by Alan Beatts
I don't watch TV. Haven't for years. Not that I really have anything against it but my life tends to be busy enough that I can't manage to be near a TV at the same time each week so following series or having a favorite show is pretty much out. It's pretty funny, really, since my parents used to worry about me watching too much TV when I was a kid (which is a concern that seems to have gone sadly out of fashion, oh well). Granted, there are things like TiVo and, even using a VCR (which I can program, thank you very much) but it never seemed worth the trouble just to be able follow a series.
There have been some series that I thought were well worth watching. I came very late to Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I own all the DVDs (I think it was Peter Beagle talking about how much he had wanted to write for that show that might have tipped me over the edge and made me start watching the DVDs -- thanks, Peter). Right now I'm starting to get sadly hooked on Deadwood though I did dodge the bullet on Battlestar Galactica (there were just too many holes in the plot of the pilot for me).
But the point is, I don't watch TV. I read instead. But not because I think it's "better" or "more meaningful" or in any way superior to TV. I just like it better (and I can do it just about anywhere).
October 01, 2006
September 01, 2006
Notes from a DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
It’s a new month and we’ve got plenty of great new DVD’s coming in. The first one I wanted to bring to your attention is the totally over-the-top Bio-zombie thriller called Sars Wars. It’s a Thai production, and is funny as hell and way too enjoyable for its own good.
On the Anime side of the house, we’ve just got in Cowboy BeBop #1. This is the beginning of one of the landmarks of modern serial Anime and should not be missed.
From Korea, we have Forbidden Warrior, which is a costume/period/fantasy piece that delivers the goods. Epic battles between good and evil, crazy wire stunts and a solid story.
From Japan, we have Godzilla, Final Wars, which is a must-see for any monster movie fan, as it is the latest Japanese installment (from 2004) of the series that started it all. Also not to be missed is the new US disk: Godzilla - Gojira Deluxe Collector's Edition, which features the original Japanese version of the first Godzilla movie, side by side with the bastardized, re-cut US version of the 1956 classic. This one is a really nice package and it features a ton of extras.
It’s a new month and we’ve got plenty of great new DVD’s coming in. The first one I wanted to bring to your attention is the totally over-the-top Bio-zombie thriller called Sars Wars. It’s a Thai production, and is funny as hell and way too enjoyable for its own good.
On the Anime side of the house, we’ve just got in Cowboy BeBop #1. This is the beginning of one of the landmarks of modern serial Anime and should not be missed.
From Korea, we have Forbidden Warrior, which is a costume/period/fantasy piece that delivers the goods. Epic battles between good and evil, crazy wire stunts and a solid story.
From Japan, we have Godzilla, Final Wars, which is a must-see for any monster movie fan, as it is the latest Japanese installment (from 2004) of the series that started it all. Also not to be missed is the new US disk: Godzilla - Gojira Deluxe Collector's Edition, which features the original Japanese version of the first Godzilla movie, side by side with the bastardized, re-cut US version of the 1956 classic. This one is a really nice package and it features a ton of extras.
August Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) Dzur by Steven Brust
2) Hunters of Dune by Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert
3) Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
4) Three Days to Never by Tim Powers
5) Blood Knight by Greg Keyes
6) James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon by Julie Phillips
7) Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow
8) Bonehunters by Steven Erikson (UK Import)
9) The Line Between by Peter S. Beagle (Limited Ed., Tachyon Publications)
10) 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill (PS Publishing)
Paperbacks
1) Princess of Roumania by Paul Park
2) Idolon by Mark Budz
3) Lady of Mazes by Karl Schroeder
4) Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
5) Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
6) Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
7) The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
8) Olympos by Dan Simmons
9) Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson
10) Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Line Between by Peter S. Beagle (Tachyon Publications)
tie
Snake Agent by Liz Williams (Nightshade Books)
2) The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner
3) Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko
4) Prador Moon by Neal Asher
5) Confessions of a Virgin Sacrifice by Adrianne Ambrose
1) Dzur by Steven Brust
2) Hunters of Dune by Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert
3) Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
4) Three Days to Never by Tim Powers
5) Blood Knight by Greg Keyes
6) James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon by Julie Phillips
7) Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow
8) Bonehunters by Steven Erikson (UK Import)
9) The Line Between by Peter S. Beagle (Limited Ed., Tachyon Publications)
10) 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill (PS Publishing)
Paperbacks
1) Princess of Roumania by Paul Park
2) Idolon by Mark Budz
3) Lady of Mazes by Karl Schroeder
4) Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
5) Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
6) Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
7) The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy
8) Olympos by Dan Simmons
9) Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson
10) Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Line Between by Peter S. Beagle (Tachyon Publications)
tie
Snake Agent by Liz Williams (Nightshade Books)
2) The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner
3) Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko
4) Prador Moon by Neal Asher
5) Confessions of a Virgin Sacrifice by Adrianne Ambrose
Recent Reading
by Alan Beatts
I've been reading quite a bit lately. Not quite sure how that worked out since I've also been very busy with World Con and all and yet . . . it happened. Not that I'm complaining. Since I opened Borderlands I've probably had less time to read than any other time in my life. That's what happens when you make a hobby into a business.
