasing presents: we're glad to gift wrap upon request, although our typical caveats apply: first, if we're busy, you may have to wait a bit to have things wrapped, and, second, some staff members are MUCH better than others at it. It is vaguely possible that your package may resemble a brightly wrapped Lovecraft-ian, batrachian, rugose, Thing of No Human Shape. For some customers, this is not a problem . . ."better than I can do!," they say. However, if you are concerned about our, ahem, abilities, we're also happy to just hand you the gift wrap, scissors and tape.) Now, onward!
December 09, 2019
Upcoming Events
Sisters in Crime / Mystery Writers' of America Annual Holiday Party, Saturday December 7th from 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Writers With Drinks (at The Make Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) with authors Meg Elison, Megan E. O'Keefe, Alvin Orloff, Amanda Rosenberg, Zoe Young, Olga Zilberbourg and fabulous guest host Maggie Tokuda-Hall! Saturday December 14th at 7:30 pm
We're about to take our customary event hiatus until the New Year, but we'll be back in 2020 with dozens and dozens of fabulous authors, including Seanan McGuire, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, exciting debut author Juliette Wade in conversation with Deborah Ross, and many, many more!
Writers With Drinks (at The Make Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) with authors Meg Elison, Megan E. O'Keefe, Alvin Orloff, Amanda Rosenberg, Zoe Young, Olga Zilberbourg and fabulous guest host Maggie Tokuda-Hall! Saturday December 14th at 7:30 pm
We're about to take our customary event hiatus until the New Year, but we'll be back in 2020 with dozens and dozens of fabulous authors, including Seanan McGuire, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, exciting debut author Juliette Wade in conversation with Deborah Ross, and many, many more!
Happy Holidays
by Alan Beatts
After a monograph like Jude's Gift Guide, there doesn't seem to be much need for me to add a lot of extra verbiage here. Just two things to pass along.
First, work continues at the new building. It's been slow going, mostly because some personal stuff had me in LA for about half of the last month. But . . . it is moving along. Rough electrical for the bathroom is done and will be inspected (and passed, I'm sure) on the 10th. Rough framing for the front passed inspection week before last and now we're working to get the surface finish done outside and the electrical done inside. Rough electrical for the main floor will probably happen this month and, because our electrician is great, should pass inspection this month as well. Once that's done there'll be a few other things to take care of in the ceiling (Cat 6 network cabling, audio cabling, and the lifting point of the trap door for the basement shop) and then I can get the sheetrock crew in to close it up. So, we're plugging right along.
Second, this has been a rough year personally and, I think, a rough year for most Americans. For me, December is when it's easiest to get stressed out, feel rushed, and generally lose my sense of calm. Further, for many people, it's a month when it's easy to feel worried and, perhaps worst of all, isolated.
This month, despite everything that is going on, I try to slow down, breathe and keep clear in my mind what is actually important. Most of all, I try to remember that the things that are getting my attention -- nasty weather, flashing lights, bad drivers, and the constant refrain of "Buy, buy, buy!" -- really aren't that significant at all.
At the risk of sounding like a Hallmark card, what matters this month is exactly the same as every other month -- our friends, our family (whether by blood or by choice), our principals, and our dreams & goals. So, as we head into the end of 2019 and the end of the second decade of the 21st century; take care of yourselves, take care of your people, find calm within the noise and haste, and have a peaceful and happy holiday followed by a joyous New Year.
November Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. Strange Planet by Nathan Pyle
2. Rosemary and Rue 10th Anniversary Edition by Seanan McGuire
3. The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz
4. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
5. Burning White by Brent Weeks
6. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
7. The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman
8. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
9. Dune: Deluxe Edition by Frank Herbert
10. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
3. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
4. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
5. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
6. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
7. Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
8. The Ninja Daughter by Tori Eldridge
9. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
10. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Dune by Frank Herbert
2. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
3. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
4. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
5. The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi
6. Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch
7. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
8. Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
9. The Forbidden Stars by Tim Pratt
10. Neuromancer by William Gibson
1. Strange Planet by Nathan Pyle
2. Rosemary and Rue 10th Anniversary Edition by Seanan McGuire
3. The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz
4. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
5. Burning White by Brent Weeks
6. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
7. The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman
8. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
9. Dune: Deluxe Edition by Frank Herbert
10. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
3. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
4. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
5. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
6. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
7. Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
8. The Ninja Daughter by Tori Eldridge
9. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
10. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Dune by Frank Herbert
2. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
3. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
4. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
5. The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi
6. Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch
7. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
8. Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
9. The Forbidden Stars by Tim Pratt
10. Neuromancer by William Gibson
December News
* We're very sad to report the death of the incredible artist Gahan Wilson, who passed away at age 89. Read Neil Gaiman's loving tribute here: http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2019/11/gahan-wilson-born-dead-now-dead-again.html
* We're also sad to note that Dorothy "D.C." Fontana, author of several of the most beloved original "Star Trek episodes", passed away last month: http://www.treknews.net/2019/12/03/star-trek-writer-dorothy-dc-fontana-dead/
* Borderlands' owner Alan Beatts, along with The Booksmith's Christin Evans and Dog Eared & Alley Cat Books' owner Kate Rosenberger, will be participating in a panel on the state of bookshops and bookselling, including how the industry works, what issues are facing it, and the place and importance of bookshops in city life. The panel will take place Tuesday, January 28th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm at Manny's, 3092 16th Street, San Francisco. https://www.welcometomannys.com/
* The best science fiction and fantasy books of 2019, according to Silivia Moreno-Garcia and Lavie Tidhar: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/the-best-science-fiction-and-fantasy-books-of-2019/2019/11/21/96604448-ef65-11e9-8693-f487e46784aa_story.html
* We're also sad to note that Dorothy "D.C." Fontana, author of several of the most beloved original "Star Trek episodes", passed away last month: http://www.treknews.net/2019/12/03/star-trek-writer-dorothy-dc-fontana-dead/
* Borderlands' owner Alan Beatts, along with The Booksmith's Christin Evans and Dog Eared & Alley Cat Books' owner Kate Rosenberger, will be participating in a panel on the state of bookshops and bookselling, including how the industry works, what issues are facing it, and the place and importance of bookshops in city life. The panel will take place Tuesday, January 28th from 6:00 - 7:30 pm at Manny's, 3092 16th Street, San Francisco. https://www.welcometomannys.com/
* The best science fiction and fantasy books of 2019, according to Silivia Moreno-Garcia and Lavie Tidhar: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/the-best-science-fiction-and-fantasy-books-of-2019/2019/11/21/96604448-ef65-11e9-8693-f487e46784aa_story.html
November 21, 2019
Upcoming Events
Tori Eldridge, NINJA DAUGHTER (Agora Books, Trade Paperback, $16.95) Sunday, November 24th at 3:00 pm
Sisters in Crime / Mystery Writers' of America Holiday Party, Saturday, December 7th from 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Writers With Drinks with authors Megan E. O'Keefe, Alvin Orloff, and Olga Zilberbourg, and fabulous guest host Maggie Tokuda-Hall! (At the Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) Saturday, December 14th at 7:30 pm
Sisters in Crime / Mystery Writers' of America Holiday Party, Saturday, December 7th from 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Writers With Drinks with authors Megan E. O'Keefe, Alvin Orloff, and Olga Zilberbourg, and fabulous guest host Maggie Tokuda-Hall! (At the Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) Saturday, December 14th at 7:30 pm
November Building Update
by Alan Beatts
The last month has been a good one for the construction but not particularly exciting, so this update is going to be kind of short. The rough plumbing is completed and passed inspection. Other than some less-than-esthetically-pleasing work in the lightwell, it's a really nice, clean job. And, it'll be easy enough for me to re-route the stuff in the lightwell so that it's not quite so . . . industrial . . . looking. Granted, I can understand why a plumber would want to run all the piping between waist and shoulder height -- it's easy to work at that level. But it doesn't really make for the best look, if you know what I mean.
Antonius and Juan, our electricians, were in last week and the rough electrical for the bathroom is finished. We just need to get that inspected and then we can get to closing up the walls. With a little luck, I hope to have the bathroom completed by the end of next month.
The framing for the front wall is also finished (big thanks to Zach for getting the last bits completed) and it passed inspection yesterday. We need to put a little bit of electrical in that wall and then we can start closing it as well. That job is going to be a bit long because of the complexity. Instead of just simple sheetrock like the bathroom, there's tile on the outside to do, plus an awful lot of windows to build. On the other hand, because that wall is mostly windows, once they are built and installed, most of the wall will be completed, both outside and in.
The last month has been a good one for the construction but not particularly exciting, so this update is going to be kind of short. The rough plumbing is completed and passed inspection. Other than some less-than-esthetically-pleasing work in the lightwell, it's a really nice, clean job. And, it'll be easy enough for me to re-route the stuff in the lightwell so that it's not quite so . . . industrial . . . looking. Granted, I can understand why a plumber would want to run all the piping between waist and shoulder height -- it's easy to work at that level. But it doesn't really make for the best look, if you know what I mean.
Antonius and Juan, our electricians, were in last week and the rough electrical for the bathroom is finished. We just need to get that inspected and then we can get to closing up the walls. With a little luck, I hope to have the bathroom completed by the end of next month.
The framing for the front wall is also finished (big thanks to Zach for getting the last bits completed) and it passed inspection yesterday. We need to put a little bit of electrical in that wall and then we can start closing it as well. That job is going to be a bit long because of the complexity. Instead of just simple sheetrock like the bathroom, there's tile on the outside to do, plus an awful lot of windows to build. On the other hand, because that wall is mostly windows, once they are built and installed, most of the wall will be completed, both outside and in.
October Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. Burning White by Brent Weeks
2. Angel Mage by Garth Nix
3. The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman
4. The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz
5. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
6. Turning Darkness Into Light by Marie Brennan
7. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
8. The Institute by Stephen King
9. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
10. The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey
Trade Paperbacks
1. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
2. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
3. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
4. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
5. Perfect Specimen by M. Luke McDonell
6. Million Mile Road Trip by Rudy Rucker
7. Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
8. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
9. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
10. In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi
2. Dune by Frank Herbert
3. Fallen by Benedict Jacka
4. The Forbidden Stars by Tim Pratt
5. The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
6. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
7. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
8. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
9. Neuromancer by William Gibson
10. Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio
1. Burning White by Brent Weeks
2. Angel Mage by Garth Nix
3. The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman
4. The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz
5. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
6. Turning Darkness Into Light by Marie Brennan
7. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
8. The Institute by Stephen King
9. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
10. The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey
Trade Paperbacks
1. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
2. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
3. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
4. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
5. Perfect Specimen by M. Luke McDonell
6. Million Mile Road Trip by Rudy Rucker
7. Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
8. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
9. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
10. In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi
2. Dune by Frank Herbert
3. Fallen by Benedict Jacka
4. The Forbidden Stars by Tim Pratt
5. The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
6. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
7. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
8. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
9. Neuromancer by William Gibson
10. Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio
November News
* Overheard in the Store:
"Pokemon should not make you feel funny in your pants-parts."
"Finally, a bookstore with the _correct_ smell!"
"Some fungi are only edible once."
"If all else fails, use the parallel world."
"The highest villain in the book is a giant bagpipe. Nothing could be more evil than a bagpipe."
"I was ambushed, and she forcibly read her poetry at me."
"If you're not pissing someone off, you're probably in PR."
"Joel Selvin has covered pop music for the San Francisco Chronicle since shortly after the Civil War."
"It's a book title - 'Consensual Cannibalism: An Atheist's Primer for Surviving the Apocalypse'."
"Apparently it's the day of Hyper Aggressive Authors."
* Big congratulations to all the nominees and winners of this year's World Fantasy Awards! https://locusmag.com/2019/11/2019-world-fantasy-awards-winners/
* We are very sad to share news of the death of the incomparable Michael Blumlein. Michael was a Borderlands sponsor, a retired doctor, and an extremely talented genre author, but more importantly he was a brilliant, humorous, generous, and tremendously good human being with an enduring sense of wonder. He will be fiercely missed. https://www.tor.com/2019/10/28/michael-blumlein-1948-2019/
"Pokemon should not make you feel funny in your pants-parts."
"Finally, a bookstore with the _correct_ smell!"
"Some fungi are only edible once."
"If all else fails, use the parallel world."
