Hardcovers
1. Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
2. White Luck Warrior by R. Scott Bakker
3. Tiassa by Steven Brust
4. Scratch Monkey by Charles Stross
5. Pale King by David Foster Wallace
6. 1636: The Saxon Uprising by Eric Flint
7. Pegasus by Robin McKinley
8. Deathless by Catherynne Valente
9. WWW: Wonder by Robert J. Sawyer
10. The Unremembered by Peter Orullian
Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel by Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris
2. Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire
3. WWW: Watch by Robert J. Sawyer
4. Deceiver by C.J. Cherryh
5. Changes by Jim Butcher
6. Equations of Life by Simon Marsden
7. Magic in the Hunt by Devon Monk
8. License to Ensorcell by Katharine Kerr
9. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch tie with
Naamah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey
10. Soulless by Gail Carriger
Trade Paperbacks
1. Sleight of Hand by Peter S. Beagle
2. I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells
3. Enigmatic Pilot by Kris Saknussemm
4. The Crippled God by Steven Erikson tie with
Zendegi by Greg Egan
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
May 01, 2011
The Foundations of Fantasy
by Alan Beatts
I was recently chatting with a customer who was looking for suggestions for fantasy novels that he might enjoy. After a few twists and turns, the conversation got onto some of the basic ideas in the field. We determined, to my surprise and his pleasure, that he hadn't read a number of the original works that those ideas came from. Below are a few of them. I'm not suggesting that any of them are "must reads," but they are all quite good in their way. There is also a certain quality of excitement to the writing because, when they were written, the ideas were new and fresh to both the readers and the author. Something else that interests me is the way that the ideas are richer and more complex in these earlier appearances, rather than than the hyper-simplified versions that appear in the hands of later writers.
A side note for the scholars out there -- I know that some of these are not the first time that the ideas appeared. But they are the first time that the idea appeared in a modern work that was widely read and reasonably successful.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Certainly, almost everyone who reads this newsletter has probably read it and, if not, you've almost certainly seen the movies (which are, I think, quite good). The original element here is that this was the first time that a small, diverse group of heroes ventured forth against terrible odds to defeat the Dark Lord. Granted there are many other ideas that appeared here for the first time but that quest is the thing that has probably shaped more subsequent novels than any element. If you've some time, give it another read and notice that the group of people who join together on the quest have a number of sometimes mutually incompatible motivations and agendas. They're not by any means friends or even allies at the start and, halfway through the story, the group is broken apart by internal friction, distrust and the loss of its leader. That particular element is often eliminated by other authors who are working the same idea.
The People of the Black Circle by Robert E. Howard.
I picked this novella because it's my favorite Conan the Barbarian story but almost any of the authentic Howard Conan stories will do (as opposed to the fix-up and share-cropper novels that were completed or written by other authors). Conan is the original "savage barbarian" character in fantasy fiction. But he's much more than a big, muscle-bound, unlettered, dumb sword-swinger as portrayed in the films from the 80s. During the course of his life he advances from being a simple thief to leading larger and larger groups of men until he finally reaches the pinnacle of being a general and, later, a king. He is portrayed as being both very intelligent and highly literate. The picture of the barbarian in modern fantasy tends to lack these elements but, more importantly, it lacks a fine but very important distinction present in Howard's work -- Conan is a barbarian because he disdains the trappings and rules of civilization, not because he is incapable of functioning within them.
The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft.
"Nameless elder gods" is a phrase that most people who read fantasy have run across somewhere, sometime. And The Necronomicon is possibly one of the most famous nonexistent books in the world. Lovecraft came up with both of those ideas. The Dunwich Horror (alongside The Call of Cthulhu) is both one of his best stories and gives the fullest outline of his cosmology. The idea that there are old gods (or aliens, or demons, or . . . ) that wait outside of our world and desire to return, with very bad consequences for us, pops up all over fantasy and science fiction. But one of the fine points of Lovecraft's vision is that these Elder Gods are so old, so alien, and so powerful, that human beings are completely below their notice. In Lovecraft's world, humans aren't at war with these beings any more than ants can be at war with a bulldozer. We're just in the way and will be swept aside whenever "the stars are right". Only a small handful of the characters in his fiction survive their encounter with the truth of the larger universe and most of them are driven insane by the experience. This idea of a heartless cosmos in which humanity is essentially insignificant and powerless is absent in most other fantasy. It would seem that this is with good reason; after all, who wants to read about that? But if so, then why has Lovecraft's work continued to attract readers for almost a century?