One of the standout novels I read was NIGHTWATCH by Sergei Lukyanenko. This is the novel that was the basis for the film. The translation from Russian is excellent, so good in fact that it almost reads like it was originally written in English. When I started it (partly on the advice of my daughter) I was pretty doubtful but within the first chapter or two I was hooked. As usual, I'm not going to waste time with a synopsis but I will say that it is probably the best novel of its type that I've _ever_ read. I should probably explain what its "type" is -- a story of secret warfare between the supernatural forces of light and darkness set in modern times. Think of Green's Nightside novels, Leiber's Conjure Wife, Butcher's Dresden Files, Lackey's Diana Trigarde or about half of Tim Powers' work.
I've been reading quite a bit lately. Not quite sure how that worked out since I've also been very busy with World Con and all and yet . . . it happened. Not that I'm complaining. Since I opened Borderlands I've probably had less time to read than any other time in my life. That's what happens when you make a hobby into a business.
One of the standout novels I read was NIGHTWATCH by Sergei Lukyanenko. This is the novel that was the basis for the film. The translation from Russian is excellent, so good in fact that it almost reads like it was originally written in English. When I started it (partly on the advice of my daughter) I was pretty doubtful but within the first chapter or two I was hooked. As usual, I'm not going to waste time with a synopsis but I will say that it is probably the best novel of its type that I've _ever_ read. I should probably explain what its "type" is -- a story of secret warfare between the supernatural forces of light and darkness set in modern times. Think of Green's Nightside novels, Leiber's Conjure Wife, Butcher's Dresden Files, Lackey's Diana Trigarde or about half of Tim Powers' work.
Overheard at The World Science Fiction Convention
This is a feature that appears periodically, 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. This issue we share some highlights from this year's World Science Fiction Convention in Anaheim:
"Just remember how much I love you and disregard how bitchy I'm going to be for the next few days."
"We are two men very pleased with our meat."
"When there are five Australians at the table, it is inevitable that one will try to set the dessert afire."
"You're not going to catch me molesting the bronze giraffe!"
"I'm sorry, have we met?"
"Um, yeah. I helped you move."
"I've become the Harlan Ellison of porn."
"Something that eats steel has no place in my body."
"I finally realized what the chunks in my beer were -- stucco!"
(Discussing fear of Disneyland) "I refuse to be cowed by a mouse!"
"After the wasabi vodka last night, I've taken up breath mints for the weekend."
"I'm really pleased with my Borderlands t-shirt, 'cause now I can take a snake on the plane!"
"Just remember how much I love you and disregard how bitchy I'm going to be for the next few days."
"We are two men very pleased with our meat."
"When there are five Australians at the table, it is inevitable that one will try to set the dessert afire."
"You're not going to catch me molesting the bronze giraffe!"
"I'm sorry, have we met?"
"Um, yeah. I helped you move."
"I've become the Harlan Ellison of porn."
"Something that eats steel has no place in my body."
"I finally realized what the chunks in my beer were -- stucco!"
(Discussing fear of Disneyland) "I refuse to be cowed by a mouse!"
"After the wasabi vodka last night, I've taken up breath mints for the weekend."
"I'm really pleased with my Borderlands t-shirt, 'cause now I can take a snake on the plane!"
August 01, 2006
Notes from a DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Welcome once again the wonderful world of cool movies. This month I'll be talking about some of my all-time favorite weird gems of genre cinema. First up is Cemetery Man, starring Rupert Everett. (Yes, that Rupert Everett.) He got his start in an Italian zombie movie. He tends to keep Cemetery Man (AKA Dellamorte Dellamore) off of his resume. Which is kind of silly, because its easily one of the best existential zombie love stories every told.
