Upcoming Events

Litquake LitCrawl Phase 2 (Borderlands Books) with authors Sarah Gailey, Sarah Kuhn, Loren Rhoads, and Carter Scholz, Saturday, October 14th from 6:30 - 7:30 pm

Litquake LitCrawl Phase 3 (Borderlands Cafe) with authors Robyn Bennis, Dana Fredsti, Ayize Jama-Everett, and Ellen Klages, Saturday, October 14th from 8:00 - 9:00 pm

Editors Nick Mamatas and Molly Tanzer with guests Jim Nisbet, Tim Pratt, and Dominica Phetteplace, MIXED UP: COCKTAIL RECIPES (AND FLASH FICTION) FOR THE DISCERNING DRINKER (AND READER) (Skyhorse, Hardcover, $14.99) Sunday, October 15th at 3:00 pm

Kevin Hearne (A PLAGUE OF GIANTS), Chuck Wendig (DAMN FINE STORY: MASTERING THE TOOLS OF A POWERFUL NARRATIVE), Fran Wilde (HORIZON) Panel, Tuesday, October 17th at 6:00 pm

Hugh Howey, MACHINE LEARNING (John Joseph Adams, Hardcover, $28.00 and Trade Paperback $15.99) Thursday, October 19th at 6:00 pm

Writers With Drinks (at the Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St, San Francisco) with authors Chris Brown, Thomas Centolella, Celeste Chan, Shawna Kenney, Devorah Major, and Margaret Rhee, Saturday October 21st at 6:30 pm

Michael Blumlein, "The Body As Story" presentation, Sunday, October 29th at 3:00 pm

SF in SF Women in Horror event with authors Dana Fredsti, Erika Mailman, and Loren Rhoads (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco), Sunday, October 29th at 6:30 pm

Stories and Songs with Greg Roensch, Friday, November 10th at 7:00 pm

CANCELLED - Kate Elliott presents "Do Not Be Satisfied With Stories: Narrative Structure and Expectations"

Writers With Drinks (at the Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St, San Francisco) with authors Stephen Elliott, Ben Loory, Annalee Newitz, and Maggie Shen King, Saturday, November 11th at 6:30 pm

Tim Pratt, THE WRONG STARS (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99), Sunday, November 12th at 3:00 pm

Brandon Sanderson, OATHBRINGER (Tor, Hardcover, $34.99), Wednesday, November 15th at 6:00 pm

Borderlands 20th Anniversary Party, Saturday, November 18th, 10 am to 6 pm

SF in SF with authors Annalee Newitz and Robin Sloan (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco), Sunday, November 19th at 6:30 pm

Sisters in Crime / Mystery Writers of America Northern California Holiday Party, Saturday, December 9th at 2:00 pm

Litquake LitCrawl Phase 2 (Borderlands Books) with authors Sarah Gailey, Sarah Kuhn, Loren Rhoads, and Carter Scholz, Saturday, October 14th from 6:30 - 7:30 pm - We are delighted to once again take part in one of the most exciting literary events in San Francisco - the LitCrawl.  This is a three-hour pub-crawl-style literary event with dozens of venues and hundreds of authors, all taking place right here in the Mission District.  Phase 2 will take place in the bookstore, and will feature: Sarah Gailey, an internationally published author of fiction and nonfiction, and a regular contributor for Tor.com and Barnes & Noble.  She tweets @gaileyfrey.  Learn more at www.sarahgailey.com; Sarah Kuhn, the author of the Heroine Complex series—starring Asian American superheroines—and assorted comics about love, geeks, aliens, and Barbie; Loren Rhoads, who zips from space operas called THE DANGEROUS TYPE and NO MORE HEREOS to nonfiction about the 199 CEMETERIES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE; and Carter Scholz, a Bay Area writer, composer, and pianist whose recent novella, Gypsy, was nominated for the Sturgeon Award!

Litquake LitCrawl Phase 3 (Borderlands Cafe) with authors Robyn Bennis, Dana Fredsti, Ayize Jama-Everett, and Ellen Klages, Saturday, October 14th from 8:00 - 9:00 pm - We are delighted to once again take part in one of the most exciting literary events in San Francisco - the LitCrawl.  This is a three-hour pub-crawl-style literary event with dozens of venues and hundreds of authors, all taking place right here in the Mission District. Phase 3 will take place in the Cafe and will feature Robyn Bennis, who works in biotech but dreams of airships. She lives in Mountain View and THE GUNS ABOVE is her debut novel; Dana Fredsti, the author of the Ashley Parker series, touted as Buffy meets The Walking Dead, and the dark fantasy series Spawn of Lilith; Alize Jama-Everett, who was born in Harlem NYC in 1974.  His books are THE LIMINAL PEOPLE, THE LIMINAL WAR, and THE ENTROPY OF BONES; and Ellen Klages, an award-winning genre-bending author (PASSING STRANGE) who lives in San Francisco in a small house full of strange and wondrous things.

