This is a feature that appears periodically, usually as we attend conventions and overhear things. The tradition of keeping track of anonymous overheard bits and bobs started for us at the 2002 ConJose in San Jose, where trying (or trying not to) fill in the blanks on overheard conversations made us laugh so much that we made it a tradition. We haven't been to any conventions lately, but there are plenty of funny things to overhear here at the store:
*Customer: "It's like the Internet in here -- I come in to look at one thing and suddenly it's three hours later and I've forgotten what I was looking for originally!"
*(Alan to Cary, delivering her paycheck) "Here's your pittance, dear."
*Customer (discussing a mutually disliked movie):"It just proves that you can't save bad content with good presentation."
*Jude: "But it's really serious, gripping, compelling, heartbreaking literature. With zombies."
*Customer: "I'm looking for the fantasy book with all of the fantasy characters in it, but I can't remember the title or the author." Jeremy: "You must mean SILVERLOCK, by John Myers Myers." Customer: "That's it! You're a genius!"
March 03, 2008
March 01, 2008
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Who’s the most exciting genre director to come out of England in the last 20 years? If you said Neil Marshal, you’d be right. I mention this because his third feature film is hitting theaters next week. "Doomsday" looks from the trailer to be a "28 Days Later" meets "The Road Warrior"-esque thing, but . . . well. . . US distributors have done a really bad job of promoting his films in the past. The smartness and freshness, and just plain competence has never really been discernible in any of the promotional material for his first two films. So I’m cautiously optimistic that the film that hits the streets March 14th will be fun, and at the very least, competent (but I’m secretly hoping for a ground breaking genre classic). We’ll see.
Who’s the most exciting genre director to come out of England in the last 20 years? If you said Neil Marshal, you’d be right. I mention this because his third feature film is hitting theaters next week. "Doomsday" looks from the trailer to be a "28 Days Later" meets "The Road Warrior"-esque thing, but . . . well. . . US distributors have done a really bad job of promoting his films in the past. The smartness and freshness, and just plain competence has never really been discernible in any of the promotional material for his first two films. So I’m cautiously optimistic that the film that hits the streets March 14th will be fun, and at the very least, competent (but I’m secretly hoping for a ground breaking genre classic). We’ll see.
February Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) Matter by Iain M. Banks
2) Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi
3) The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison
4) One Beastly Beast by Garth Nix
5) The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes
6) Manxome Foe by John Ringo
7) Duma Key by Stephen King
8) Singularity's Ring by Paul Menko
9) The Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick
10) Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb
Paperbacks
1) Snake Agent by Liz Williams
2) Jumper by Stephen Gould
3) Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters
4) Feast of Souls by C.S. Friedman
5) Command Decision by Elizabeth Moon
6) White Night by Jim Butcher
7) Unquiet Dreams by Mark Del Franco
8) Griffin's Story by Stephen Gould
9) X-Rated Bloodsuckers by Mario Acevedo
10) The Dragon's Nine Sons by Chris Roberson
tie with
A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham
Trade Paperbacks
1) Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
2) Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams
tie with
Sins of the Sirens edited by John Everson
3) The New Weird edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer
4) The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
5) The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
tie with
Fangland by John Marks
1) Matter by Iain M. Banks
2) Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi
3) The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison
4) One Beastly Beast by Garth Nix
5) The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes
6) Manxome Foe by John Ringo
7) Duma Key by Stephen King
8) Singularity's Ring by Paul Menko
9) The Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick
10) Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb
Paperbacks
1) Snake Agent by Liz Williams
2) Jumper by Stephen Gould
3) Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters
4) Feast of Souls by C.S. Friedman
5) Command Decision by Elizabeth Moon
6) White Night by Jim Butcher
7) Unquiet Dreams by Mark Del Franco
8) Griffin's Story by Stephen Gould
9) X-Rated Bloodsuckers by Mario Acevedo
10) The Dragon's Nine Sons by Chris Roberson
tie with
A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham
Trade Paperbacks
1) Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
2) Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams
tie with
Sins of the Sirens edited by John Everson
3) The New Weird edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer
4) The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
5) The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
tie with
Fangland by John Marks
A Short History of Paperback Books
by Alan Beatts
Something that I love about working in my field is being part of a history that goes back hundreds of years (actually, thousands of years -- the first booksellers were in Egypt before the common era and their original stock was copies of The Book of The Dead). Bookselling in general has been around for a very long time and is full of some of the oddest traditions, characters and incidents. But more than that, the science fiction, fantasy and horror field has been around for quite a long time as well. And it has its own odd traditions, strange history and remarkable persons.
