Hardcovers
1) Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
2) House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds
3) Line War by Neal Asher
4) The Golden Cord by Paul Genesee
5) Passage: The Sharing Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold
tie with The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton
6) Matter by Iain M. Banks
7) The Starry Rift edited by Johnathan Strahan
8) Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton
9) Lavinia by Ursula K. LeGuin
10) Maps and Legends by Michael Chabon
Paperbacks
1) Cruel Zinc Melodies by Glen Cook
2) Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey
3) Galactic North by Alastair Reynolds
4) Snake Agent by Liz Williams
5) One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
6) KOP by Warren Hammond
7) Mainspring by Jay Lake
8) Axis by Robert Charles Wilson
9) Natural Ordermage by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
10) Legacy: The Sharng Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold
Trade Paperback
1) Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow tie with
Steampunk edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer
2) Mirrored Heavens by David J. Williams
3) World War Z by Max Brooks
4) The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
5) Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
June 01, 2008
Hi, I'm From Amazon and I'm Here to Help
by Alan Beatts
This is the third in a series of articles about current changes and trends in the book business. The last one looked at Borders Books and Music's financial woes and the possible consequences for authors and readers. The final article in this series will take a look at eBooks and the possible effects of that technology. This installment is going to consider Amazon.com's recent business moves and where that might lead the book business and the book-loving public.
Last month I started with a long disclaimer about my built-in bias as an independent bookseller when it comes to chain stores. I need to mention something like that this month as well but not as strongly. Compared to Borders and Barnes and Noble, many booksellers are even more upset about the effect that Amazon has had on their business, but I'm not one of them. Amazon started the same year as Borderlands and many times since then I've pointed out that what Amazon does is very different from what we do. I think that, in general, ecommerce is a great thing. I shop on the internet with some frequency (though not for goods that I can buy from a local business) and I think that the overall effect of ecommerce has been positive. But shopping on-line is no substitute for actually going into a store, picking out what you want, and walking out the door with it. And this goes double for book-shopping. When it gets down to it and no matter how hard Amazon and other vendors have tried -- browsing on-line is deeply unsatisfying. So, although Amazon does compete with my shop, I have enough faith in the unique qualities that my physical store offers that I don't bristle and shake my head when I see an Amazon box being delivered.
And what's Amazon been up to recently? Quite a lot, actually. I'll run down the list in no particular order.
This is the third in a series of articles about current changes and trends in the book business. The last one looked at Borders Books and Music's financial woes and the possible consequences for authors and readers. The final article in this series will take a look at eBooks and the possible effects of that technology. This installment is going to consider Amazon.com's recent business moves and where that might lead the book business and the book-loving public.
Last month I started with a long disclaimer about my built-in bias as an independent bookseller when it comes to chain stores. I need to mention something like that this month as well but not as strongly. Compared to Borders and Barnes and Noble, many booksellers are even more upset about the effect that Amazon has had on their business, but I'm not one of them. Amazon started the same year as Borderlands and many times since then I've pointed out that what Amazon does is very different from what we do. I think that, in general, ecommerce is a great thing. I shop on the internet with some frequency (though not for goods that I can buy from a local business) and I think that the overall effect of ecommerce has been positive. But shopping on-line is no substitute for actually going into a store, picking out what you want, and walking out the door with it. And this goes double for book-shopping. When it gets down to it and no matter how hard Amazon and other vendors have tried -- browsing on-line is deeply unsatisfying. So, although Amazon does compete with my shop, I have enough faith in the unique qualities that my physical store offers that I don't bristle and shake my head when I see an Amazon box being delivered.
And what's Amazon been up to recently? Quite a lot, actually. I'll run down the list in no particular order.
May 01, 2008
Notes From A DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
I’m going to cover some old ground with this one, but the really high profile new release last month was "I Am Legend". I’ve gone on about this one before, but I figure I’d mention some of the interesting bits about this release. The two-disk special includes the “original” ending that actually speaks to the source material, and addresses the problems I had with the first half of the movie, and the intelligence of the zombie/vampires. It’s still not a very good movie in my opinion, but it’s not as bad as the theatrical version, which is also included with the DVD.