"The highest villain in the book is a giant bagpipe. Nothing could be more evil than a bagpipe."
"I was ambushed, and she forcibly read her poetry at me."
"If you're not pissing someone off, you're probably in PR."
"Joel Selvin has covered pop music for the San Francisco Chronicle since shortly after the Civil War."
"It's a book title - 'Consensual Cannibalism: An Atheist's Primer for Surviving the Apocalypse'."
"Apparently it's the day of Hyper Aggressive Authors."
* Big congratulations to all the nominees and winners of this year's World Fantasy Awards! https://locusmag.com/2019/11/2019-world-fantasy-awards-winners/
* We are very sad to share news of the death of the incomparable Michael Blumlein. Michael was a Borderlands sponsor, a retired doctor, and an extremely talented genre author, but more importantly he was a brilliant, humorous, generous, and tremendously good human being with an enduring sense of wonder. He will be fiercely missed. https://www.tor.com/2019/10/28/michael-blumlein-1948-2019/
October 10, 2019
Upcoming Events
Writers With Drinks with authors Marta Acosta, Imani Gandy, Dr. Jen Gunter, Vivian Ho, Nazelah Jamison, and Michelle Ruiz Keil (at the Make Out Room, The Make Out Room, 3225 22nd St, San Francisco), Saturday, October 12th at 7:30 pm
Litquake Litcrawl Phase 2, SF in SF Presents: Women Imagine Different Worlds with authors Lisa Goldstein, M. Luke McDonell, Pat Murphy, Madeleine Robins, and Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Saturday, October 19th at 6:30 pm
Litquake Litcrawl Phase 3, Adventures in Crime and Time with authors Mark Coggins, Paul Drexler, Richard Kadrey, and Annalee Newitz Saturday, October 19th at 8:00 pm
Brent Weeks, THE BURNING WHITE (Orbit, Hardcover, $30.00) Thursday, October 24th at 6:00 pm
Rudy Rucker, THE MILLION MILE ROAD TRIP (Nightshade Books, Trade Paperback, $14.99) Saturday, October 26th at 3:00 pm
JUST ADDED! An Afternoon with N.K. Jemisin, Sunday, November 3rd at 3:00 pm
SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) with authors Charlie Jane Anders and Annalee Newitz, Sunday, November 10th at 6:30 pm
An Evening with Seanan McGuire, Saturday, November 16th at 6:00 pm
Tori Eldridge, NINJA DAUGHTER (Agora Books, Trade Paperback, $16.95) Sunday, November 24th at 3:00 pm
Litquake Litcrawl Phase 2, SF in SF Presents: Women Imagine Different Worlds with authors Lisa Goldstein, M. Luke McDonell, Pat Murphy, Madeleine Robins, and Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Saturday, October 19th at 6:30 pm
Litquake Litcrawl Phase 3, Adventures in Crime and Time with authors Mark Coggins, Paul Drexler, Richard Kadrey, and Annalee Newitz Saturday, October 19th at 8:00 pm
Brent Weeks, THE BURNING WHITE (Orbit, Hardcover, $30.00) Thursday, October 24th at 6:00 pm
Rudy Rucker, THE MILLION MILE ROAD TRIP (Nightshade Books, Trade Paperback, $14.99) Saturday, October 26th at 3:00 pm
JUST ADDED! An Afternoon with N.K. Jemisin, Sunday, November 3rd at 3:00 pm
SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) with authors Charlie Jane Anders and Annalee Newitz, Sunday, November 10th at 6:30 pm
An Evening with Seanan McGuire, Saturday, November 16th at 6:00 pm
Tori Eldridge, NINJA DAUGHTER (Agora Books, Trade Paperback, $16.95) Sunday, November 24th at 3:00 pm
October Building Update
by Alan Beatts
It's been a very busy month at the new building on Haight St. I'll get to all the details in a second but I've got a bigger piece of news. I finally decided when (roughly) we're going to move.
I'm aiming to have us up and running at the new building by Spring of next year. Specifically, by May. That is, granted, a long way off from now but at least there's a date. Or, at least a month.
Why so long? Well, here's the thing -- we need to get the two big jobs finished (the bathroom and the new front wall). Both are pretty far along but, once that's done, there's still quite a lot to do. I'd like to get the basement office in reasonable shape because trying to do that after we've moved would just be a whole lot of not-fun. Also, there are some bits and pieces of work that will also need doing (reworking the stairway to the basement, getting the final electrical in place, and so on). But the big one is building the shelves. There are quite a lot of them to build and, speaking from experience, that's a time-consuming process. Plus, there are bound to be delays as we go. So yeah, I think that May is about right. We'll see if that lasts, eh?
It's been a very busy month at the new building on Haight St. I'll get to all the details in a second but I've got a bigger piece of news. I finally decided when (roughly) we're going to move.
I'm aiming to have us up and running at the new building by Spring of next year. Specifically, by May. That is, granted, a long way off from now but at least there's a date. Or, at least a month.
Why so long? Well, here's the thing -- we need to get the two big jobs finished (the bathroom and the new front wall). Both are pretty far along but, once that's done, there's still quite a lot to do. I'd like to get the basement office in reasonable shape because trying to do that after we've moved would just be a whole lot of not-fun. Also, there are some bits and pieces of work that will also need doing (reworking the stairway to the basement, getting the final electrical in place, and so on). But the big one is building the shelves. There are quite a lot of them to build and, speaking from experience, that's a time-consuming process. Plus, there are bound to be delays as we go. So yeah, I think that May is about right. We'll see if that lasts, eh?
September Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz
2. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
3. The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire
4. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
5. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
6. Jade War by Fonda Lee
7. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
8. The Institute by Stephen King
9. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
10. Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
Trade Paperbacks
1. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
2. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
3. Time Shards: Shatter War by Dana Fredsti and David Fitzgerald
4. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
5. Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe
6. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
7. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
8. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
9. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
10. The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin, translated by Joel Martinsen
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
2. Dune by Frank Herbert
3. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
4. Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio
5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
6. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
7. Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
8. Neuromancer by William Gibson
9. Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
10. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
1. The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz
2. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
3. The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire
4. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
5. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
6. Jade War by Fonda Lee
7. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
8. The Institute by Stephen King
9. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
10. Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
Trade Paperbacks
1. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
2. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
3. Time Shards: Shatter War by Dana Fredsti and David Fitzgerald
4. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
5. Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe
6. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
7. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
8. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
9. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
10. The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin, translated by Joel Martinsen
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
2. Dune by Frank Herbert
3. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
4. Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio
5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
6. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
7. Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
8. Neuromancer by William Gibson
9. Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
10. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
October News
* Overheard in the Store:
"At one point in history you could certainly read every science fiction & fantasy title that came out that year. Now you can't even read all the Seanan McGuire titles that come out in a year!"
"What house are you in? Gryffindor? Like everybody. I'm in Slytherin, obviously."
"It's low-level and hilarious vegan propaganda, TBH."
"I just need to find an ancient Babylonian oatmeal recipe RIGHT NOW!"
"I think it's really creative what this guy did with dried noodles."
"Please don't kill people. It would be rude."
"Tentacles are coming. Paint is drying."
"As a friend of mine once sniffed, 'Suburban bondage'."
"That's the name of my new punk band --'Stalin's Unicorns'."
"This is the sort of book you put on your coffee table to find out who your real friends are."
* Huge congratulations to Alex and JoAnne! Alex proposed to JoAnne at Borderlands on Tuesday, October 1st with a custom-made book that celebrates their story. We wish them a lifetime of happiness! You can see pictures of the happy couple (and that adorable book) on our Twitter feed, @borderlands_sf.
* Bay News Rising talked to Alan about Borderlands' new building and discussed the difficulties of small businesses purchasing them: https://baynewsrising.org/2019/08/19/small-business-survival-tactic-own-your-own-building/
"At one point in history you could certainly read every science fiction & fantasy title that came out that year. Now you can't even read all the Seanan McGuire titles that come out in a year!"
"What house are you in? Gryffindor? Like everybody. I'm in Slytherin, obviously."
"It's low-level and hilarious vegan propaganda, TBH."
"I just need to find an ancient Babylonian oatmeal recipe RIGHT NOW!"
"I think it's really creative what this guy did with dried noodles."
"Please don't kill people. It would be rude."
"Tentacles are coming. Paint is drying."
"As a friend of mine once sniffed, 'Suburban bondage'."
"That's the name of my new punk band --'Stalin's Unicorns'."
"This is the sort of book you put on your coffee table to find out who your real friends are."
* Huge congratulations to Alex and JoAnne! Alex proposed to JoAnne at Borderlands on Tuesday, October 1st with a custom-made book that celebrates their story. We wish them a lifetime of happiness! You can see pictures of the happy couple (and that adorable book) on our Twitter feed, @borderlands_sf.
* Bay News Rising talked to Alan about Borderlands' new building and discussed the difficulties of small businesses purchasing them: https://baynewsrising.org/2019/08/19/small-business-survival-tactic-own-your-own-building/
September 04, 2019
Upcoming Events
Tyler Hayes, THE IMAGINARY CORPSE (Angry Robot, Trade Paperback, $12.99) Tuesday, September 10th at 6:00 pm
Informal signing with D.J. Butler (WITCHY KINGDOM, Baen, Hardcover, $25.00) Christopher Husberg (FEAR THE STARS, Titan Books, Trade Paperback, $14.95) and Christopher Ruocchio (THE HOWLING DARK, DAW, Hardcover, $27.00) Thursday, September 12th at 6:00 pm
Fonda Lee, JADE WAR (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) with Megan E. O'Keefe (VELOCITY WEAPON, Orbit, Trade Paperback, $15.99) Saturday, September 14th at 3:00 pm
Chad Stroup, SEXY LEPER (Bizarro Pulp Press, Trade Paperback, $13.95) Sunday, September 15th at 3:00 pm
SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) with authors Christopher Brown and Hannu Rajaniemi, Sunday, September 15th at 6:30 pm
Dana Fredsti & David Fitzgerald, TIME SHARDS: SHATTER WAR (Titan Books, Trade Paperback, $14.95) Saturday, September 28th at 3:00 pm
Annalee Newitz, THE FUTURE OF ANOTHER TIMELINE (Tor Books, Hardcover, $26.99) Sunday, September 29th at 3:00 pm
SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) with author Garth Nix, Wednesday, October 2nd at 6:30 pm
Marie Brennan, TURNING DARKNESS INTO LIGHT (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99) Saturday, October 5th at 3:00 pm
And coming up in the Fall, stay turned for more Writers With Drinks, the fabulous Litquake Lit Crawl, Rudy Rucker, Brent Weeks, and many more excellent authors!
Informal signing with D.J. Butler (WITCHY KINGDOM, Baen, Hardcover, $25.00) Christopher Husberg (FEAR THE STARS, Titan Books, Trade Paperback, $14.95) and Christopher Ruocchio (THE HOWLING DARK, DAW, Hardcover, $27.00) Thursday, September 12th at 6:00 pm
Fonda Lee, JADE WAR (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) with Megan E. O'Keefe (VELOCITY WEAPON, Orbit, Trade Paperback, $15.99) Saturday, September 14th at 3:00 pm
Chad Stroup, SEXY LEPER (Bizarro Pulp Press, Trade Paperback, $13.95) Sunday, September 15th at 3:00 pm
SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) with authors Christopher Brown and Hannu Rajaniemi, Sunday, September 15th at 6:30 pm
Dana Fredsti & David Fitzgerald, TIME SHARDS: SHATTER WAR (Titan Books, Trade Paperback, $14.95) Saturday, September 28th at 3:00 pm
Annalee Newitz, THE FUTURE OF ANOTHER TIMELINE (Tor Books, Hardcover, $26.99) Sunday, September 29th at 3:00 pm
SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) with author Garth Nix, Wednesday, October 2nd at 6:30 pm
Marie Brennan, TURNING DARKNESS INTO LIGHT (Tor Books, Hardcover, $27.99) Saturday, October 5th at 3:00 pm
And coming up in the Fall, stay turned for more Writers With Drinks, the fabulous Litquake Lit Crawl, Rudy Rucker, Brent Weeks, and many more excellent authors!
September Building Update
Big news, in several ways, this month. First off, not only is the framing for the bathroom completed but, yesterday, I met with our structural engineer and he signed off on his final inspection. Which means that the whole, big, complicated structural job that we started over a year ago in the basement is completed, from an engineering standpoint. He said that it was a very nice job and that everything looked great.