It would be a foolish game to try to spot when science fiction, fantasy or horror first started. One can make a solid argument that science fiction started with Jules Verne in the middle of the 19th century but there are other arguments to be made. However horror has been around much longer. Varney the Vampire also dates from around the same time as Verne's work but there were ghost stories, both written and oral, many, many years earlier. And, if you're willing to call mythology the father of the fantasy novel, you can easily go all the way back to the ancient Greeks (and yes, much of those stories were religious in nature but many of them were simply entertainment with only a hint of religion).
But, there is a point where I'm pretty comfortable saying that original SF and fantasy in novel form as we know it first sent down roots in the US. And there are some remarkable people who did it.
Something that I love about working in my field is being part of a history that goes back hundreds of years (actually, thousands of years -- the first booksellers were in Egypt before the common era and their original stock was copies of The Book of The Dead). Bookselling in general has been around for a very long time and is full of some of the oddest traditions, characters and incidents. But more than that, the science fiction, fantasy and horror field has been around for quite a long time as well. And it has its own odd traditions, strange history and remarkable persons.
It would be a foolish game to try to spot when science fiction, fantasy or horror first started. One can make a solid argument that science fiction started with Jules Verne in the middle of the 19th century but there are other arguments to be made. However horror has been around much longer. Varney the Vampire also dates from around the same time as Verne's work but there were ghost stories, both written and oral, many, many years earlier. And, if you're willing to call mythology the father of the fantasy novel, you can easily go all the way back to the ancient Greeks (and yes, much of those stories were religious in nature but many of them were simply entertainment with only a hint of religion).
But, there is a point where I'm pretty comfortable saying that original SF and fantasy in novel form as we know it first sent down roots in the US. And there are some remarkable people who did it.
February 02, 2008
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Hello again. February already. For Valentine's Day, be sure to check out a complete series box set of one of the most iconic anime shows of all times -- "Cowboy Bebop". Bounty hunters Spiek and Jet, and (yes, you knew this was coming, right?) Faye Valentine get their groove on -- on the space ship Bebop. If you haven’t experienced the joy that is "Cowboy Bebop", do so now.
Hello again. February already. For Valentine's Day, be sure to check out a complete series box set of one of the most iconic anime shows of all times -- "Cowboy Bebop". Bounty hunters Spiek and Jet, and (yes, you knew this was coming, right?) Faye Valentine get their groove on -- on the space ship Bebop. If you haven’t experienced the joy that is "Cowboy Bebop", do so now.