Editors Nick Mamatas and Molly Tanzer with guests Jim Nisbet, Tim Pratt, and Dominica Phetteplace, MIXED UP: COCKTAIL RECIPES (AND FLASH FICTION) FOR THE DISCERNING DRINKER (AND READER) (Skyhorse, Hardcover, $14.99) Sunday, October 15th at 3:00 pm - We're happy to welcome Nick Mamatas, Molly Tanzer, and a bunch of wonderful contributors to this event for a cool new mash-up of cocktail recipes and flash fiction!  From the editor: "A cocktail is like an excellent story -- bitter and sweet and over too quickly, but the memory of it stays with you.  From the Pimm's Cup to Smoking Bishop, the Manhattan to the Moscow Mule, MIXED UP features not only more than two dozen classic recipes and hot tips on ingredients and preparations, but new cocktail-themed short stories from some of today's most popular and acclaimed writers, including Jeff VanderMeer, Cara Hoffman, Benjamin Percy, and many more."

Kevin Hearne (A PLAGUE OF GIANTS), Chuck Wendig (DAMN FINE STORY: MASTERING THE TOOLS OF A POWERFUL NARRATIVE), Fran Wilde (HORIZON) Panel, Tuesday, October 17th at 6:00 pm - We're thrilled to welcome these three amazing authors to Borderlands!  Kevin, Chuck, and Fran will be discussing their new titles and signing books.  Bring your questions and your sense of humor!

Hugh Howey, MACHINE LEARNING (John Joseph Adams, Hardcover, $28.00 and Trade Paperback $15.99) Thursday, October 19th at 6:00 pm - We're thrilled to host the somewhat-elusive sometime circumnavigator Hugh Howey!  Here's what the publisher has to say about his new collection: "Hugh Howey is known for crafting riveting and immersive page-turners of boundless imagination, spawning millions of fans worldwide, first with his best-selling novel WOOL, and then with other enthralling works such as SAND and BEACON 23.  Now comes MACHINE LEARNING, an impressive collection of Howey's science fiction and fantasy short fiction, including three stories set in the world of Wool, two never-before-published tales written exclusively for this volume, and fifteen additional stories collected here for the first time.  These stories explore everything from artificial intelligence to parallel universes to video games, and each story is accompanied by an author’s note exploring the background and genesis of each story."

Writers With Drinks (at the Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St, San Francisco) with authors Chris Brown, Thomas Centolella, Celeste Chan, Shawna Kenney, Devorah Major, and Margaret Rhee, Saturday, October 21st at 6:30 pm - Writers With Drinks is the most awesome spoken-word variety show in the world, hosted by Charlie Jane Anders, and we're always happy to participate!  The amazing lineup this month includes authors Chris Brown (Tropic of Kansas), Thomas Centolella (Almost Human), Celeste Chan (Queer Rebels), Shawna Kenney (Live at the Safari Club, I Was a Teenage Dominatrix), Devorah Major (Brown Glass Windows, and then we became) and Margaret Rhee (Radio Heart; or, How Robots Fall Out of Love)  Cost: $5 to $20, no-one turned away for lack of funds.  All proceeds benefit local non-profits. Doors open at 6:30 and Borderlands will be on hand to sell books.

Michael Blumlein, "The Body As Story" presentation, Sunday, October 29th at 3:00 pm - Mutation!  Injustice!  Resilience!  Sex!  And more!  Our bodies tell a million stories.  Some are tragic, some triumphant.  Some beggar belief.  Drawing from a lifetime's work as a writer and physician, Michael Blumlein will narrate our bodies: the history that is written in them, the ongoing story, and what lies ahead.  Join us for an absolutely fascinating presentation on "The Body as Story," from this distinguished physician, writer, and teacher.

SF in SF Women in Horror event with authors Dana Fredsti, Erika Mailman, and Loren Rhoads (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco), Sunday, October 29th at 6:30 pm - (Suggested donation $10, no one turned away for lack of funds.)  Doors and bar at 6:00 pm, event begins at 6:30 pm.  We're so happy to participate in the Science Fiction in San Francisco reading series! The authors will read a selection from their work, followed by Q&A from the audience moderated by author Terry Bisson.  The authors will schmooze & sign books after.  Books available for sale courtesy of Borderlands Books.  Seating is limited, so first come, first seated.  Bar proceeds benefit the American Bookbinders Museum.   Phone (night of event) 415-572-1015.  Questions? Email sfinsfevents@gmail.com.