This is a big milestone not just for the obvious reasons but also because it marks the end of the section of the job that I had no experience doing. The blessedly innocent Alan of 2018 knew nothing of I-beams, steel-reinforced foundations, engineered lumber, or how to get a 400 lb. beam 13 feet in the air. He also never considered that he would not only be intimately familiar with the Simpson Company catalog, but that he would own his own dog-eared copy of it!
This is a big milestone not just for the obvious reasons but also because it marks the end of the section of the job that I had no experience doing. The blessedly innocent Alan of 2018 knew nothing of I-beams, steel-reinforced foundations, engineered lumber, or how to get a 400 lb. beam 13 feet in the air. He also never considered that he would not only be intimately familiar with the Simpson Company catalog, but that he would own his own dog-eared copy of it!
August Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. Reticence by Gail Carriger
2. Exhalation by Ted Chiang
3. Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
4. Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson
5. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
6. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
7. The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
8. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
9. Dark Age by Pierce Brown
10. Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
2. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
3. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
4. Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe
5. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
6. The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin, translated by Joel Martinsen
7. The Power by Naomi Alderman
8. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? By N.K. Jemisin
9. Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
10. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Dune by Frank Herbert
2. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
3. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
4. Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
5. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
6. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
7. Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
8. Neuromancer by William Gibson
9. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
10. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
1. Reticence by Gail Carriger
2. Exhalation by Ted Chiang
3. Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
4. Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson
5. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
6. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
7. The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
8. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
9. Dark Age by Pierce Brown
10. Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
2. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
3. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
4. Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe
5. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
6. The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin, translated by Joel Martinsen
7. The Power by Naomi Alderman
8. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? By N.K. Jemisin
9. Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
10. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Dune by Frank Herbert
2. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
3. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
4. Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
5. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
6. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
7. Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
8. Neuromancer by William Gibson
9. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
10. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
September News
* Overheard in the Store:
"Don't worry, it only _looks_ haunted."
"It didn't actually end, it just ran out of chapters.”
"Like I'd let some wimpy ghost best me in a fight. I will die by the hands of Al Capone's fat ghost or I will NEVER DIE."
"There are two kinds of people in the world: those who can extrapolate from incomplete data."
"I really wish there was someone smarter than me around to deal with it."
"I understand, but sometimes being a grownup means you're all the smart you’ve got, and you just have to do your best."
* Dell Magazines has elected to change the name of the John W. Campbell Award to The Astounding Award for Best New Writer, following Jeannette Ng's award acceptance speech at the Hugos, and much discussion in the field: https://theastoundinganalogcompanion.com/2019/08/27/a-statement-from-the-editor/ . (The full text of Ms. Ng's speech is here, if you missed it: https://medium.com/@nettlefish/john-w-campbell-for-whom-this-award-was-named-was-a-fascist-f693323d3293)
* Congratulations to all of the Hugo Award nominees and winners! http://www.thehugoawards.org/
* A crashed Israeli lunar lander accidentally scattered microscopic "water bears" on the moon: https://www.wired.com/story/a-crashed-israeli-lunar-lander-spilled-tardigrades-on-the-moon/
"Don't worry, it only _looks_ haunted."
"It didn't actually end, it just ran out of chapters.”
"Like I'd let some wimpy ghost best me in a fight. I will die by the hands of Al Capone's fat ghost or I will NEVER DIE."
"There are two kinds of people in the world: those who can extrapolate from incomplete data."
"I really wish there was someone smarter than me around to deal with it."
"I understand, but sometimes being a grownup means you're all the smart you’ve got, and you just have to do your best."
* Dell Magazines has elected to change the name of the John W. Campbell Award to The Astounding Award for Best New Writer, following Jeannette Ng's award acceptance speech at the Hugos, and much discussion in the field: https://theastoundinganalogcompanion.com/2019/08/27/a-statement-from-the-editor/ . (The full text of Ms. Ng's speech is here, if you missed it: https://medium.com/@nettlefish/john-w-campbell-for-whom-this-award-was-named-was-a-fascist-f693323d3293)
* Congratulations to all of the Hugo Award nominees and winners! http://www.thehugoawards.org/
* A crashed Israeli lunar lander accidentally scattered microscopic "water bears" on the moon: https://www.wired.com/story/a-crashed-israeli-lunar-lander-spilled-tardigrades-on-the-moon/
August 07, 2019
Upcoming Events
Gail Carriger, RETICENCE (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) Tuesday, August 6th at 6:00 pm
Michael Blumlein, LONGER (Tor.com, Trade Paperback, $15.99) and Paul Park, A CITY MADE OF WORDS (PM Press, Trade Paperback, $14.00) Saturday, August 10th at 3:00 pm
Writers With Drinks (at the Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) with authors Lynn Breedlove, Sarah Rose Etter, Vanessa Hua, Seth Katz, Brandon Melendez, and Namwali Serpell, hosted by Charlie Jane Anders! Saturday, August 10th at 7:30 pm
CANCELLED - Seanan McGuire, THE UNKINDEST TIDE (DAW, Hardcover, $26.00) Saturday, September 7th at 5:00 pm
Fonda Lee, JADE WAR (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) in conversation with Megan E. O'Keefe, VELOCITY WEAPON (Orbit, Trade Paperback, $15.99) Saturday, September 14th at 3:00 pm
Chad Stroup, SEXY LEPER (Bizarro Pulp Press, Trade Paperback, $13.99) Sunday, September 15th at 3:00 pm
SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders' Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco) with authors Mike Chen and Hannu Rajaniemi, hosted by Terry Bisson, Sunday, September 15th at 6:30 pm
Dana Fredsti and David Fitzgerald, SHATTER WAR (Titan, Trade Paperback, $14.95) Saturday, September 28th at 3:00 pm
Annalee Newitz, THE FUTURE OF ANOTHER TIMELINE (Tor, Hardcover, $26.99) Sunday, September 29th at 3:00 pm
Michael Blumlein, LONGER (Tor.com, Trade Paperback, $15.99) and Paul Park, A CITY MADE OF WORDS (PM Press, Trade Paperback, $14.00) Saturday, August 10th at 3:00 pm
Writers With Drinks (at the Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) with authors Lynn Breedlove, Sarah Rose Etter, Vanessa Hua, Seth Katz, Brandon Melendez, and Namwali Serpell, hosted by Charlie Jane Anders! Saturday, August 10th at 7:30 pm
CANCELLED - Seanan McGuire, THE UNKINDEST TIDE (DAW, Hardcover, $26.00) Saturday, September 7th at 5:00 pm
Fonda Lee, JADE WAR (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) in conversation with Megan E. O'Keefe, VELOCITY WEAPON (Orbit, Trade Paperback, $15.99) Saturday, September 14th at 3:00 pm
Chad Stroup, SEXY LEPER (Bizarro Pulp Press, Trade Paperback, $13.99) Sunday, September 15th at 3:00 pm
SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders' Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco) with authors Mike Chen and Hannu Rajaniemi, hosted by Terry Bisson, Sunday, September 15th at 6:30 pm
Dana Fredsti and David Fitzgerald, SHATTER WAR (Titan, Trade Paperback, $14.95) Saturday, September 28th at 3:00 pm
Annalee Newitz, THE FUTURE OF ANOTHER TIMELINE (Tor, Hardcover, $26.99) Sunday, September 29th at 3:00 pm
August Building Update
by Alan Beatts
Last month I mentioned that I was going to be meeting with a specialist contractor about removing the flooring in the new store. The flooring itself isn't a problem, but the tile and adhesive on it is. Both contain asbestos, as is pretty typical for old tile. Though one solution would be to simply cover it up with a new floor, I don't really want to go that route for a couple of reasons. First off, adding a layer to the existing floor will (obviously) raise the height. That increased height becomes a problem because we need to meet the sidewalk outside the shop without too much of a slope because of accessibility requirements. At the current floor height we can just make it without having to build a ramp and add a handrail. If we add even 3/4", I don't think we can manage it.
Secondly, asbestos is not very nice stuff. There aren't a whole lot of construction materials that give me the creeps but asbestos is one of them. If we don't take the floor out now, there's never going to be a good time to do it. On top of that, any time we need to work on the floor in the future (like drill a hole through it for an electrical line or some speaker wiring) we'll have to deal with the asbestos risk.
The estimate to remove the floor is around $9000. Adding the cost of a new, lovely fir floor (much like what we have in the current store), the total is probably going to be around $20,000. That's a steep price-tag but I think I'm going to do it. The floor is probably the absolutely hardest thing to replace after we open and so I feel like getting a truly permanent job done is in our best interests. The schedule for that job is a bit up in the air since I need to figure out how it'll fit with the other work we're doing. I expect that it will happen after we have the bathroom framed and the light well closed up. Having those two jobs done will make the asbestos removal easier and it will also make it much simpler to clear everything out of the place (because we can store a bunch of the stuff inside the bathroom rather than moving it to the back yard).
Speaking of the bathroom, last weekend we got a huge amount of work done on the framing. Almost all the walls are in place (and they all fit properly, thank goodness) and I'll be working on the final touches all this week.
Also on the bathroom topic, my meeting with our plumber, Brian Fusco, went really well. He's a total pro and I'm looking forward to working with him. He also gets our goal of really making sure that everything is in solid shape from the outset, even if it'll cost a little more. So, it's looking like we'll have, for the first time ever, a shop with a completely top-notch electrical and plumbing system. Oh, and a roof that doesn't leak. I'm not sure that, after the past 20 years, I'll know what to make of that.
Before you ask, sorry, but still no opening date. There are still too many moving parts for anything I say to be better than a wild-ass-guess.
Last month I mentioned that I was going to be meeting with a specialist contractor about removing the flooring in the new store. The flooring itself isn't a problem, but the tile and adhesive on it is. Both contain asbestos, as is pretty typical for old tile. Though one solution would be to simply cover it up with a new floor, I don't really want to go that route for a couple of reasons. First off, adding a layer to the existing floor will (obviously) raise the height. That increased height becomes a problem because we need to meet the sidewalk outside the shop without too much of a slope because of accessibility requirements. At the current floor height we can just make it without having to build a ramp and add a handrail. If we add even 3/4", I don't think we can manage it.
Secondly, asbestos is not very nice stuff. There aren't a whole lot of construction materials that give me the creeps but asbestos is one of them. If we don't take the floor out now, there's never going to be a good time to do it. On top of that, any time we need to work on the floor in the future (like drill a hole through it for an electrical line or some speaker wiring) we'll have to deal with the asbestos risk.
The estimate to remove the floor is around $9000. Adding the cost of a new, lovely fir floor (much like what we have in the current store), the total is probably going to be around $20,000. That's a steep price-tag but I think I'm going to do it. The floor is probably the absolutely hardest thing to replace after we open and so I feel like getting a truly permanent job done is in our best interests. The schedule for that job is a bit up in the air since I need to figure out how it'll fit with the other work we're doing. I expect that it will happen after we have the bathroom framed and the light well closed up. Having those two jobs done will make the asbestos removal easier and it will also make it much simpler to clear everything out of the place (because we can store a bunch of the stuff inside the bathroom rather than moving it to the back yard).
Speaking of the bathroom, last weekend we got a huge amount of work done on the framing. Almost all the walls are in place (and they all fit properly, thank goodness) and I'll be working on the final touches all this week.
Also on the bathroom topic, my meeting with our plumber, Brian Fusco, went really well. He's a total pro and I'm looking forward to working with him. He also gets our goal of really making sure that everything is in solid shape from the outset, even if it'll cost a little more. So, it's looking like we'll have, for the first time ever, a shop with a completely top-notch electrical and plumbing system. Oh, and a roof that doesn't leak. I'm not sure that, after the past 20 years, I'll know what to make of that.
Before you ask, sorry, but still no opening date. There are still too many moving parts for anything I say to be better than a wild-ass-guess.
July Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
2. Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson
A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay
3. Exhalation by Ted Chiang
4. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
5. The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey
6. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
7. Atmosphaera Incognita by Neal Stephenson
8. Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
9. The Knife by Jo Nesbo
10. Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
3. Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe
4. The Power by Naomi Alderman
5. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
6. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
7. Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
8. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
9. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
10. Hexarchate Stories by Yoon Ha Lee
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Dune by Frank Herbert
2. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
3. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
4. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
5. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
6. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
7. Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
8. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
9. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
10. Neuromancer by William Gibson
1. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
2. Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson
A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay
3. Exhalation by Ted Chiang
4. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
5. The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey
6. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
7. Atmosphaera Incognita by Neal Stephenson
8. Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
9. The Knife by Jo Nesbo
10. Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
3. Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe
4. The Power by Naomi Alderman
5. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
6. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
7. Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
8. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
9. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
10. Hexarchate Stories by Yoon Ha Lee
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Dune by Frank Herbert
2. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
3. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
4. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
5. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
6. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
7. Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
8. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
9. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
10. Neuromancer by William Gibson
August News
* Overheard in the Bookstore:
"I'm sorry, but you need to leave RIGHT NOW, because you're not actually wearing pants."
"He looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger, as possessed by the spirit of Ernest Hemingway."
"She's a library."
"She works in a library?"
"No, she IS a library."
"What is the duck for?"
"I think it's just a Breast Cancer Awareness duck."
"You _can't_ just go to the bathroom at Jurassic Park in the rain."
"Schadenfreude isn't just a river in Egypt."
"Right. [pause] Wait; what?"
"It's the best pop-culture writing of the last 30 years -- it's got a zombie ska band!"
"Tom Waits is mid-life crisis music for goths."
* A decent article about the creative things San Francisco comic stores have done to survive, with a dire headline: https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/SF-comic-book-sellers-hang-on-hoping-each-laugh-14092674.php
* Speaking of doing creative things to survive. . . Probably because we had just announced that we were closing the Cafe and people were understandably distracted, a bunch of folks missed this link when we first posted it. Freethink Media created an awesome video on Borderlands' and Mission Comics and Arts' respective sponsorship programs and our survival models for unconventional retail! Watch it (among other excellent reasons) to see Alan looking Very Serious Indeed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=mQD1y2yORPQ
* A really lovely post by Jud Meyers (of North Hollywood's Blast Off Comics, which sadly closed at the end of July) about the rewards of being able to give the gift of books (and comic books), and secondarily about why there were never any posters obscuring Blast Off's windows: http://www.blastoffcomics.com/2019/07/four-letter-words/
* Beloved author James A. Moore could use some financial help for medical expenses, if you can assist: https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-author-james-a-moore
"I'm sorry, but you need to leave RIGHT NOW, because you're not actually wearing pants."
"He looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger, as possessed by the spirit of Ernest Hemingway."
"She's a library."
"She works in a library?"
"No, she IS a library."
"What is the duck for?"
"I think it's just a Breast Cancer Awareness duck."
"You _can't_ just go to the bathroom at Jurassic Park in the rain."
"Schadenfreude isn't just a river in Egypt."
"Right. [pause] Wait; what?"
"It's the best pop-culture writing of the last 30 years -- it's got a zombie ska band!"
"Tom Waits is mid-life crisis music for goths."
* A decent article about the creative things San Francisco comic stores have done to survive, with a dire headline: https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/SF-comic-book-sellers-hang-on-hoping-each-laugh-14092674.php
* Speaking of doing creative things to survive. . . Probably because we had just announced that we were closing the Cafe and people were understandably distracted, a bunch of folks missed this link when we first posted it. Freethink Media created an awesome video on Borderlands' and Mission Comics and Arts' respective sponsorship programs and our survival models for unconventional retail! Watch it (among other excellent reasons) to see Alan looking Very Serious Indeed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=mQD1y2yORPQ
* A really lovely post by Jud Meyers (of North Hollywood's Blast Off Comics, which sadly closed at the end of July) about the rewards of being able to give the gift of books (and comic books), and secondarily about why there were never any posters obscuring Blast Off's windows: http://www.blastoffcomics.com/2019/07/four-letter-words/
* Beloved author James A. Moore could use some financial help for medical expenses, if you can assist: https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-author-james-a-moore
July 18, 2019
Welcome David Fitzgerald!
Hiring staff for Borderlands Books is something we do far less often then once in a blue moon! So we’re happy to mark this rare occurrence and welcome our newest employee, David Fitzgerald, to the party. David is an author, editor, animal lover and sword fighter, among other esoteric talents, and so he’s a great fit for Borderlands. He’s written everything from nonfiction to science fiction to erotica & more under a few different pen names, so in addition to his solid “book knowledge”, is a great resource for aspiring writers. David was a Borderlands sponsor for years, and also volunteered doing construction work at the Haight Street building (before he started working Sundays on Valencia!) Please give him a warm hello when you’re next in the store (and ask him for a book recommendation).
Upcoming Events
Writers With Drinks (The Make Out Room, 3225 22nd St, San Francisco) with authors Natasha Dennerstein, Sarah Gailey, Helen Phillips, Troy Jollimore, Grace Lavery, and Gabby Rivera, hosted by Charlie Jane Anders, Saturday, July 13th at 7:30 pm
LitCrawl Junior with authors Kalyn Josephson, Katy Rose Pool, and Shannon Price, Sunday, July 14th at 3:30 pm
SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) with authors Vy Kaftan and Megan E. O'Keefe, moderated by Terry Bisson, Sunday, July 21st at 6:30 pm
Charlie Jane Anders, Meg Elison, Shaenon K. Garrity, and Richard Kadrey, WASTELANDS: THE NEW APOCALYPSE (Titan Books, Trade Paperback, $14.95) Saturday, August 3rd at 3:00 pm
Gail Carriger, RETICENCE (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) Tuesday, August 6th at 6:00 pm
Michael Blumlein, LONGER (Tor.com, Trade Paperback, $15.99) and Paul Park, A CITY MADE OF WORDS, (PM Press, Trade Paperback, $14.00) Saturday, August 10th at 3:00 pm
Seanan McGuire, THE UNKINDEST TIDE (DAW, Hardcover, $26.00) Saturday, September 7th at 5:00 pm
LitCrawl Junior with authors Kalyn Josephson, Katy Rose Pool, and Shannon Price, Sunday, July 14th at 3:30 pm
SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) with authors Vy Kaftan and Megan E. O'Keefe, moderated by Terry Bisson, Sunday, July 21st at 6:30 pm
Charlie Jane Anders, Meg Elison, Shaenon K. Garrity, and Richard Kadrey, WASTELANDS: THE NEW APOCALYPSE (Titan Books, Trade Paperback, $14.95) Saturday, August 3rd at 3:00 pm
Gail Carriger, RETICENCE (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) Tuesday, August 6th at 6:00 pm
Michael Blumlein, LONGER (Tor.com, Trade Paperback, $15.99) and Paul Park, A CITY MADE OF WORDS, (PM Press, Trade Paperback, $14.00) Saturday, August 10th at 3:00 pm
Seanan McGuire, THE UNKINDEST TIDE (DAW, Hardcover, $26.00) Saturday, September 7th at 5:00 pm
July Building Update
by Alan Beatts
Things are going well with the construction at the new building. At the beginning of the month, PG&E hooked up the new electrical service. Despite all the delays and torturous steps to get there, the actual hook-up went very smoothly. We started at nine and were done by noon. The PG&E crew were very pleasant and professional. We shared a couple of jokes at the expense of office and engineering staff, mostly along the lines of, "They don't get it, don't get it right, and waste time. Thank goodness there are people like us doing the actual work who have a clue."
We've still got two long days ahead switching out the panels for each of the apartments upstairs but, once that's done, the big electrical work is finished. We'll still need to do the wiring for the bookstore but that's a quite simple job. This week I put in four extra temporary circuits (so we can run a saw and the compressor at the same time without tripping a breaker) and it took me all of about two hours to do. The final wiring will be a bit more time-consuming but not by much.
Since that work was done, last Sunday we were able to finally tear out the big post in the middle of the store that used to hold the old service. Having that gone really opened up the space a lot and now I can actually see what it's going to look like. It's going to be awfully good. Despite being a tiny bit smaller than our current space, I think it's going to _look_ bigger.
I've got several meetings next week that will move us even further forward. First I'm meeting on Monday with an asbestos abatement specialist. I'll get a quote from him to pull all the old floor and tiles that are a problem. I'm hopeful that the price will be within reach because, after looking over the place, really the best solution is to remove the entire floor and replace it. With the asbestos out of the way, that's not actually a very hard job and it'll give us a beautiful, strong floor that will last for decades to come.
I'm also meeting with our plumber, Brian Fusco, to get the bathroom work scheduled. He's a referral from my buddy Bruno, a general contractor here in town who has never steered me wrong. I'm looking forward to meeting Brian. Based on our email conversations, he's definitely our sort of people.
The rest of this month will be mostly filled up with completing the framing for the bathroom and, if all goes well, getting a start on framing the new front of the building.
Things are going well with the construction at the new building. At the beginning of the month, PG&E hooked up the new electrical service. Despite all the delays and torturous steps to get there, the actual hook-up went very smoothly. We started at nine and were done by noon. The PG&E crew were very pleasant and professional. We shared a couple of jokes at the expense of office and engineering staff, mostly along the lines of, "They don't get it, don't get it right, and waste time. Thank goodness there are people like us doing the actual work who have a clue."
We've still got two long days ahead switching out the panels for each of the apartments upstairs but, once that's done, the big electrical work is finished. We'll still need to do the wiring for the bookstore but that's a quite simple job. This week I put in four extra temporary circuits (so we can run a saw and the compressor at the same time without tripping a breaker) and it took me all of about two hours to do. The final wiring will be a bit more time-consuming but not by much.
Since that work was done, last Sunday we were able to finally tear out the big post in the middle of the store that used to hold the old service. Having that gone really opened up the space a lot and now I can actually see what it's going to look like. It's going to be awfully good. Despite being a tiny bit smaller than our current space, I think it's going to _look_ bigger.
I've got several meetings next week that will move us even further forward. First I'm meeting on Monday with an asbestos abatement specialist. I'll get a quote from him to pull all the old floor and tiles that are a problem. I'm hopeful that the price will be within reach because, after looking over the place, really the best solution is to remove the entire floor and replace it. With the asbestos out of the way, that's not actually a very hard job and it'll give us a beautiful, strong floor that will last for decades to come.
I'm also meeting with our plumber, Brian Fusco, to get the bathroom work scheduled. He's a referral from my buddy Bruno, a general contractor here in town who has never steered me wrong. I'm looking forward to meeting Brian. Based on our email conversations, he's definitely our sort of people.
The rest of this month will be mostly filled up with completing the framing for the bathroom and, if all goes well, getting a start on framing the new front of the building.
June Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson
2. Exhalation by Ted Chiang
3. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
4. The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey
5. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
6. Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey
7. Lent by Jo Walton
8. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
9. Stealing Worlds by Karl Schroeder
10. A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
3. The Sol Majestic by Ferrett Steinmetz
4. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
5. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
6. The Power by Naomi Alderman
7. Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone
8. Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
9. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
10. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
2. Dune by Frank Herbert
3. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
5. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
6. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
7. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
8. Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton
9. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
10. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
1. Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson
2. Exhalation by Ted Chiang
3. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
4. The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey
5. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
6. Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey
7. Lent by Jo Walton
8. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
9. Stealing Worlds by Karl Schroeder
10. A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
3. The Sol Majestic by Ferrett Steinmetz
4. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
5. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
6. The Power by Naomi Alderman
7. Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone
8. Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
9. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
10. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
2. Dune by Frank Herbert
3. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
5. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
6. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
7. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
8. Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton
9. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
10. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
July News
* Overheard in the store:
"I love the smell of books. It smells so good in here! I want to bottle it and wear it as a perfume."
"I've only met one person ever who didn't like GOOD OMENS, and I didn't trust them."
"It's like people who never say the f-word, or who dislike dogs!"
"She said that worrying was like praying for something you don't want."
"She sold her soul for a toaster oven."
"So... what I'm hearing is that Wiccans shouldn't drink."
"Repeatedly forgetting your PIN is an excellent way to save money."
"I'm turning my life in a new direction: Horizontal."
"You can't discriminate against someone based on their Hogwarts' House!"