Speaking of Bad Adaptations, "The Golden Compass" came out at the end of last month. It’s got a nice CGI polar bear battle, anyway.
Another big SF franchise hitting DVD this month is "Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem". The word on the street is that this one isn’t as bad as the original "Alien Vs. Predator" movie. That’s high praise indeed.
Another adaptation that just hit DVD is Tim Burton’s "Sweeny Todd". Neither of the leading actors can sing very well, and Burton manages to screw up the framing device, but hell . . . it's Sweeny Todd! Even Tim Burton can’t squeeze the goodness out of the source material.
On the good side of the DVD releases this month, there’s a two-disk 25th anniversary edition of "War Games". Would YOU like to play a game?
On the anime side of the shelf, the sequel to "KITE" just hit DVD. "KITE Liberator" follows high-school student Monaka as she becomes a feared and highly-skilled contract killer.
Two films from Spain to check out: one very high-profile movie just released was produced by Guillermo Del Toro: "The Orphanage". It got a wide theatrical release and a ton of well deserved positive reviews. On the opposite side of the spectrum is "Crazy Eights," a Spanish horror/exploitation film from the Afterdark Horrorfest series, starring Tracy Lords. "Crazy Eights" was released last year, so this isn’t one of Lord’s early efforts. But it’s got all the right moves for a gruesome little indy horror film. Check it out.
Another After Dark Horrorfest release is "Deaths of Ian Stone". I haven’t seen this one yet, but it’s a sort of slasher version of "Groundhog Day". Ian Stone must relive the day of his death, over and over until he solves his murder. I’m definitely looking forward to giving this one a watch.
And, finally, to the truly sublime part of this month's releases, we have "The Mist". This adaptation is very true to the original novella by Stephen King, and features top notch performances. It also has some really stunning fx work, and has an unbelievably grim ending. What’s not to like? This was one of my two favorite movies of the year last year, so I hope you’ll check it out. There’s a two disk special edition of this one that features an extensive mix of extras that are worth the extra $3.
I’m going to cover some old ground with this one, but the really high profile new release last month was "I Am Legend". I’ve gone on about this one before, but I figure I’d mention some of the interesting bits about this release. The two-disk special includes the “original” ending that actually speaks to the source material, and addresses the problems I had with the first half of the movie, and the intelligence of the zombie/vampires. It’s still not a very good movie in my opinion, but it’s not as bad as the theatrical version, which is also included with the DVD.
Speaking of Bad Adaptations, "The Golden Compass" came out at the end of last month. It’s got a nice CGI polar bear battle, anyway.
Another big SF franchise hitting DVD this month is "Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem". The word on the street is that this one isn’t as bad as the original "Alien Vs. Predator" movie. That’s high praise indeed.
Another adaptation that just hit DVD is Tim Burton’s "Sweeny Todd". Neither of the leading actors can sing very well, and Burton manages to screw up the framing device, but hell . . . it's Sweeny Todd! Even Tim Burton can’t squeeze the goodness out of the source material.
On the good side of the DVD releases this month, there’s a two-disk 25th anniversary edition of "War Games". Would YOU like to play a game?
On the anime side of the shelf, the sequel to "KITE" just hit DVD. "KITE Liberator" follows high-school student Monaka as she becomes a feared and highly-skilled contract killer.
Two films from Spain to check out: one very high-profile movie just released was produced by Guillermo Del Toro: "The Orphanage". It got a wide theatrical release and a ton of well deserved positive reviews. On the opposite side of the spectrum is "Crazy Eights," a Spanish horror/exploitation film from the Afterdark Horrorfest series, starring Tracy Lords. "Crazy Eights" was released last year, so this isn’t one of Lord’s early efforts. But it’s got all the right moves for a gruesome little indy horror film. Check it out.
