Happy holidays, everyone! The gift-giving season is quickly swooping down upon us with its great shadowy black wings, and Borderlands is here to help you find the perfect gift for every elf, shoggoth, and wizard on your list. (And the plain-old human readers on that list will probably be happy, too.)
Let's start with some signed books. We have signed copies of SHADOWS OF SELF and ELANTRIS, THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY EDITION by Brandon Sanderson, CHIMERA by Mira Grant, pretty much everything including the VELVETEEN books by Seanan McGuire, THE END OF ALL THINGS by John Scalzi, MANNERS & MUTINY by Gail Carriger, most of the Sandman Slim books by Richard Kadrey, BLACK WOLVES (first of a new series) by Kate Elliott, SILVER ON THE ROAD by Laura Anne Gilman, THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE by Neil Gaiman, and lots more!
If your gift-ee just has to have the newest and the latest, check out the anthology THE GODS OF H.P. LOVECRAFT edited by Aaron J. French, WARHEART by Terry Goodkind, THE BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS by Stephen King, FUTURISTIC VIOLENCE & FANCY SUITS by David Wong, WORD PUPPETS by Mary Robinette Kowal, DREAMSEEKER by C.S. Friedman, THE PROMISE OF THE CHILD by Tom Toner, or LATE IN THE DAY (a new collection of poems) by Ursula K. LeGuin.
Some other excellent new books we're recommending are CARTER & LOVECRAFT by Jonathan L. Howard, THE FIFTH HOUSE OF THE HEART by Ben Tripp (my favorite new novel of this week), FLUX (sequel to FLEX) by Ferrett Steinmetz, AURORA by Kim Stanley Robinson, THE WATCHMAKER OF FILIGREE STREET by Natasha Pulley, THE WATER KNIFE by Paolo Bacigalupi, AFTERPARTY by Daryl Gregory, and my favorite fantasy of the year, A CROWN FOR COLD SILVER by Alex Marshall.
For the George R.R. Martin fan in your life, we've got a gorgeous SONG OF ICE AND FIRE COLORING BOOK, A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS (which collects the Dunk and Egg stories that have been so hard to find for years), and the GOT parody (but actual, real-life cookbook) A GAME OF SCONES: ALL MEN MUST DINE by Jammy Lannister.
For the kids in your life, may we suggest the empowering princess coloring/storybook HER HIGHNESS BUILDS ROBOTS by Laura Winters and Beth Winters? (Sample pages: "Getting married was the happiest day of Princess Priya's life. . . Second only to getting her Ph.D. in chemical engineering!".)
We have 2016 calendars galore, with something for everyone, including Hyperbole and a Half, Views From the Hubble Telescope, Fractals, Dr. Suess, Art of Luis Royo, and dozens of others!
As usual, we wish you a Gorey Christmas with a plethora of Edward Gorey-themed items. From the classic Gashlycrumb Tinies to the Bibliophile With Cats Puzzle, to the massive collection AMPHIGOREY, we have a little bit of Gorey to suit anyone. My personal favorite is the "Fruitcake" holiday card that shows the solemn ritual of everyone gathering after dark to throw their fruitcakes into a hole in the ice!
Classics that never go out of style are hardcovers of DUNE, GOOD OMENS, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, and THE HOBBIT. Less traditional, but just as classic -- SLEIGHT OF HAND (short stories from Peter S. Beagle), MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs, THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS by M.R. Carey, and LEVIATHAN WAKES by James S.A. Corey, (which has just been made into a tv series).
Two local artists have graced us with one-of-a-kind gifts: we've got lovely steampunk-influenced jewelry from Oakland's Fire Selkie creations, and gift boxes, hair clips, pins, and hand-made cards from San Francisco's Fly By Night Gifts!
As always, we're happy to make personalized recommendations and practice our Psychic Bookseller Skills when you're stumped. If you just can't decide, we also offer gift certificates in any amount.
Happy holidays to all! We wish you a safe, peaceful, and bright 2016.
- Jude Feldman
A blog for Borderlands Books, a Science Fiction specialty bookstore
located in San Francisco's Mission District
December 07, 2015
Upcoming Events
Megan E. O'Keefe, STEAL THE SKY (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) Saturday, January 9th, 2016 at 3:00pm
An Evening with Patrick Rothfuss, Friday, January 15th at 7:00 pm
Coming up in 2016, we're delighted to announce we'll be welcoming Lisa Goldstein, Charlie Jane Anders, V.E. Schwab, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and many other fantastic authors!