Stories and Songs with Greg Roensch, Friday, November 10th at 7:00 pm - Join us for stories & songs by Borderlands sponsor Greg Roensch.  Greg will read from his collection of quirky, bite-sized tales, BREAKFAST WITH THE ALIEN AND OTHER SHORT, SHORT STORIES, and perform acoustic versions of music from his album, SPIRAL NOTEBOOK PROJECT.  In 2017, Greg completed work on these two long-incubating creative projects and is celebrating the double-barreled achievement with this special event at Borderlands.  For more information about both projects, go to www.gregroensch.com.

CANCELLED - Kate Elliott presents "Do Not Be Satisfied With Stories: Narrative Structure and Expectations" - Unfortunately the author has had to cancel this event for personal reasons.  We are hoping to reschedule for January 2018.

Writers With Drinks (at the Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St, San Francisco) with authors Stephen Elliott, Ben Loory, Annalee Newitz, and Maggie Shen King, Saturday, November 11th at 6:30 pm - Writers With Drinks is the most awesome spoken-word variety show in the world, hosted by Charlie Jane Anders, and we're always happy to participate! The amazing lineup this month includes authors Rumpus founder Stephen Elliott (The Adderall Diaries), New Yorker contributor Ben Loory (Tales of Falling and Flying), Annalee Newitz (Autonomous), and Maggie Shen King (An Excess Male). Cost: $5 to $20, no-one turned away for lack of funds.  All proceeds benefit local non-profits. Doors open at 6:30 and Borderlands will be on hand to sell books.

Tim Pratt, THE WRONG STARS (Angry Robot, Mass Market, $7.99), Sunday, November 12th at 3:00 pm - We're happy to welcome Tim Pratt back to Borderlands!  This time he's coming with a brand-new space opera adventure.  From the publisher: "The shady crew of the White Raven run freight and salvage at the fringes of our solar system.  They discover the wreck of a centuries-old exploration vessel floating light years away from its intended destination and revive its sole occupant, who wakes with news of First Alien Contact.  When the crew break it to her that humanity has alien allies already, she reveals that these are very different extra-terrestrials. .  . and the gifts they bestowed on her could kill all humanity, or take it out to the most distant stars."

Brandon Sanderson, OATHBRINGER (Tor, Hardcover, $34.99), Wednesday, November 15th at 6:00 pm - We're always thrilled to welcome the fabulous Brandon Sanderson to Borderlands!  This time Brandon will be showing off OATHBRINGER, the third in the Stormlight Archive series.  We do hope you'll join us for this reading, Q&A, and signing.  This event will be first-come, first seated.  (We'll be giving out (free) tickets as attendees arrive to mark their place in the signing line, and we'll call folks up in groups of 10 or so once signing starts, so they don't need to wait in line for such a long time.  If you miss your numbered group, you can join the next line when you're ready.)  No purchase is necessary to attend and have books signed, but we always appreciate it if attendees purchase something at the event.  Contact us at office@borderlands-books.com or 888 893-4008 if you have questions.

Borderlands 20th Anniversary Party, Saturday, November 18th, 10 am to 6 pm - We're celebrating two decades of bookselling with an all-day party.  We'll open early at 10 am for a private sale for readers of this newsletter.  Everything in the store will be 10% off, we'll have some carefully chosen staff favorites on sale at near our cost, and, as we almost never do, our rare and collectable section will be 20% off for two short hours.  And we'll have mimosas and snacks to get your day started.  At noon we'll open to the public with a huge line up of authors signing their work, music, and other fun and games including the unveiling of our limited edition 20th anniversary hoodie.  You won't want to miss this so mark your calendar now.  More details in the next monthly newsletter.

SF in SF with authors Annalee Newitz and Robin Sloan (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco), Sunday, November 19th at 6:30 pm - (Suggested donation $10, no one turned away for lack of funds.)  Doors and bar at 5:30 pm, event begins at 6:30 pm.  We're so happy to participate in the Science Fiction in San Francisco reading series!  The authors will read a selection from their work, followed by Q&A from the audience moderated by author Terry Bisson.  The authors will schmooze & sign books after.  Books available for sale courtesy of Borderlands Books.  Seating is limited, so first come, first seated.  Bar proceeds benefit the American Bookbinders Museum.   Phone (night of event) 415-572-1015.  Questions? Email sfinsfevents@gmail.com.

Sisters in Crime / Mystery Writers of America Northern California Holiday Party, Saturday, December 9th at 2:00 pm - Attendees and details TK.

Borderlands event policy - all events are free of charge.  You are welcome to bring copies of an author's books purchased elsewhere to be autographed (but we do appreciate it if you purchase something while at the event).  For most events you are welcome to bring as many books as you wish for autographs.  If you are unable to attend the event we will be happy to have a copy of any of the author's available books signed or inscribed for you.  We can then either hold the book(s) until you can come in to pick them up or we can ship to you.  Just give us a call or drop us an email.  If you live out of town, you can also ship us books from your collection to be signed for a nominal fee.  Call or email for details.