I was recently chatting with a customer who was looking for suggestions for fantasy novels that he might enjoy. After a few twists and turns, the conversation got onto some of the basic ideas in the field. We determined, to my surprise and his pleasure, that he hadn't read a number of the original works that those ideas came from. Below are a few of them. I'm not suggesting that any of them are "must reads," but they are all quite good in their way. There is also a certain quality of excitement to the writing because, when they were written, the ideas were new and fresh to both the readers and the author. Something else that interests me is the way that the ideas are richer and more complex in these earlier appearances, rather than than the hyper-simplified versions that appear in the hands of later writers.
A side note for the scholars out there -- I know that some of these are not the first time that the ideas appeared. But they are the first time that the idea appeared in a modern work that was widely read and reasonably successful.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Certainly, almost everyone who reads this newsletter has probably read it and, if not, you've almost certainly seen the movies (which are, I think, quite good). The original element here is that this was the first time that a small, diverse group of heroes ventured forth against terrible odds to defeat the Dark Lord. Granted there are many other ideas that appeared here for the first time but that quest is the thing that has probably shaped more subsequent novels than any element. If you've some time, give it another read and notice that the group of people who join together on the quest have a number of sometimes mutually incompatible motivations and agendas. They're not by any means friends or even allies at the start and, halfway through the story, the group is broken apart by internal friction, distrust and the loss of its leader. That particular element is often eliminated by other authors who are working the same idea.
The People of the Black Circle by Robert E. Howard.
I picked this novella because it's my favorite Conan the Barbarian story but almost any of the authentic Howard Conan stories will do (as opposed to the fix-up and share-cropper novels that were completed or written by other authors). Conan is the original "savage barbarian" character in fantasy fiction. But he's much more than a big, muscle-bound, unlettered, dumb sword-swinger as portrayed in the films from the 80s. During the course of his life he advances from being a simple thief to leading larger and larger groups of men until he finally reaches the pinnacle of being a general and, later, a king. He is portrayed as being both very intelligent and highly literate. The picture of the barbarian in modern fantasy tends to lack these elements but, more importantly, it lacks a fine but very important distinction present in Howard's work -- Conan is a barbarian because he disdains the trappings and rules of civilization, not because he is incapable of functioning within them.
The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft.
"Nameless elder gods" is a phrase that most people who read fantasy have run across somewhere, sometime. And The Necronomicon is possibly one of the most famous nonexistent books in the world. Lovecraft came up with both of those ideas. The Dunwich Horror (alongside The Call of Cthulhu) is both one of his best stories and gives the fullest outline of his cosmology. The idea that there are old gods (or aliens, or demons, or . . . ) that wait outside of our world and desire to return, with very bad consequences for us, pops up all over fantasy and science fiction. But one of the fine points of Lovecraft's vision is that these Elder Gods are so old, so alien, and so powerful, that human beings are completely below their notice. In Lovecraft's world, humans aren't at war with these beings any more than ants can be at war with a bulldozer. We're just in the way and will be swept aside whenever "the stars are right". Only a small handful of the characters in his fiction survive their encounter with the truth of the larger universe and most of them are driven insane by the experience. This idea of a heartless cosmos in which humanity is essentially insignificant and powerless is absent in most other fantasy. It would seem that this is with good reason; after all, who wants to read about that? But if so, then why has Lovecraft's work continued to attract readers for almost a century?
May News Roundup
* Because we were updating computers in January, we must now present a belated congratulations to Borderlands employee and Nightshade Books co-mastermind Jeremy Lassen and his wife, Liza Erpelo. Jeremy and Liza celebrated the birth of their daughter, Aubrey Malaya Erpelo Lassen, on January 14th, 2011. Aubrey is the first "Borderlands baby," and we say "Welcome to Earth, kiddo!".