Megan E. O'Keefe, STEAL THE SKY (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) Saturday, January 9th at 3:00pm - We're delighted to welcome local author and Borderlands sponsor Megan E. O'Keefe to the store! Her upcoming novel sounds hugely exciting; here's the description: "Detan Honding, a wanted conman of noble birth and ignoble tongue, has found himself in the oasis city of Aransa. He and his trusted companion Tibs may have pulled off one too many cons against the city’s elite and need to make a quick escape. They set their sights on their biggest heist yet -- the gorgeous airship of the exiled commodore Thratia. But in the middle of his scheme, a face changer known as a doppel starts murdering key members of Aransa’s government. The sudden paranoia makes Detan’s plans of stealing Thratia’s ship that much harder. And with this sudden power vacuum, Thratia can solidify her power and wreak havoc against the Empire. But the doppel isn’t working for Thratia and has her own intentions. Did Detan accidentally walk into a revolution and a crusade? He has to be careful -- there’s a reason most people think he’s dead. And if his dangerous secret gets revealed, he has a lot more to worry about than a stolen airship." We've even got samplers in the store so you can check out an excerpt from the book in advance!
An Evening with Patrick Rothfuss, Friday, January 15th at 7:00 pm - We are thrilled as always to host the delightful and hilarious Patrick Rothfuss! Many fans know Rothfuss as the fantastically best-selling author of THE NAME OF THE WIND, THE WISE MANS FEAR, and THE SLOW REGARD OF SILENT THINGS, but those of you who have seen him at Borderlands also know him as the first person to effectively explain why guinea pigs are actually fish. Pat is also the founder of the phenomenally successful charity World Builders, which "use[s] the collective power of readers, fellow authors and book lovers to make the world a better place". Join us for an evening of talk, questions and answers, and signing with this personable, intelligent, philanthropic, and incredibly charming author!
An Evening with Patrick Rothfuss, Friday, January 15th at 7:00 pm
Coming up in 2016, we're delighted to announce we'll be welcoming Lisa Goldstein, Charlie Jane Anders, V.E. Schwab, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and many other fantastic authors!
Megan E. O'Keefe, STEAL THE SKY (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99) Saturday, January 9th at 3:00pm - We're delighted to welcome local author and Borderlands sponsor Megan E. O'Keefe to the store! Her upcoming novel sounds hugely exciting; here's the description: "Detan Honding, a wanted conman of noble birth and ignoble tongue, has found himself in the oasis city of Aransa. He and his trusted companion Tibs may have pulled off one too many cons against the city’s elite and need to make a quick escape. They set their sights on their biggest heist yet -- the gorgeous airship of the exiled commodore Thratia. But in the middle of his scheme, a face changer known as a doppel starts murdering key members of Aransa’s government. The sudden paranoia makes Detan’s plans of stealing Thratia’s ship that much harder. And with this sudden power vacuum, Thratia can solidify her power and wreak havoc against the Empire. But the doppel isn’t working for Thratia and has her own intentions. Did Detan accidentally walk into a revolution and a crusade? He has to be careful -- there’s a reason most people think he’s dead. And if his dangerous secret gets revealed, he has a lot more to worry about than a stolen airship." We've even got samplers in the store so you can check out an excerpt from the book in advance!
An Evening with Patrick Rothfuss, Friday, January 15th at 7:00 pm - We are thrilled as always to host the delightful and hilarious Patrick Rothfuss! Many fans know Rothfuss as the fantastically best-selling author of THE NAME OF THE WIND, THE WISE MANS FEAR, and THE SLOW REGARD OF SILENT THINGS, but those of you who have seen him at Borderlands also know him as the first person to effectively explain why guinea pigs are actually fish. Pat is also the founder of the phenomenally successful charity World Builders, which "use[s] the collective power of readers, fellow authors and book lovers to make the world a better place". Join us for an evening of talk, questions and answers, and signing with this personable, intelligent, philanthropic, and incredibly charming author!
November Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor
2. MYSTIC by Jason Denzel
3. WHEEL OF TIME COMPANION by Robert Jordan, Heather McDougal, Alan Romanczuk & Maria Simons
4. SHADOWS OF SELF by Brandon Sanderson
5. CARTER AND LOVECRAFT by Jonathan L. Howard
6. MANNERS AND MUTINY by Gail Carriger
7. AURORA by Kim Stanley Robinson
8. THE END OF ALL THINGS by John Scalzi
9. SLADE HOUSE by David Mitchell
10. AFTER ALICE by Gregory Maguire
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir
2. AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman
3. INFLUX by Daniel Suarez
4. THE GOLDEN PRINCESS by S.M. Stirling
5. A RED-ROSE CHAIN by Seanan McGuire
6. CLOSER TO HOME by Mercedes Lackey
7. THE FLUX by Ferrett Steinmetz
8. THE RHESUS CHART by Charles Stross
9. POSI+IVE by David Wellington
10. GOING DARK by Linda Nagata
Trade Paperbacks
1. BLACK WOLVES by Kate Elliott
2. THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS by M.R. Carey
3. GYPSY, PLUS. . . by Carter Scholz
4. ANCILLARY MERCY by Ann Leckie
5. CIBOLA BURN by James S.A. Corey
1. WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor
2. MYSTIC by Jason Denzel
3. WHEEL OF TIME COMPANION by Robert Jordan, Heather McDougal, Alan Romanczuk & Maria Simons
4. SHADOWS OF SELF by Brandon Sanderson
5. CARTER AND LOVECRAFT by Jonathan L. Howard
6. MANNERS AND MUTINY by Gail Carriger
7. AURORA by Kim Stanley Robinson
8. THE END OF ALL THINGS by John Scalzi
9. SLADE HOUSE by David Mitchell
10. AFTER ALICE by Gregory Maguire
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir
2. AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman
3. INFLUX by Daniel Suarez
4. THE GOLDEN PRINCESS by S.M. Stirling
5. A RED-ROSE CHAIN by Seanan McGuire
6. CLOSER TO HOME by Mercedes Lackey
7. THE FLUX by Ferrett Steinmetz
8. THE RHESUS CHART by Charles Stross
9. POSI+IVE by David Wellington
10. GOING DARK by Linda Nagata
Trade Paperbacks
1. BLACK WOLVES by Kate Elliott
2. THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS by M.R. Carey
3. GYPSY, PLUS. . . by Carter Scholz
4. ANCILLARY MERCY by Ann Leckie
5. CIBOLA BURN by James S.A. Corey
December News Roundup
* Overheard in the store:
"If being a woman means getting lipstick on everything, I'm going back to being non-binary."
"No, I won't be fine. . . I'm going to die."
"Ok, good."
"Yeah, great. I love the afterlife."
"Thanks so much, you're an angel! Well, the kind that kills people with a fiery gaze and sword."
[singing, to the tune of the song from "Annie"]:"The sun will go out/ to-mor-row/ eight minutes later/ we'll all diiiiiiieee/."
"By that logic, dear, groundhogs are a vegetable."
"I don't know if it's maturity or surrender."
* Over at Atlas Obscura, Jess Zimmerman dissects C.S. Lewis’ sneakiest trick; convincing American kids that Turkish Delight is amazing: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/cs-lewis-greatest-fiction-convincing-american-kids-that-they-would-like-turkish-delight . (We actually like Turkish Delight, but your mileage may vary -- one of our customers commented, "I sure didn't think it would taste like roses!".)
"If being a woman means getting lipstick on everything, I'm going back to being non-binary."
"No, I won't be fine. . . I'm going to die."
"Ok, good."
"Yeah, great. I love the afterlife."
"Thanks so much, you're an angel! Well, the kind that kills people with a fiery gaze and sword."
[singing, to the tune of the song from "Annie"]:"The sun will go out/ to-mor-row/ eight minutes later/ we'll all diiiiiiieee/."
"By that logic, dear, groundhogs are a vegetable."
"I don't know if it's maturity or surrender."
* Over at Atlas Obscura, Jess Zimmerman dissects C.S. Lewis’ sneakiest trick; convincing American kids that Turkish Delight is amazing: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/cs-lewis-greatest-fiction-convincing-american-kids-that-they-would-like-turkish-delight . (We actually like Turkish Delight, but your mileage may vary -- one of our customers commented, "I sure didn't think it would taste like roses!".)