* Locus Magazine is hosting a Writing Master Class with author Andy Duncan! July 21, 2019, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Locus Magazine HQ in downtown Oakland. The cost is $150.00. Details and sign up here: https://locusmag.com/locus-bay-area-writers-workshop-writing-master-class-with-andy-duncan-july-2019/
* Local author (and Borderlands sponsor) Charlie Jane Anders did a marvelous interview with the Huffington Post: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/charlie-jane-anders-crosses-the-divide_n_5cdc281ae4b0437438c5290e
* Congratulations to Irene Gallo, who has been promoted to Vice President, Publisher of Tor.com! https://www.tor.com/2019/06/20/irene-gallo-promoted-to-vice-president-publisher-of-tor-com/
"I love the smell of books. It smells so good in here! I want to bottle it and wear it as a perfume."
"I've only met one person ever who didn't like GOOD OMENS, and I didn't trust them."
"It's like people who never say the f-word, or who dislike dogs!"
"She said that worrying was like praying for something you don't want."
"She sold her soul for a toaster oven."
"So... what I'm hearing is that Wiccans shouldn't drink."
"Repeatedly forgetting your PIN is an excellent way to save money."
"I'm turning my life in a new direction: Horizontal."
"You can't discriminate against someone based on their Hogwarts' House!"
* Locus Magazine is hosting a Writing Master Class with author Andy Duncan! July 21, 2019, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Locus Magazine HQ in downtown Oakland. The cost is $150.00. Details and sign up here: https://locusmag.com/locus-bay-area-writers-workshop-writing-master-class-with-andy-duncan-july-2019/
* Local author (and Borderlands sponsor) Charlie Jane Anders did a marvelous interview with the Huffington Post: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/charlie-jane-anders-crosses-the-divide_n_5cdc281ae4b0437438c5290e
* Congratulations to Irene Gallo, who has been promoted to Vice President, Publisher of Tor.com! https://www.tor.com/2019/06/20/irene-gallo-promoted-to-vice-president-publisher-of-tor-com/
Upcoming Events
Ferrett Steinmetz, THE SOL MAJESTIC (Tor, Trade Paperback, $16.99) Saturday, June 22nd at 3:00 pm
Writers With Drinks (at the Make Out Room, 3225 22nd St, San Francisco) with authors Natasha Dennerstein, Sarah Gailey, Helen Phillips, Troy Jollimore, Grace Lavery, and Gabby Rivera, hosted by Charlie Jane Anders, Saturday, July 13th at 7:30 pm
SF in SF with authors Vylar Kaftan and Megan E. O'Keefe (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) Sunday, July 21st at 6:30 pm
Charlie Jane Anders, Meg Elison, Shaenon K. Garrity, and Richard Kadrey, WASTELANDS: THE NEW APOCALYPSE (Titan Books, Trade Paperback, $14.95 ) Saturday, August 3rd at 3:00 pm
Gail Carriger, RETICENCE (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) Tuesday, August 6th at 6:00 pm
Michael Blumlein, LONGER (Tor.com, Trade Paperback, $15.99) and Paul Park, A CITY MADE OF WORDS (PM Press, Trade Paperback, $14.99) Saturday, August 10th at 3:00 pm
Writers With Drinks (at the Make Out Room, 3225 22nd St, San Francisco) with authors Natasha Dennerstein, Sarah Gailey, Helen Phillips, Troy Jollimore, Grace Lavery, and Gabby Rivera, hosted by Charlie Jane Anders, Saturday, July 13th at 7:30 pm
SF in SF with authors Vylar Kaftan and Megan E. O'Keefe (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) Sunday, July 21st at 6:30 pm
Charlie Jane Anders, Meg Elison, Shaenon K. Garrity, and Richard Kadrey, WASTELANDS: THE NEW APOCALYPSE (Titan Books, Trade Paperback, $14.95 ) Saturday, August 3rd at 3:00 pm
Gail Carriger, RETICENCE (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) Tuesday, August 6th at 6:00 pm
Michael Blumlein, LONGER (Tor.com, Trade Paperback, $15.99) and Paul Park, A CITY MADE OF WORDS (PM Press, Trade Paperback, $14.99) Saturday, August 10th at 3:00 pm
June Building Update
by Alan Beatts
Despite not having much time to work at Haight St. last month (because, closing up the cafe), we made some solid progress in May. Perhaps the biggest thing is that we finally (Finally? Finally!) passed the last inspection with PG&E for the new electrical service. We're all set to have the actual service hooked up on the 2nd of July, and that will be the first construction permit of this whole project that is completely finished. To say that I'm looking forward to it is a hell of an understatement.
Over the last few weeks we've also made major progress on the bathroom. Three of the five walls are framed and in place. The next two will follow shortly and then we can get the plumber in to do the rough work. With luck that will go quickly (depending on his schedule) and then we can get the finish work done. Still no firm ETA for all that but we're getting close to a point when I feel like I can make something other than a wild-ass guess.
The garden is really coming into its own with the spring and thanks to all the rain this winter. I know I've been promising pictures for months now but I truly will try to get some up by the next newsletter.
With the work of closing (and running) the cafe behind me, I'm really looking forward to putting my full attention into getting our new "house" ready for move in.
Despite not having much time to work at Haight St. last month (because, closing up the cafe), we made some solid progress in May. Perhaps the biggest thing is that we finally (Finally? Finally!) passed the last inspection with PG&E for the new electrical service. We're all set to have the actual service hooked up on the 2nd of July, and that will be the first construction permit of this whole project that is completely finished. To say that I'm looking forward to it is a hell of an understatement.
Over the last few weeks we've also made major progress on the bathroom. Three of the five walls are framed and in place. The next two will follow shortly and then we can get the plumber in to do the rough work. With luck that will go quickly (depending on his schedule) and then we can get the finish work done. Still no firm ETA for all that but we're getting close to a point when I feel like I can make something other than a wild-ass guess.
The garden is really coming into its own with the spring and thanks to all the rain this winter. I know I've been promising pictures for months now but I truly will try to get some up by the next newsletter.
With the work of closing (and running) the cafe behind me, I'm really looking forward to putting my full attention into getting our new "house" ready for move in.
May Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. Exhalation by Ted Chiang
2. A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay
3. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
4. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
5. The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
6. Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey
7. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
8. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
9. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
10. Empire of Grass by Tad Williams
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
3. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
4. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
5. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
6. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
7. Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
8. The Power by Naomi Alderman
9. Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse
10. New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color edited by Nisi Shawl
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Dune by Frank Herbert
2. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
3. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
4. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
6. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
7. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
8. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
9. Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
10. The Thousand Names by Django Wexler
1. Exhalation by Ted Chiang
2. A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay
3. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
4. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
5. The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
6. Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey
7. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
8. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
9. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
10. Empire of Grass by Tad Williams
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
3. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
4. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
5. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
6. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
7. Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
8. The Power by Naomi Alderman
9. Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse
10. New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color edited by Nisi Shawl
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Dune by Frank Herbert
2. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
3. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
4. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
6. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
7. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
8. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
9. Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
10. The Thousand Names by Django Wexler
June News
*Overheard in the Store:
"You can't discriminate against someone based on their Hogwarts' House!"
"The clerks were whimsical and the customers were insane."
"You FOOL! We're all English teachers and there were BOOKS back there!"
"You care about something, and you're not an idiot."
"Well, when you put it THAT way, it is _definitely_ creepy."
* R.I.P. Dennis Etchison, acclaimed horror author and editor and recipient of the Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award, who died at the end of May. https://locusmag.com/2019/05/dennis-etchison-1943-2019/
* Babylon 5 was one of the most innovative SF shows of its time, and here are 5 things that it did that changed science fiction forever. https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/5-things-babylon-5-did-that-changed-science-fiction-forever
"You can't discriminate against someone based on their Hogwarts' House!"
"The clerks were whimsical and the customers were insane."
"You FOOL! We're all English teachers and there were BOOKS back there!"
"You care about something, and you're not an idiot."
"Well, when you put it THAT way, it is _definitely_ creepy."
* R.I.P. Dennis Etchison, acclaimed horror author and editor and recipient of the Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award, who died at the end of May. https://locusmag.com/2019/05/dennis-etchison-1943-2019/
* Babylon 5 was one of the most innovative SF shows of its time, and here are 5 things that it did that changed science fiction forever. https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/5-things-babylon-5-did-that-changed-science-fiction-forever
May 29, 2019
Upcoming Events
Guy Gavriel Kay, A BRIGHTNESS LONG AGO (Berkeley, Hardcover, $27.00) Saturday, March 18th at 3:00 pm
SF in SF (at The American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) with guests Guy Gavriel Kay, Ransom Stephens, and Simon Vance, moderated by Terry Bisson, Sunday, March 19th at 6:30 pm
SF in SF (at The American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) with guests Nancy Etchemendy and Loren Rhoads, Sunday, June 9th at 6:30 pm
Megan E. O'Keefe, VELOCITY WEAPON (Orbit, Trade Paperback, $15.99) Thursday, June 13th at 6:00 pm
Sarah Gailey, MAGIC FOR LIARS (Tor, Hardcover, $25.99) Saturday, June 15th at 3:00 pm
Ferrett Steinmetz, THE SOL MAJESTIC (Tor, Trade Paperback, $16.99) Saturday, June 22nd at 3:00 pm
SF in SF (at The American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) with guests Guy Gavriel Kay, Ransom Stephens, and Simon Vance, moderated by Terry Bisson, Sunday, March 19th at 6:30 pm
SF in SF (at The American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) with guests Nancy Etchemendy and Loren Rhoads, Sunday, June 9th at 6:30 pm
Megan E. O'Keefe, VELOCITY WEAPON (Orbit, Trade Paperback, $15.99) Thursday, June 13th at 6:00 pm
Sarah Gailey, MAGIC FOR LIARS (Tor, Hardcover, $25.99) Saturday, June 15th at 3:00 pm
Ferrett Steinmetz, THE SOL MAJESTIC (Tor, Trade Paperback, $16.99) Saturday, June 22nd at 3:00 pm
May Building Update
Hi Everyone,
This is going to be a very short update on our building process. I've been very busy this month getting all the work done to shut down the cafe and so time (and sleep) has been in very short supply. Despite that, we've made some very good progress at Haight Street. Milestones have been:
Revised bathroom layout approved. It's a much better arrangement than the original design and also takes up less floor space. Kevin Short, our architect, really outdid himself getting it worked out and permitted.
Floor framing for bathroom and lightwell completed. Since we know the layout for sure now, we were able to finalize the floor framing layout and get it done. I'm very pleased with how it all came out. And perhaps the most impressive part of the job was that it was almost completely done by our volunteers with only oversight from me. It was a difficult and demanding job (the bathroom floor especially so, since it had to be just about dead level) and, personally, I think they produced a better and more precise piece of work than the average professional crew would have.
Trench and conduit for new electrical completed. The schedules all lined up for both our trenching contractor and our electrician so that job was completed in less than a week. Now we're just waiting for a second inspection of the panels (because, really, the inspector was kind of unreasonable). After that, there are two inspections from PG&E (both scheduled for this month) and then we wait for them to connect the power (which is scheduled for the beginning of July . . . because PG&E is a little slow). But, at this point, the job is moving forward and quickly too. Which is damn nice since we first applied for the permits well over a _year_ ago.
Aside from that, the garden is coming along beautifully now that spring is here, and many smaller jobs have been knocked out.
That's about it. Goodnight.
All Best,
Alan
This is going to be a very short update on our building process. I've been very busy this month getting all the work done to shut down the cafe and so time (and sleep) has been in very short supply. Despite that, we've made some very good progress at Haight Street. Milestones have been:
Revised bathroom layout approved. It's a much better arrangement than the original design and also takes up less floor space. Kevin Short, our architect, really outdid himself getting it worked out and permitted.
Floor framing for bathroom and lightwell completed. Since we know the layout for sure now, we were able to finalize the floor framing layout and get it done. I'm very pleased with how it all came out. And perhaps the most impressive part of the job was that it was almost completely done by our volunteers with only oversight from me. It was a difficult and demanding job (the bathroom floor especially so, since it had to be just about dead level) and, personally, I think they produced a better and more precise piece of work than the average professional crew would have.
Trench and conduit for new electrical completed. The schedules all lined up for both our trenching contractor and our electrician so that job was completed in less than a week. Now we're just waiting for a second inspection of the panels (because, really, the inspector was kind of unreasonable). After that, there are two inspections from PG&E (both scheduled for this month) and then we wait for them to connect the power (which is scheduled for the beginning of July . . . because PG&E is a little slow). But, at this point, the job is moving forward and quickly too. Which is damn nice since we first applied for the permits well over a _year_ ago.