Another After Dark Horrorfest release is "Deaths of Ian Stone". I haven’t seen this one yet, but it’s a sort of slasher version of "Groundhog Day". Ian Stone must relive the day of his death, over and over until he solves his murder. I’m definitely looking forward to giving this one a watch.
And, finally, to the truly sublime part of this month's releases, we have "The Mist". This adaptation is very true to the original novella by Stephen King, and features top notch performances. It also has some really stunning fx work, and has an unbelievably grim ending. What’s not to like? This was one of my two favorite movies of the year last year, so I hope you’ll check it out. There’s a two disk special edition of this one that features an extensive mix of extras that are worth the extra $3.
April Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) Infected by Scott Sigler
2) Passage by Lois McMaster Bujold
3) The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton
4) Small Favor by Jim Butcher
5) Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
6) Starry Rift edited by Jonathan Strahan
7) Wit's End by Karen Joy Folwer
8) Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi
9) The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
10) On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers
Paperbacks
1) Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill tie with
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
2) Poison Sleep by T.A. Pratt
3) The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
4) Ravenous by Ray Garton
5 ) Hilldiggers by Neal Asher
6) Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews tie with
Snake Agent by Liz Williams
7) The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
8) Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
9) The Demon and the City by Liz Williams
10) Judge by Karen Traviss
Trade Paperbacks
1) World War Z by Max Brooks
2) Wastelands edited by John Joseph Adams
3) Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
4) Steampunk edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer
5) City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
1) Infected by Scott Sigler
2) Passage by Lois McMaster Bujold
3) The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton
4) Small Favor by Jim Butcher
5) Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
6) Starry Rift edited by Jonathan Strahan
7) Wit's End by Karen Joy Folwer
8) Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi
9) The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
10) On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers
Paperbacks
1) Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill tie with
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
2) Poison Sleep by T.A. Pratt
3) The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
4) Ravenous by Ray Garton
5 ) Hilldiggers by Neal Asher
6) Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews tie with
Snake Agent by Liz Williams
7) The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
8) Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
9) The Demon and the City by Liz Williams
10) Judge by Karen Traviss
Trade Paperbacks
1) World War Z by Max Brooks
2) Wastelands edited by John Joseph Adams
3) Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
4) Steampunk edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer
5) City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Books Without Borders
by Alan Beatts
This is the second in a four-part series of stories about changes in the book world. In part one I gave a quick overview of three major changes. In this part I'm going to focus on Borders Books and Music's recent financial problems and what they may mean for readers, writers and publishers over the next year or two. The final two columns will focus on Amazon.com's recent business changes and eBooks respectively. As always, comments are welcome at abeatts@borderlands-books.com.
First off, a quick disclaimer -- I don't like Borders. I like them better than Barnes & Noble but still, like any independent bookseller, I don't like them. Despite my intention to be as objective as possible in the article, I'm sure that my bias is going to creep in here and there. But, if you were looking for objective, dispassionate news, you wouldn't be reading this. I'm going to start with what has been going on with Borders over the past year, then I'm going to talk about the implications, and I'll finish off with the reasons that it matters to everyone who loves books.
This is the second in a four-part series of stories about changes in the book world. In part one I gave a quick overview of three major changes. In this part I'm going to focus on Borders Books and Music's recent financial problems and what they may mean for readers, writers and publishers over the next year or two. The final two columns will focus on Amazon.com's recent business changes and eBooks respectively. As always, comments are welcome at abeatts@borderlands-books.com.
First off, a quick disclaimer -- I don't like Borders. I like them better than Barnes & Noble but still, like any independent bookseller, I don't like them. Despite my intention to be as objective as possible in the article, I'm sure that my bias is going to creep in here and there. But, if you were looking for objective, dispassionate news, you wouldn't be reading this. I'm going to start with what has been going on with Borders over the past year, then I'm going to talk about the implications, and I'll finish off with the reasons that it matters to everyone who loves books.