February 01, 2008
January Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) Renegade's Magic by Robn Hobb
2) A Vintage From Atlantis: Collected Fantasies vol. 3 by Clark Ashton Smith
3) Teatro Grottesco by Thomas Ligotti
4) One Beastly Beast by Garth Nix
5) Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick
6) Complete Hammers Slammers vol. 3 by David Drake
7) Ice, Iron and Gold by S.M. Stirling
8) The Merchant & The Alchemist's Gate by Ted Chaing
9) The Kragen by Jack Vance
10) Ring of Fire vol. 2 edited by Eric Flint
Paperbacks
1) Snake Agent by Liz Williams
2) Scar Night by Alan Campbell
3) Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
4) Glasshouse by Charles Stross
5) Forest Mage by Robin Hobb
6) Three Days to Never by Tim Powers
7) Idlewild by Nick Sagan
8) Dust by Elizabeth Bear
9) Dog Days by John Levitt
10) Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
Trade Paperbacks
1)Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams tie with The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
2) World War Z by Max Brooks
3) You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
4) The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
5) River of Gods by Ian McDonald
1) Renegade's Magic by Robn Hobb
2) A Vintage From Atlantis: Collected Fantasies vol. 3 by Clark Ashton Smith
3) Teatro Grottesco by Thomas Ligotti
4) One Beastly Beast by Garth Nix
5) Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick
6) Complete Hammers Slammers vol. 3 by David Drake
7) Ice, Iron and Gold by S.M. Stirling
8) The Merchant & The Alchemist's Gate by Ted Chaing
9) The Kragen by Jack Vance
10) Ring of Fire vol. 2 edited by Eric Flint
Paperbacks
1) Snake Agent by Liz Williams
2) Scar Night by Alan Campbell
3) Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
4) Glasshouse by Charles Stross
5) Forest Mage by Robin Hobb
6) Three Days to Never by Tim Powers
7) Idlewild by Nick Sagan
8) Dust by Elizabeth Bear
9) Dog Days by John Levitt
10) Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
Trade Paperbacks
1)Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams tie with The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
2) World War Z by Max Brooks
3) You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
4) The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
5) River of Gods by Ian McDonald
Those Responsible
by Alan Beatts
I'm not a big one for blaming other people for how my life has turned out. At this point, I'm pretty much sure that where I've ended up is completely a consequence of the choices I've made. And really, I'm OK with that.
But, there are a few people who I feel comfortable blaming for my love of SF, fantasy and horror. When I was young I hated reading (and school in general) with a fiery passion. I wasn't very good at reading and I was way behind the rest of my class. That, added to being a discipline problem and trouble maker, didn't produce much affection on my part for school (and believe me, the schools I went to didn't love me much either). When I was ten or so, I suddenly learned how to read. I don't remember what did it or what I started off reading but I got very good at it and very fast. But, nothing really interested me much. Stevenson was OK (I think I read Kidnapped because I wanted to know about the character I was named after. And by the way, I don't think that namesake worked out quite the way my father planned . . . or perhaps it did) and I liked Sherlock Holmes but nothing really lit a fire in me.
Then that summer my family took a trip to visit a friend of my dad's. My sister and I stayed in the "den" on a sofa-bed. Above that sofa-bed was a whole wall of bookshelves that were completely filled with copies of Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine. I picked one at random and I started reading it because I liked the picture on the cover. It had a serious looking young man in a big, red spacesuit in the foreground, a young boy (I thought) with a teddy bear in the middle-ground, and the background was the surface of the moon. That was a cool cover. The spacesuit didn't look . . . wimpy . . . it looked like armor. It looked . . . important.
I'm not a big one for blaming other people for how my life has turned out. At this point, I'm pretty much sure that where I've ended up is completely a consequence of the choices I've made. And really, I'm OK with that.
But, there are a few people who I feel comfortable blaming for my love of SF, fantasy and horror. When I was young I hated reading (and school in general) with a fiery passion. I wasn't very good at reading and I was way behind the rest of my class. That, added to being a discipline problem and trouble maker, didn't produce much affection on my part for school (and believe me, the schools I went to didn't love me much either). When I was ten or so, I suddenly learned how to read. I don't remember what did it or what I started off reading but I got very good at it and very fast. But, nothing really interested me much. Stevenson was OK (I think I read Kidnapped because I wanted to know about the character I was named after. And by the way, I don't think that namesake worked out quite the way my father planned . . . or perhaps it did) and I liked Sherlock Holmes but nothing really lit a fire in me.
Then that summer my family took a trip to visit a friend of my dad's. My sister and I stayed in the "den" on a sofa-bed. Above that sofa-bed was a whole wall of bookshelves that were completely filled with copies of Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine. I picked one at random and I started reading it because I liked the picture on the cover. It had a serious looking young man in a big, red spacesuit in the foreground, a young boy (I thought) with a teddy bear in the middle-ground, and the background was the surface of the moon. That was a cool cover. The spacesuit didn't look . . . wimpy . . . it looked like armor. It looked . . . important.