Aside from that, the garden is coming along beautifully now that spring is here, and many smaller jobs have been knocked out.
That's about it. Goodnight.
All Best,
Alan
April Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey
2. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
3. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
4. The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
5. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
6. Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen
7. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
8. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
9. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
10. Radicalized by Cory Doctorow
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
3. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
4. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
5. Fault Lines edited by Margaret Lucke
6. The Power by Naomi Alderman
7. Blood Ink by Dana Fredsti
8. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
9. New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color edited by Nisi Shawl
10. Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Dune by Frank Herbert
2. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
3. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
4. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
5. Spawn of Lilith by Dana Fredsti
6. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
7. Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
8. Who Fears Death? By Nnedi Okorafor
9. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
10. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
1. Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey
2. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
3. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
4. The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
5. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
6. Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen
7. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
8. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
9. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
10. Radicalized by Cory Doctorow
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
3. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
4. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
5. Fault Lines edited by Margaret Lucke
6. The Power by Naomi Alderman
7. Blood Ink by Dana Fredsti
8. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
9. New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color edited by Nisi Shawl
10. Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Dune by Frank Herbert
2. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
3. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
4. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
5. Spawn of Lilith by Dana Fredsti
6. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
7. Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
8. Who Fears Death? By Nnedi Okorafor
9. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
10. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
May News
* Overheard in the Store:
"Receipt? Oh, no, no, thank you. I don't want to be reminded how much I've spent on books."
"That’s adorable! The Prius had a bumper sticker that said 'Cool Prius! - Nobody'."
"But the paper ones are _meant_ to be edited"
"Space said 'we have black holes' and scientists just replied with, 'pics or it didn't happen'."
"You measure the cinnamon in parsecs?"
* ICYMI: Yes, we have permanently closed Borderlands Cafe (JUST THE CAFE), and we will be moving the bookstore (only) to the building that we purchased on Haight Street at some point in the future, when the construction work on the Haight Street building is complete. Alan Beatts, the business' owner, on closing the Cafe: http://borderlands-books.blogspot.com/2019/04/borderlands-cafe-to-close.html
* Because we've closed the Cafe, we'll be selling all the Cafe furniture, fixtures, and equipment, plus some extra bookshelves and other things while we're at it. The sale starts Sunday, May 19th at 12:00 pm. Come check out many tables, chairs, a variety of bookshelves, and a mind-boggling array of mugs, glasses, teapots, and such! We also have some really beautiful furniture -- would you like an amazing Chinese-style armoire, or a church pew for your place? This is a really cool opportunity to take home a little bit of Borderlands' history. We'd love to know that these items will live on with people who appreciate them. (Regrettably, it won't be possible for us to hold anything. And not to sound too salesman-y, but. . . prices will be dropping as we get closer to the cafe's must-be-vacant date of June 1st, but if you wait you'll risk missing out!)
* R.I.P. celebrated author and science fiction Grand Master Gene Wolfe: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/gene-wolfe-science-fiction-writer-with-a-literary-touch-dies-at-87/2019/04/28/9bf76226-69c1-11e9-a66d-a82d3f3d96d5_story.html
"Receipt? Oh, no, no, thank you. I don't want to be reminded how much I've spent on books."
"That’s adorable! The Prius had a bumper sticker that said 'Cool Prius! - Nobody'."
"But the paper ones are _meant_ to be edited"
"Space said 'we have black holes' and scientists just replied with, 'pics or it didn't happen'."
"You measure the cinnamon in parsecs?"
* ICYMI: Yes, we have permanently closed Borderlands Cafe (JUST THE CAFE), and we will be moving the bookstore (only) to the building that we purchased on Haight Street at some point in the future, when the construction work on the Haight Street building is complete. Alan Beatts, the business' owner, on closing the Cafe: http://borderlands-books.blogspot.com/2019/04/borderlands-cafe-to-close.html
* Because we've closed the Cafe, we'll be selling all the Cafe furniture, fixtures, and equipment, plus some extra bookshelves and other things while we're at it. The sale starts Sunday, May 19th at 12:00 pm. Come check out many tables, chairs, a variety of bookshelves, and a mind-boggling array of mugs, glasses, teapots, and such! We also have some really beautiful furniture -- would you like an amazing Chinese-style armoire, or a church pew for your place? This is a really cool opportunity to take home a little bit of Borderlands' history. We'd love to know that these items will live on with people who appreciate them. (Regrettably, it won't be possible for us to hold anything. And not to sound too salesman-y, but. . . prices will be dropping as we get closer to the cafe's must-be-vacant date of June 1st, but if you wait you'll risk missing out!)
* R.I.P. celebrated author and science fiction Grand Master Gene Wolfe: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/gene-wolfe-science-fiction-writer-with-a-literary-touch-dies-at-87/2019/04/28/9bf76226-69c1-11e9-a66d-a82d3f3d96d5_story.html
April 27, 2019
Borderlands Cafe to Close
by Alan Beatts
Most of the time I think that it's better to explain a thought process first and put the conclusion at the end. But sometimes it seems better to do it the other way around. This is one of those times.
We're shutting down the cafe element of Borderlands this Tuesday, April 30th. It's not a wonderful thing, but it's not a terrible thing either.
We opened the cafe in 2009, right in time for the recession to really start to bite (at least in the Bay Area). Keeping the cafe going took a lot of very hard work, not just from me and Jude, but from all the original crew. But we did it and the cafe became a modest success. Certainly we found a group of great regular customers who liked the place we made and what we did.
All of us at the cafe also had a chance to work with a wonderful group of people. Numerous friendships were made, many of which exist to this day. Relationships were started (some of which I probably still don't know about) and roommates were found. It was, and still is, a great community.
But, over the past two years, it has become very hard to find and retain staff. Food service jobs always have high turnover and Borderlands was better than average (our first employee still works with us and many of the staff have been with us for multiple years). But, in the last two years and despite hiring almost constantly, we have almost always been short by one person. At times we've been short by two or even three. For a business that at full staff only employs nine or ten people, that's been very difficult for all of us -- especially Z'ev (the cafe manager) and me.
Most of the time I think that it's better to explain a thought process first and put the conclusion at the end. But sometimes it seems better to do it the other way around. This is one of those times.
We're shutting down the cafe element of Borderlands this Tuesday, April 30th. It's not a wonderful thing, but it's not a terrible thing either.
We opened the cafe in 2009, right in time for the recession to really start to bite (at least in the Bay Area). Keeping the cafe going took a lot of very hard work, not just from me and Jude, but from all the original crew. But we did it and the cafe became a modest success. Certainly we found a group of great regular customers who liked the place we made and what we did.
All of us at the cafe also had a chance to work with a wonderful group of people. Numerous friendships were made, many of which exist to this day. Relationships were started (some of which I probably still don't know about) and roommates were found. It was, and still is, a great community.
But, over the past two years, it has become very hard to find and retain staff. Food service jobs always have high turnover and Borderlands was better than average (our first employee still works with us and many of the staff have been with us for multiple years). But, in the last two years and despite hiring almost constantly, we have almost always been short by one person. At times we've been short by two or even three. For a business that at full staff only employs nine or ten people, that's been very difficult for all of us -- especially Z'ev (the cafe manager) and me.
April 12, 2019
Upcoming Events
Mike Chen, HERE AND NOW AND THEN (MIRA, Hardcover, $26.99), and Peng Shepherd, THE BOOK OF M (William Morrow, Hardcover, $26.99) Saturday, April 13th at 3:00 pm
Writers With Drinks with authors Susannah Breslin, Mike Chen, Michelle Cruz Gonzales, Arkady Martine, Peng Shepherd, and Saskia Vogel, hosted by Charlie Jane Anders! (at The Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) Saturday, April 13th at 7:30 pm
Alex White, A BAD DEAL FOR THE WHOLE GALAXY (Orbit, Trade Paperback, $15.99) Tuesday, April 23rd at 6:00 pm
FAULT LINES Launch Party, Sunday, April 28th at 3:00 pm
SF in SF with authors Peter S. Beagle and Jaymee Goh (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco) Sunday, April 28th at 6:30 pm
(for more information check the end of this newsletter)
Coming up Saturday, May 18th, look for a very special reading and signing with Guy Gavriel Kay!
Writers With Drinks with authors Susannah Breslin, Mike Chen, Michelle Cruz Gonzales, Arkady Martine, Peng Shepherd, and Saskia Vogel, hosted by Charlie Jane Anders! (at The Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) Saturday, April 13th at 7:30 pm
Alex White, A BAD DEAL FOR THE WHOLE GALAXY (Orbit, Trade Paperback, $15.99) Tuesday, April 23rd at 6:00 pm
FAULT LINES Launch Party, Sunday, April 28th at 3:00 pm
SF in SF with authors Peter S. Beagle and Jaymee Goh (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco) Sunday, April 28th at 6:30 pm
(for more information check the end of this newsletter)
Coming up Saturday, May 18th, look for a very special reading and signing with Guy Gavriel Kay!
April Building Update
by Alan Beatts
Firstly, and probably most importantly, we reached our goal of 300 sponsors by March 31st. In fact, on the 31st, we were at exactly 500 sponsors. That's a slight drop from the same time last year, when we were at 532, but that's still way over the minimum and I'm pleased as punch about it.
But, just because we've met our goal, that doesn't meant that we're not happy to accept more sponsors. So, if you'd like to help us get our move completed and continue to do all that we do (not to mention enjoy the social camaraderie and other benefits of being a sponsor), feel free to sign up online at https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship.html, over the telephone anytime between noon and eight pm PST, or in person by stopping by the shop.
Now, on to the building update. Last month I mentioned that we were just about to put up the really big beam that's a requirement for building the new restroom. I'm very pleased to say that it's done and, moreso, the horrible pit of a restroom that we had is nothing but a memory (and, a big hole in the floor). Tearing out the old one was a one-day job and a hell of a lot of fun. We filled an entire debris box with the result and, by end of day, we were dirty, tired, and happy.
Firstly, and probably most importantly, we reached our goal of 300 sponsors by March 31st. In fact, on the 31st, we were at exactly 500 sponsors. That's a slight drop from the same time last year, when we were at 532, but that's still way over the minimum and I'm pleased as punch about it.
But, just because we've met our goal, that doesn't meant that we're not happy to accept more sponsors. So, if you'd like to help us get our move completed and continue to do all that we do (not to mention enjoy the social camaraderie and other benefits of being a sponsor), feel free to sign up online at https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship.html, over the telephone anytime between noon and eight pm PST, or in person by stopping by the shop.
Now, on to the building update. Last month I mentioned that we were just about to put up the really big beam that's a requirement for building the new restroom. I'm very pleased to say that it's done and, moreso, the horrible pit of a restroom that we had is nothing but a memory (and, a big hole in the floor). Tearing out the old one was a one-day job and a hell of a lot of fun. We filled an entire debris box with the result and, by end of day, we were dirty, tired, and happy.
March Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey
2. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
3. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
4. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
5. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
6. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
7. Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
8. Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
9. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
10. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
3. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
4. The Power by Naomi Alderman
5. New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color edited by Nisi Shawl
6. Autonomous by Annalee Newitz
7. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
8. The Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts
9. Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
10. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. That Ain't Witchcraft by Seanan McGuire
2. Dune by Frank Herbert
3. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
4. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
5. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
6. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
7. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
8. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
9. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
10. Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
1. Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey
2. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
3. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
4. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
5. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
6. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
7. Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
8. Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
9. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
10. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2. A People's Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
3. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu
4. The Power by Naomi Alderman
5. New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color edited by Nisi Shawl
6. Autonomous by Annalee Newitz
7. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
8. The Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts
9. Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
10. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. That Ain't Witchcraft by Seanan McGuire
2. Dune by Frank Herbert
3. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
4. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
5. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
6. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
7. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
8. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
9. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
10. Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
April News
* Overheard in the Store:
"I have done things with ladders that make bystanders shriek with horror."
"The last person not bleeding wins."
<shouting at repetitive busker outside> "Hey Joey Ramone! Pretty PLEASE learn another chord!"
"In general, I try not to microwave sour cream."
"Sometimes we bear seemingly unbearable things, because the alternative is so much worse."
"Does anything ever get described as a 'low-octane thriller'?"