Cemetery Man is directed by Italian Michele Soavi, who got his start being a second unit and assistant director for such greats as Argento, Fulchi, Umberto Bava, and Terry Gilliam. Soavi's singular and unique vision reached its apogee in Cemetery Man, but you can catch flashes of brilliance in some of his earlier work, such as The Church, The Sect, and Stagefright. Soavi retreated from the film industry in the mid 1990s to care for his ailing son, but, in recent years, he has begun working once more in Italian television (Una Bianca was a TV-miniseries/cop/crime thriller that is now on DVD), and he was the second unit director on Terry Gilliam's flawed, yet strangely interesting film, The Brothers Grimm.
Welcome once again the wonderful world of cool movies. This month I'll be talking about some of my all-time favorite weird gems of genre cinema. First up is Cemetery Man, starring Rupert Everett. (Yes, that Rupert Everett.) He got his start in an Italian zombie movie. He tends to keep Cemetery Man (AKA Dellamorte Dellamore) off of his resume. Which is kind of silly, because its easily one of the best existential zombie love stories every told.
Cemetery Man is directed by Italian Michele Soavi, who got his start being a second unit and assistant director for such greats as Argento, Fulchi, Umberto Bava, and Terry Gilliam. Soavi's singular and unique vision reached its apogee in Cemetery Man, but you can catch flashes of brilliance in some of his earlier work, such as The Church, The Sect, and Stagefright. Soavi retreated from the film industry in the mid 1990s to care for his ailing son, but, in recent years, he has begun working once more in Italian television (Una Bianca was a TV-miniseries/cop/crime thriller that is now on DVD), and he was the second unit director on Terry Gilliam's flawed, yet strangely interesting film, The Brothers Grimm.
July Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey
2) Gold Falcon by Katharine Kerr
3) Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge
4) Glasshouse by Charles Stross
5) Dark Mondays by Kage Baker
6) Widdershins by Charles de Lint
7) River of Gods by Ian McDonald
8) Take the Long Way Home by Brian Keene
9) How We Got Insipid by Johnathan Lethem
10) Sense of the Past: The Ghostly Stories of Henry James by Henry James
Paperbacks
1) A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison
2) The Oracle's Queen by Lynn Flewelling
3) Brass Man by Neal Asher
4) Melusine by Sarah Monette
5) Accelerando by Charles Stross
6) Lady of Mazes by Karl Schroeder
7) Olympos by Dan Simmons
8) Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds
9) Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
10) Crimson Sword by Eldon Thompson
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks
2) Prador Moon by Neal Asher
3) A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
4) The Engineer Reconditioned by Neal Asher
5) Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko
tie
The Year's Best Science Fiction vol. 23, edited by Gardner Dozois
1) Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey
2) Gold Falcon by Katharine Kerr
3) Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge
4) Glasshouse by Charles Stross
5) Dark Mondays by Kage Baker
6) Widdershins by Charles de Lint
7) River of Gods by Ian McDonald
8) Take the Long Way Home by Brian Keene
9) How We Got Insipid by Johnathan Lethem
10) Sense of the Past: The Ghostly Stories of Henry James by Henry James
Paperbacks
1) A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison
2) The Oracle's Queen by Lynn Flewelling
3) Brass Man by Neal Asher
4) Melusine by Sarah Monette
5) Accelerando by Charles Stross
6) Lady of Mazes by Karl Schroeder
7) Olympos by Dan Simmons
8) Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds
9) Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
10) Crimson Sword by Eldon Thompson
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks
2) Prador Moon by Neal Asher
3) A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
4) The Engineer Reconditioned by Neal Asher
5) Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko
tie
The Year's Best Science Fiction vol. 23, edited by Gardner Dozois
What's in a Name?
by Alan Beatts
Horror is typically considered a genre of fiction in much the same way as science fiction or mystery. At Borderlands Books we describe our stock as "science fiction, fantasy and horror," a decision that I made over nine years ago when the store opened. It was based on the way that I perceived the position of horror relative to other fiction genres.