January 01, 2008
New Orleans
by Alan Beatts
Happy New Year everyone!
I hope that you all had a nice time through the holidays and that 2008 finds you well. I had a great time this last month. My brother and his family were in town for all of December, which was just great and for New Years I went to New Orleans with my daughter. It was her first trip there and she loved it (takes after her dad that way, I'm guessing).
I was a little concerned about what New Orleans would be like. I hadn't been back there since before the hurricane in 2005 and I was really concerned that it wouldn't be the same. Actually I had no doubts that the city wouldn't be the same. No city can go through what New Orleans did and not be changed. What I was concerned about, in my selfish way, was the French Quarter and (to a lesser degree) the area around Frenchman St. and the Garden District.
Happy New Year everyone!
I hope that you all had a nice time through the holidays and that 2008 finds you well. I had a great time this last month. My brother and his family were in town for all of December, which was just great and for New Years I went to New Orleans with my daughter. It was her first trip there and she loved it (takes after her dad that way, I'm guessing).
I was a little concerned about what New Orleans would be like. I hadn't been back there since before the hurricane in 2005 and I was really concerned that it wouldn't be the same. Actually I had no doubts that the city wouldn't be the same. No city can go through what New Orleans did and not be changed. What I was concerned about, in my selfish way, was the French Quarter and (to a lesser degree) the area around Frenchman St. and the Garden District.
December Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) Halting State by Charles Stross
2) Pirate Freedom by Gene Wolfe
3) Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman
4) The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy
5) Confessor by Terry Goodkind
6) Fatal Revenant by Stephen R. Donaldson
7) Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis
8) Dreamsongs vol. 1 by George R.R. Martin
9) Spook Country by William Gibson
10) The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds (UK edition)
Paperbacks
1) The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
2) The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
3) Three Days to Never by Tim Powers
tie with The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
4) The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
5) Forest Mage by Robin Hobb
tie with The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
6) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
7) Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
8) Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
9) Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge
10) Dust by Elizabeth Bear tie with
For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison
Trade Paperbacks
1) World War Z by Max Brooks
2) The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
3) Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams
tie with Butcher Bird by Richard Kadrey
4) His Dark Materials (Omnibus Edition) by Philp Pullman
5) Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology edited by James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel
1) Halting State by Charles Stross
2) Pirate Freedom by Gene Wolfe
3) Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman
4) The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy
5) Confessor by Terry Goodkind
6) Fatal Revenant by Stephen R. Donaldson
7) Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis
8) Dreamsongs vol. 1 by George R.R. Martin
9) Spook Country by William Gibson
10) The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds (UK edition)
Paperbacks
1) The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
2) The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
3) Three Days to Never by Tim Powers
tie with The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
4) The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
5) Forest Mage by Robin Hobb
tie with The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
6) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
7) Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
8) Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
9) Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge
10) Dust by Elizabeth Bear tie with
For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison
Trade Paperbacks
1) World War Z by Max Brooks
2) The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
3) Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams
tie with Butcher Bird by Richard Kadrey
4) His Dark Materials (Omnibus Edition) by Philp Pullman
5) Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology edited by James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Happy New Year, movie fans. The new year is a good time to talk about new versions, and old versions of some classic movies. First up is Rob Zombie's interesting and earnest remake of John Carpenter's "Halloween". As Carpenter himself is a director who has "re-imagined" many movies to good effect, I was eager to see what could happen to the "Halloween" franchise, re-imagined by one of my favorite new directors.
Happy New Year, movie fans. The new year is a good time to talk about new versions, and old versions of some classic movies. First up is Rob Zombie's interesting and earnest remake of John Carpenter's "Halloween". As Carpenter himself is a director who has "re-imagined" many movies to good effect, I was eager to see what could happen to the "Halloween" franchise, re-imagined by one of my favorite new directors.
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