"The fact that it's tactless doesn't make it untrue."
"I'd be a really Casual Assassin, like 'You're gonna die, no doubt about that, but meantime would you like a coffee or a soda?'"
"Someone had an Emotional Support chicken on the bus today."
"What I really thought was that I had ordered a goat when I was drunk and forgot."
“Trust me, absolutely nothing good starts with burned garlic.”
"Thanks, Car Insurance Company. There couldn't possibly be more perfect hold music than an endless instrumental loop of 'Danger Zone'."
"I don’t remember what I ate for lunch, but I remember the plot to every one of these books."
* R.I.P. to Vonda N. McIntyre, who passed away on April 1st from pancreatic cancer. McIntyre was a multiple award winner, brilliant author, one of the founders of the Clarion West Writers Workshop, founder of Book View Cafe, and the person who gave Hikaru Sulu his first name, among many other accomplishments. She managed to finish her final novel a few weeks before her death. https://www.geekwire.com/2019/vonda-n-mcintyre-1948-2019-seattle-science-fiction-star-dies-cancer/
* Freethink Media created an awesome video on Borderlands' and Mission Comics and Arts' respective sponsorship programs and our survival models for unconventional retail! https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=mQD1y2yORPQ
"I have done things with ladders that make bystanders shriek with horror."
"The last person not bleeding wins."
<shouting at repetitive busker outside> "Hey Joey Ramone! Pretty PLEASE learn another chord!"
"In general, I try not to microwave sour cream."
"Sometimes we bear seemingly unbearable things, because the alternative is so much worse."
"Does anything ever get described as a 'low-octane thriller'?"
"The fact that it's tactless doesn't make it untrue."
"I'd be a really Casual Assassin, like 'You're gonna die, no doubt about that, but meantime would you like a coffee or a soda?'"
"Someone had an Emotional Support chicken on the bus today."
"What I really thought was that I had ordered a goat when I was drunk and forgot."
“Trust me, absolutely nothing good starts with burned garlic.”
"Thanks, Car Insurance Company. There couldn't possibly be more perfect hold music than an endless instrumental loop of 'Danger Zone'."
"I don’t remember what I ate for lunch, but I remember the plot to every one of these books."
* R.I.P. to Vonda N. McIntyre, who passed away on April 1st from pancreatic cancer. McIntyre was a multiple award winner, brilliant author, one of the founders of the Clarion West Writers Workshop, founder of Book View Cafe, and the person who gave Hikaru Sulu his first name, among many other accomplishments. She managed to finish her final novel a few weeks before her death. https://www.geekwire.com/2019/vonda-n-mcintyre-1948-2019-seattle-science-fiction-star-dies-cancer/
* Freethink Media created an awesome video on Borderlands' and Mission Comics and Arts' respective sponsorship programs and our survival models for unconventional retail! https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=mQD1y2yORPQ
March 06, 2019
March Building Update
by Alan Beatts
Looking back, I realize that it's been quite a while since I've given an update on how the construction is going at the new building. Sorry for that but . . . the holidays, catchup after them, and then Cary's passing all made for a few months when extensive writing wasn't going to happen. However, time to correct that now.
There are four big jobs that we've been working on since late last year and they've all moved forward quite a bit since November. They are, in no particular order; rebuilding the front of the store, expanding the bathroom to make it ADA compliant, creating the garden in the backyard, and getting the new electrical service installed. There was one other job, the structural work in the basement, but the final touches were completed in January. Here's where we stand on the other jobs:
Looking back, I realize that it's been quite a while since I've given an update on how the construction is going at the new building. Sorry for that but . . . the holidays, catchup after them, and then Cary's passing all made for a few months when extensive writing wasn't going to happen. However, time to correct that now.
There are four big jobs that we've been working on since late last year and they've all moved forward quite a bit since November. They are, in no particular order; rebuilding the front of the store, expanding the bathroom to make it ADA compliant, creating the garden in the backyard, and getting the new electrical service installed. There was one other job, the structural work in the basement, but the final touches were completed in January. Here's where we stand on the other jobs:
Upcoming Events
Writers With Drinks (at The Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) with authors Josiah Luis Alderete, SevanKeelee Boult, Isaac R. Fellman, Leslie Miley, Kyle Thomas Smith, and Maurisa Thompson, with guest host Elena Rose, Saturday, March 9th at 7:30 pm
Seanan McGuire, THAT AIN'T WITCHCRAFT (DAW, Mass Market, $7.99) Saturday, March 23rd at 5:00 pm
SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) with authors Nancy Kress and Jack Skillingstead, moderated by Jacob Weisman, Sunday, March 31st at 6:30 pm
Dana Fredsti, BLOOD INK (Titan, Trade Paperback, $14.95) Sunday, April 7th at 3:00 pm
Mike Chen, HERE AND NOW AND THEN (MIRA, Hardcover, $26.99), and Peng Shepherd, THE BOOK OF M (William Morrow, Hardcover, $26.99) Saturday, April 13th at 3:00 pm
Writers With Drinks (at The Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) Saturday, April 13th at 7:30 pm
Seanan McGuire, THAT AIN'T WITCHCRAFT (DAW, Mass Market, $7.99) Saturday, March 23rd at 5:00 pm
SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) with authors Nancy Kress and Jack Skillingstead, moderated by Jacob Weisman, Sunday, March 31st at 6:30 pm
Dana Fredsti, BLOOD INK (Titan, Trade Paperback, $14.95) Sunday, April 7th at 3:00 pm
Mike Chen, HERE AND NOW AND THEN (MIRA, Hardcover, $26.99), and Peng Shepherd, THE BOOK OF M (William Morrow, Hardcover, $26.99) Saturday, April 13th at 3:00 pm
Writers With Drinks (at The Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) Saturday, April 13th at 7:30 pm
February Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
2. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
3. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
4. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
5. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
6. Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
7. Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty
8. Kingdom of Needle and Bone by Mira Grant
9. Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
10. Early Riser by Jasper Fforde
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Power by Naomi Alderman
2. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
3. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
4. Autonomous by Annalee Newitz
5. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, trans. by Ken Liu
6. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
7. Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts
8. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
9. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
10. A People's Future of the United States ed. by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
2. Dune by Frank Herbert
3. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
4. Who Fears Death? by Nnedi Okorafor
5. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
6. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
7. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
8. The Long Sunset by Jack McDevitt
9. Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs
10. Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
1. The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders
2. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
3. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
4. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
5. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
6. Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
7. Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty
8. Kingdom of Needle and Bone by Mira Grant
9. Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
10. Early Riser by Jasper Fforde
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Power by Naomi Alderman
2. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
3. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
4. Autonomous by Annalee Newitz
5. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, trans. by Ken Liu
6. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
7. Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts
8. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
9. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
10. A People's Future of the United States ed. by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
2. Dune by Frank Herbert
3. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
4. Who Fears Death? by Nnedi Okorafor
5. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
6. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
7. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
8. The Long Sunset by Jack McDevitt
9. Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs
10. Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
March News
* Overheard in the Store:
"I had a REALLY long week yesterday."
"My toast was 'To 2019 - may it be a great year for schadenfreude!'"
"I like your name!"
"Thanks, I got it for my birthday."
"It's one of those fundamental rules: if you're lit, don't light things."
* Overheard at Mission Police Station:
"I'm here to get my sh*t back."
"What sh*t is that, Sir?"
"My sh*t that got taken away from me."
"Under what circumstances was your sh*t taken away, Sir?"
"When I was arrested."
"Oh. Hang on for a minute."
* Octavia Butler's groundbreaking classic Parable duology is set to be reprinted with gorgeous new covers and a foreword from N.K. Jemisin, which you can read at the link below. Feel free to preorder by emailing office@borderlands-books.com! https://ew.com/books/2019/02/25/parable-octavia-butler-reissue/
* N.K. Jemisin also sat down with Studio 360, where she spoke about her new collection of short stories and her own approach to writing. Listen here: https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-02-28/nk-jemisin-and-unspoken-politics-speculative-fiction
"I had a REALLY long week yesterday."
"My toast was 'To 2019 - may it be a great year for schadenfreude!'"
"I like your name!"
"Thanks, I got it for my birthday."
"It's one of those fundamental rules: if you're lit, don't light things."
* Overheard at Mission Police Station:
"I'm here to get my sh*t back."
"What sh*t is that, Sir?"
"My sh*t that got taken away from me."
"Under what circumstances was your sh*t taken away, Sir?"
"When I was arrested."
"Oh. Hang on for a minute."
* Octavia Butler's groundbreaking classic Parable duology is set to be reprinted with gorgeous new covers and a foreword from N.K. Jemisin, which you can read at the link below. Feel free to preorder by emailing office@borderlands-books.com! https://ew.com/books/2019/02/25/parable-octavia-butler-reissue/
* N.K. Jemisin also sat down with Studio 360, where she spoke about her new collection of short stories and her own approach to writing. Listen here: https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-02-28/nk-jemisin-and-unspoken-politics-speculative-fiction
In Memoriam - Cary Heater
1961-2019
Cary Heater passed away at San Francisco General Hospital in the early morning of Thursday, January 31st as a result of complications following a fall and severe head injury on the night of Wednesday, January 16th.
Cary was a Bay Area native, born and raised in San Jose. She moved to San Francisco in the 80's, in part to escape the South Bay's heat (which she despised). Throughout much of her time in SF she worked as an accountant, ultimately heading the accounting department of a major downtown firm. In the early 2000's she left that field and went looking for something else. She found bookselling and never looked back.
She started working with us at Borderlands in 2002. Initially she was very worried that she wouldn't be a good bookseller because she didn't read widely enough in the field to make good recommendations. But, with a little encouragement, she quickly grew into the role. Over time, Cary took over many of the administrative duties at the store and was an absolutely vital part of Borderlands' success.
On a personal level, Cary and I were friends for 27 years. We meet dancing in nightclubs around town and became close friends. Our friendship persisted and grew through multiple career changes, life crises, triumphs and defeats. She was my oldest friend.
She also counted among her friends many fellow booksellers, authors, artists and, above all, customers. We will be gathering to celebrate her life on Friday, February 8th, from 7 pm to 11 pm at Borderlands Books. We hope that you will be able to join us.
It was her wish that she be cremated and there will be no service. If you wish to make a donation to charity in Cary's name, I'd like to suggest the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (https://www.bincfoundation.org/donate/). Had Cary survived her injury, that organization's support would have been crucial to helping her manage the financial consequences.
Cary had no surviving family but I don't think she ever felt alone in the world. She had a family that she chose in the staff and customers of Borderlands. There had never been anything in her life that she loved more than bookselling. We are all grateful that she chose us.
- Alan Beatts
Cary Heater passed away at San Francisco General Hospital in the early morning of Thursday, January 31st as a result of complications following a fall and severe head injury on the night of Wednesday, January 16th.
Cary was a Bay Area native, born and raised in San Jose. She moved to San Francisco in the 80's, in part to escape the South Bay's heat (which she despised). Throughout much of her time in SF she worked as an accountant, ultimately heading the accounting department of a major downtown firm. In the early 2000's she left that field and went looking for something else. She found bookselling and never looked back.
She started working with us at Borderlands in 2002. Initially she was very worried that she wouldn't be a good bookseller because she didn't read widely enough in the field to make good recommendations. But, with a little encouragement, she quickly grew into the role. Over time, Cary took over many of the administrative duties at the store and was an absolutely vital part of Borderlands' success.
On a personal level, Cary and I were friends for 27 years. We meet dancing in nightclubs around town and became close friends. Our friendship persisted and grew through multiple career changes, life crises, triumphs and defeats. She was my oldest friend.
She also counted among her friends many fellow booksellers, authors, artists and, above all, customers. We will be gathering to celebrate her life on Friday, February 8th, from 7 pm to 11 pm at Borderlands Books. We hope that you will be able to join us.
It was her wish that she be cremated and there will be no service. If you wish to make a donation to charity in Cary's name, I'd like to suggest the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (https://www.bincfoundation.org/donate/). Had Cary survived her injury, that organization's support would have been crucial to helping her manage the financial consequences.
Cary had no surviving family but I don't think she ever felt alone in the world. She had a family that she chose in the staff and customers of Borderlands. There had never been anything in her life that she loved more than bookselling. We are all grateful that she chose us.