However, while considering the horror genre for this article I looked at some phenomena that caused me to question my definition of horror and its place relative to other fiction genres. A common (and wildly inaccurate) way that we explain our sections at Borderlands is thus, "If the story takes place on a space ship, it's SF. If it's about a vampire, it's horror. And if there's a vampire on a space ship, it's still horror." But vampires are no longer the sole property of horror. They appear in fantasy, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and other less defined genres and sub-genres. Granted, some of these genres and sub-genres are merely the creation of marketing departments. But, the fact remains that there are plenty of works that feature vampires but which really don't fall within what could even be loosely called "horror".
July 01, 2006
Notes from a DVD Geek
by Jeremy Lassen
Hello to all you movie fans out there. Sorry I missed you last month. There’s a couple of months worth of DVD’s to get caught up on, and a few specific things I want to point out to you.
First up, if you were anywhere in the US in June, the 6.6.06 ad campaign for the new Omen remake was everywhere. Oddly enough, just as that cynical exercise in numerology was in the theaters, the original Omen was nowhere to be found on video store shelves. The studios, in their infinite wisdom re-released a “special edition” version of the classic movie, and of course, it didn’t come out until June 26th, so when everyone was scrambling around to get a copy of the original, it wasn’t anywhere to be found. I don’t know if this so that people couldn’t compare the turgid remake to the original, or if they simply didn’t realize that when remakes come out, sizable number of people beat the bush looking for the original. Anyway, the original Omen movie was a classic of the horror genre, and an incredibly good piece of film making, with an A-list cast, and a score that is absolutely brilliant. If you haven’t seen it in a while, be sure to check out the new Special Edition DVD, which is available now.
Hello to all you movie fans out there. Sorry I missed you last month. There’s a couple of months worth of DVD’s to get caught up on, and a few specific things I want to point out to you.
First up, if you were anywhere in the US in June, the 6.6.06 ad campaign for the new Omen remake was everywhere. Oddly enough, just as that cynical exercise in numerology was in the theaters, the original Omen was nowhere to be found on video store shelves. The studios, in their infinite wisdom re-released a “special edition” version of the classic movie, and of course, it didn’t come out until June 26th, so when everyone was scrambling around to get a copy of the original, it wasn’t anywhere to be found. I don’t know if this so that people couldn’t compare the turgid remake to the original, or if they simply didn’t realize that when remakes come out, sizable number of people beat the bush looking for the original. Anyway, the original Omen movie was a classic of the horror genre, and an incredibly good piece of film making, with an A-list cast, and a score that is absolutely brilliant. If you haven’t seen it in a while, be sure to check out the new Special Edition DVD, which is available now.
June Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey
2) Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton
3) Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
4) Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge
5) The Clan Corporate by Charles Stross
6) Glasshouse by Charles Stross
7) Giant Lizards From Another Star by Ken MacLeod (NESFA)
8) Crystal Dragon by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
9) Danse Macabre by Laurell K. Hamilton
10) Conflagration by Mick Farren
tie
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
Paperbacks
1) A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison
2) Accelerando by Charles Stross
3) Child of a Rainless Year by Jane Lindskold
4) Mammoth by John Varley
5) The Oracle's Queen by Lynn Flewelling
6) Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
7) Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds
8) Brass Man by Neal Asher (UK Import)
9) Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
10) A Princess of Roumania by Paul Parks
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks
2) Prador Moon by Neal Asher
3) Maul by Tricia Sullivan
4) Shadow at the Bottom of the World by Thomas Ligotti
5) Chains That You Refuse by Elizabeth Bear
tie
A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
1) Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey
2) Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton
3) Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
4) Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge
5) The Clan Corporate by Charles Stross
6) Glasshouse by Charles Stross
7) Giant Lizards From Another Star by Ken MacLeod (NESFA)
8) Crystal Dragon by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
9) Danse Macabre by Laurell K. Hamilton
10) Conflagration by Mick Farren
tie
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
Paperbacks
1) A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison
2) Accelerando by Charles Stross
3) Child of a Rainless Year by Jane Lindskold
4) Mammoth by John Varley
5) The Oracle's Queen by Lynn Flewelling
6) Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
7) Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds
8) Brass Man by Neal Asher (UK Import)
9) Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
10) A Princess of Roumania by Paul Parks
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks
2) Prador Moon by Neal Asher
3) Maul by Tricia Sullivan
4) Shadow at the Bottom of the World by Thomas Ligotti
5) Chains That You Refuse by Elizabeth Bear
tie
A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
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