April 01, 2008
March Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1. Matter by Iain M. Banks
2. The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
3. Rolling Thunder by John Varley
4. Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi
5. The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison
6. When the Tide Rises by David Drake
7. Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis
8. Singularity's Ring by Paul Menko
9. Halting State by Charles Stross
10. The Triumph of Night and Other Stories by Edith Wharton
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Snake Agent by Liz Williams
2. The Demon and the City by Liz Williams
3. Poison Sleep by T.A. Pratt
4. The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
5. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
6. The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
7. Judge by Karen Traviss
8. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
9. Spindrift by Allen Steele
10. The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction vol. 2, edited by George Mann
Trade Paperbacks
1. World War Z by Max Brooks
2. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams
3. Blindsight by Peter Watts
4. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
5. The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
1. Matter by Iain M. Banks
2. The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
3. Rolling Thunder by John Varley
4. Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi
5. The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison
6. When the Tide Rises by David Drake
7. Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis
8. Singularity's Ring by Paul Menko
9. Halting State by Charles Stross
10. The Triumph of Night and Other Stories by Edith Wharton
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Snake Agent by Liz Williams
2. The Demon and the City by Liz Williams
3. Poison Sleep by T.A. Pratt
4. The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
5. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
6. The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
7. Judge by Karen Traviss
8. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
9. Spindrift by Allen Steele
10. The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction vol. 2, edited by George Mann
Trade Paperbacks
1. World War Z by Max Brooks
2. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams
3. Blindsight by Peter Watts
4. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
5. The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
Book Business Shakeups
by Alan Beatts
Thus far, 2008 has brought several things that may lead to some changes in the world of books - business moves that Amazon.com is making, the current financial trouble at Borders Books, and sharply increased interest in eBooks. I thought it would be interesting to talk about all three in this column. Over the next three months I'll talk about each one in depth but first I'm going to start with an overview of what's going on. Before I start, one warning -- much of what follows isn't very good news if you love traditional books and bookstores. I don't want to bring anyone down but I do think it's good to let people know what's going on. So, if you want cheerful and happy bunnies, you might want to give this column a miss for the next few months. On the upside, in the next three months I'm going to give some specific suggestions about what you can do if you don't like some of the changes I'm discussing here.
Thus far, 2008 has brought several things that may lead to some changes in the world of books - business moves that Amazon.com is making, the current financial trouble at Borders Books, and sharply increased interest in eBooks. I thought it would be interesting to talk about all three in this column. Over the next three months I'll talk about each one in depth but first I'm going to start with an overview of what's going on. Before I start, one warning -- much of what follows isn't very good news if you love traditional books and bookstores. I don't want to bring anyone down but I do think it's good to let people know what's going on. So, if you want cheerful and happy bunnies, you might want to give this column a miss for the next few months. On the upside, in the next three months I'm going to give some specific suggestions about what you can do if you don't like some of the changes I'm discussing here.
Overheard In The Store
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. There wasn't much to report from the recent World Horror Convention, but there are plenty of funny things to overhear here at the store:
*"Now THIS is a work of absolute genius on par with the Sistine Chapel." - (Customer, brandishing the graphic novel V FOR VENDETTA at her friend.)
*"The next Goth club I go to, I'm totally going dressed as a Pilgrim."
*"There's no way that kid is making it through high school without a collection of dead birds in his locker." - (Author, discussing the character Charlie Brown)
*"Externalizing your organs is a sign of maturity." - (Bookseller, World Horror Convention)
*"Now THIS is a work of absolute genius on par with the Sistine Chapel." - (Customer, brandishing the graphic novel V FOR VENDETTA at her friend.)
*"The next Goth club I go to, I'm totally going dressed as a Pilgrim."
*"There's no way that kid is making it through high school without a collection of dead birds in his locker." - (Author, discussing the character Charlie Brown)
*"Externalizing your organs is a sign of maturity." - (Bookseller, World Horror Convention)
March 03, 2008
Overheard In The Store
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!"
*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 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.
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