- Alan Beatts
The Library of Cary Heater
When visiting someone's home for the first time, it's a habit among book people to take a careful look at what is on the shelves. It always gives a remarkably detailed insight to their personality and character. I can't show you Cary's bookself but I can do something close. Below you'll find a list of the books that Cary loved and reccomended over the years. Jude compiled it and I've sorted them by author. In the case of series, I've only listed the first novel but, generally, Cary tended to only suggest series titles that held up through their run. I hope that you enjoy this peek into Cary's personality.
All Best,
Alan
All Best,
Alan
Upcoming Events
Writers With Drinks (at The Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) with authors Charlie Jane Anders, Gayle Brandeis, Chris Denson, Laleh Khadivi, and Lisa Margonelli, Saturday, February 9th at 7:30 pm
SF in SF (at The American Bookbinder's Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco) with authors Nick Mamatas and Anya Martin, hosted by Terry Bisson, Sunday, February 24th at 6:30 pm
CANCELED Ann Leckie, THE RAVEN TOWER (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) Thursday, February 28th at 6:00 pm
Writers With Drinks (at The Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco), Saturday, March 9th at 7:30 pm
SF in SF (at The American Bookbinder's Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco) with authors Nick Mamatas and Anya Martin, hosted by Terry Bisson, Sunday, February 24th at 6:30 pm
CANCELED Ann Leckie, THE RAVEN TOWER (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) Thursday, February 28th at 6:00 pm
Writers With Drinks (at The Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco), Saturday, March 9th at 7:30 pm
January Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
2. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
3. Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
4. Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty
5. Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin
6. Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart by Steven Erickson
7. Red Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson
8. Though Fiery Trials by David Weber
9. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
10. Thin Air by Richard Morgan
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
2. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, trans. by Ken Liu
3. The Power by Naomi Alderman
4. Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
5. Autonomous by Annalee Newitz
6. Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
7. Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts
8. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
9. Hannah Green and Her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence by Michael Marshall Smith
10. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
2. Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
3. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
4. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
5. Who Fears Death? by Nnedi Okorafor
6. Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
7. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
8. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
9. Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
10. The Brightest Fell by Seanan McGuire
1. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
2. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
3. Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
4. Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty
5. Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin
6. Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart by Steven Erickson
7. Red Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson
8. Though Fiery Trials by David Weber
9. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
10. Thin Air by Richard Morgan
Trade Paperbacks
1. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
2. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, trans. by Ken Liu
3. The Power by Naomi Alderman
4. Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
5. Autonomous by Annalee Newitz
6. Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
7. Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts
8. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
9. Hannah Green and Her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence by Michael Marshall Smith
10. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
2. Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
3. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
4. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
5. Who Fears Death? by Nnedi Okorafor
6. Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
7. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
8. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
9. Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
10. The Brightest Fell by Seanan McGuire
March 05, 2019
February News
* Overheard in the Store:
"Who, exactly, decided that this image of empowered femininity would be a completely naked woman chasing a playful mini T-Rex around a tree with a kitchen knife?"
"This seems like a good plan; I'll just pose in this hoodie on an emu!"
"I believe in role-playing games, & I believe in cosplay. I just don't believe they go great together."
"In my experience, LARP-ing is just sitting in 30 pounds of dress while my friends argue for hours."
"We never said it would be easy. We just said it'd be worth it."
"They may be coming here to leave their hearts in San Francisco, but they clearly left their brains in Dayton or Poughkeepsie or wherever it is they're from!"
* A 100 year-old Holocaust survivor talks about the importance of books. Her letter is included in an anthology of essays on books and reading. https://www.brainpickings.org/2018/12/18/a-velocity-of-being-helen-fagin/
* In extremely sad local news, Aardvark Books has closed after 40 years in San Francisco. https://hoodline.com/2019/01/final-chapter-aardvark-books-to-close-this-friday-after-40-years-in-business
"Who, exactly, decided that this image of empowered femininity would be a completely naked woman chasing a playful mini T-Rex around a tree with a kitchen knife?"
"This seems like a good plan; I'll just pose in this hoodie on an emu!"
"I believe in role-playing games, & I believe in cosplay. I just don't believe they go great together."
"In my experience, LARP-ing is just sitting in 30 pounds of dress while my friends argue for hours."
"We never said it would be easy. We just said it'd be worth it."
"They may be coming here to leave their hearts in San Francisco, but they clearly left their brains in Dayton or Poughkeepsie or wherever it is they're from!"
* A 100 year-old Holocaust survivor talks about the importance of books. Her letter is included in an anthology of essays on books and reading. https://www.brainpickings.org/2018/12/18/a-velocity-of-being-helen-fagin/
* In extremely sad local news, Aardvark Books has closed after 40 years in San Francisco. https://hoodline.com/2019/01/final-chapter-aardvark-books-to-close-this-friday-after-40-years-in-business
January 25, 2019
Sponsorships and Building News
by Alan Beatts
Welcome to 2019 Everyone!
As you can tell, this newsletter is _horribly_ late. And it's all my fault. January is usually a bit busy and crazy but this one has been a record-breaker. I've been trying to write something articulate for the past two weeks and all that has come out was "mumble, sponsorships, mumble, new roof, mumble, mumble, mumble". So, I'm not going to be articulate very much at all (I'll try that next month, which will be here in . . . six days!?!!).
It's a new year and so, once again, we're soliciting sponsorships for 2019. We do this every year so we can stay open. We need to have 300 sponsors (at $100 each) by March 31st or we'll close. Full story here - http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com/p/why-sponsorships.html . Benefits here - http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com/p/sponsor-benefits-and-privilidges.html . On-line signup here - https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship19.html . Or you can sign up by mail, or in person at the shop.
We've been working on the building at Haight Street a lot. We've got a new roof, some big structural work almost complete (last bits to do in the basement and ground floor structural work 50% done), the garden is looking great (pictures up at the blog soon), and we're just about to start the new electrical service installation. It continues to go slow but very well.
And that's all I've got right now. I hope that 2019 is treating you better than it's treating me (insert wry smile here) and I hope to see you around the shop sometime soon.
Welcome to 2019 Everyone!
As you can tell, this newsletter is _horribly_ late. And it's all my fault. January is usually a bit busy and crazy but this one has been a record-breaker. I've been trying to write something articulate for the past two weeks and all that has come out was "mumble, sponsorships, mumble, new roof, mumble, mumble, mumble". So, I'm not going to be articulate very much at all (I'll try that next month, which will be here in . . . six days!?!!).
It's a new year and so, once again, we're soliciting sponsorships for 2019. We do this every year so we can stay open. We need to have 300 sponsors (at $100 each) by March 31st or we'll close. Full story here - http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com/p/why-sponsorships.html . Benefits here - http://borderlands-sponsors.blogspot.com/p/sponsor-benefits-and-privilidges.html . On-line signup here - https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship19.html . Or you can sign up by mail, or in person at the shop.
We've been working on the building at Haight Street a lot. We've got a new roof, some big structural work almost complete (last bits to do in the basement and ground floor structural work 50% done), the garden is looking great (pictures up at the blog soon), and we're just about to start the new electrical service installation. It continues to go slow but very well.
And that's all I've got right now. I hope that 2019 is treating you better than it's treating me (insert wry smile here) and I hope to see you around the shop sometime soon.
Upcoming Events
Rudy Rucker, RETURN TO THE HOLLOW EARTH (Transreal Books, Trade Paperback, $13.95 and Hardcover, $22.95) and others, and art show premiere! Saturday, January 26th at 3:00 pm
Writers With Drinks (at The Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) with authors Charlie Jane Anders, Gayle Brandeis, Chris Denson, Laleh Khadivi, and Lisa Margonelli, Saturday, February 9th at 7:30 pm
SF in SF (at The American Bookbinder's Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco) with authors Nick Mamatas and Anya Martin, hosted by Terry Bisson, Sunday, February 24th at 6:30 pm
CANCELLED - Ann Leckie, THE RAVEN TOWER (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) - CANCELLED
Writers With Drinks (at The Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) with authors Charlie Jane Anders, Gayle Brandeis, Chris Denson, Laleh Khadivi, and Lisa Margonelli, Saturday, February 9th at 7:30 pm
SF in SF (at The American Bookbinder's Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco) with authors Nick Mamatas and Anya Martin, hosted by Terry Bisson, Sunday, February 24th at 6:30 pm
CANCELLED - Ann Leckie, THE RAVEN TOWER (Orbit, Hardcover, $26.00) - CANCELLED
December Bestsellers
Hard Cover
1) Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin
2) How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
3) The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi
4) Rejoice, a Knife to the Heart by Steven Erikson
5) Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
6) Thin Air by Richard Morgan
7) Worlds Seen in Passing edited by Irene Gallo
8) Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
9) Red Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson
10) So Far, So Good: Final Poems by Ursula K. Le Guin
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2) The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
3) The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, trans by Ken Liu
4) Autonomous by Annalee Newitz
5) All Systems Red by Martha Wells
6) All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
7) The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
8) Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts
9) Hannah Green and Her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence by Michael Marshall Smith
10) Space Opera by Cat Valente
Mass Market Paperbacks
1) Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
2) The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
3) Old Man's War by John Scalzi
4) Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
5) Who Fears Death? by Nnedi Okorafor
6) Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
7) Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
8) Rosemary & Rue by Seanan McGuire
9) The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
10) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
1) Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin
2) How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
3) The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi
4) Rejoice, a Knife to the Heart by Steven Erikson
5) Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
6) Thin Air by Richard Morgan
7) Worlds Seen in Passing edited by Irene Gallo
8) Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
9) Red Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson
10) So Far, So Good: Final Poems by Ursula K. Le Guin
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
2) The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
3) The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, trans by Ken Liu
4) Autonomous by Annalee Newitz
5) All Systems Red by Martha Wells
6) All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
7) The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
8) Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts
9) Hannah Green and Her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence by Michael Marshall Smith
10) Space Opera by Cat Valente
Mass Market Paperbacks
1) Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
2) The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
3) Old Man's War by John Scalzi
4) Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
5) Who Fears Death? by Nnedi Okorafor
6) Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
7) Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
8) Rosemary & Rue by Seanan McGuire
9) The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
10) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
January News
* Overheard in the Store:
"The Pope's never seen _my_ meat!"
* Local author Nick Mamatas is teaching a Fabulist Fiction course at WeWork Golden Gate, 25 Taylor St., San Francisco. There are six sessions and it starts THIS Saturday, January 12th. The cost is $395. Details and sign up here: https://sfwriting.institute/portfolio/fabulist_fiction/
* A very interesting article on the way young Muslims are finding a sense of belonging in science fiction. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/12/28/young-muslims-find-meaning-and-inspiration-science-fiction-novels/2413653002/
* io9 has gotten together a list of the fictional people, shows and comics that we lost in 2018. R.I.P. https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-fictional-people-and-things-we-lost-in-2018-1831260333
* How many science fiction predictions for 2019 came true? How many didn't? (We will probably always be mad at the absence of flying cars and teleportation devices.) https://triblive.com/business/technology/14448704-74/science-fiction-predictions-right-and-wrong-about-2019
* A new science-fiction magazine, "Dreamforge", with a theme of optimism, survival and hope, will be coming out of Pittsburgh in 2019. https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2018/12/27/science-fiction-magazine-takes-off-in-pittsburgh.html
"The Pope's never seen _my_ meat!"
* Local author Nick Mamatas is teaching a Fabulist Fiction course at WeWork Golden Gate, 25 Taylor St., San Francisco. There are six sessions and it starts THIS Saturday, January 12th. The cost is $395. Details and sign up here: https://sfwriting.institute/portfolio/fabulist_fiction/
* A very interesting article on the way young Muslims are finding a sense of belonging in science fiction. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/12/28/young-muslims-find-meaning-and-inspiration-science-fiction-novels/2413653002/
* io9 has gotten together a list of the fictional people, shows and comics that we lost in 2018. R.I.P. https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-fictional-people-and-things-we-lost-in-2018-1831260333
* How many science fiction predictions for 2019 came true? How many didn't? (We will probably always be mad at the absence of flying cars and teleportation devices.) https://triblive.com/business/technology/14448704-74/science-fiction-predictions-right-and-wrong-about-2019
* A new science-fiction magazine, "Dreamforge", with a theme of optimism, survival and hope, will be coming out of Pittsburgh in 2019. https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2018/12/27/science-fiction-magazine-takes-off-in-pittsburgh.html
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