* The nominees for this year's Hugo Awards have been announced. Congratulations to all of those nominated! You can find the whole list here: <http://www.renovationsf.org/hugo-intro.php>.
* Congratulations to Lauren Beukes, whose novel ZOO CITY has won the Arthur C. Clarke Award. I adored this novel, which somehow successfully combines cyberpunk-noir, myth, and fantasy in a fascinating new way.
* Cat Valente, who will be here Saturday, May 14th, has written a special series of shorts for the libraries and stores she is visiting! You can start reading here by downloading the pdf of the first part of "Nine Lessons From a Wyverery Governouresse": <http://us.macmillan.com/thegirlwhocircumnavigatedfairylandinashipofherownmaking> and follow the links from store to store to finish the pieces. You can also jump directly to Part 6, which Borderlands has posted here: <http://www.borderlands-books.com/#catstory>.
* "Rosebud Magazine" is running its biennial Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award competition. This is a contest for original works of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, or horror, 4000 words or less. The deadline for entries is September 1st, 2011, and the entry fee is $10/story. The grand prize is $1,000 and 4 runners-up receive $100 each. All winners will be published in "Rosebud". More details here: <http://www.rsbd.net/NEW/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76:shelley&catid=35:contests&Itemid=54>
* The Bay Area Maker Faire is taking place May 21st and 22nd at the San Mateo County Event Center. Like the coolest science fair ever, The Maker Faire is full of the best and most creative do-it-yourself tech around. Discounted early-bird tickets are available until May 11th. More details here: <http://makerfaire.com/bayarea/2011/>.
* We regret to report the death of author, editor, feminist, and science fiction critic Joanna Russ at the age of 74. Ms. Russ died peacefully in hospice care.
* Correction: Apologies to Gail Carriger and Seanan McGuire for my typo in our list of Best-Selling Titles last newsletter. This intrepid editor was cutting-and-pasting too fast, and inadvertently credited Gail Carriger's novel CHANGELESS to Seanan. Sorry, folks.
* The nominees for this year's Hugo Awards have been announced. Congratulations to all of those nominated! You can find the whole list here: <http://www.renovationsf.org/hugo-intro.php>.
* Congratulations to Lauren Beukes, whose novel ZOO CITY has won the Arthur C. Clarke Award. I adored this novel, which somehow successfully combines cyberpunk-noir, myth, and fantasy in a fascinating new way.
* Cat Valente, who will be here Saturday, May 14th, has written a special series of shorts for the libraries and stores she is visiting! You can start reading here by downloading the pdf of the first part of "Nine Lessons From a Wyverery Governouresse": <http://us.macmillan.com/thegirlwhocircumnavigatedfairylandinashipofherownmaking> and follow the links from store to store to finish the pieces. You can also jump directly to Part 6, which Borderlands has posted here: <http://www.borderlands-books.com/#catstory>.
* "Rosebud Magazine" is running its biennial Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award competition. This is a contest for original works of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, or horror, 4000 words or less. The deadline for entries is September 1st, 2011, and the entry fee is $10/story. The grand prize is $1,000 and 4 runners-up receive $100 each. All winners will be published in "Rosebud". More details here: <http://www.rsbd.net/NEW/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76:shelley&catid=35:contests&Itemid=54>
* The Bay Area Maker Faire is taking place May 21st and 22nd at the San Mateo County Event Center. Like the coolest science fair ever, The Maker Faire is full of the best and most creative do-it-yourself tech around. Discounted early-bird tickets are available until May 11th. More details here: <http://makerfaire.com/bayarea/2011/>.
* We regret to report the death of author, editor, feminist, and science fiction critic Joanna Russ at the age of 74. Ms. Russ died peacefully in hospice care.
* Correction: Apologies to Gail Carriger and Seanan McGuire for my typo in our list of Best-Selling Titles last newsletter. This intrepid editor was cutting-and-pasting too fast, and inadvertently credited Gail Carriger's novel CHANGELESS to Seanan. Sorry, folks.
April 01, 2011
March Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
2) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
3) Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel by Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett
4) The Crippled God by Steven Erikson
5) Hellhole by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
6) The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle by Pat Rothfuss
7) Scratch Monkey by Charles Stross
8) The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
9) Daybreak Zero by John Barnes
10) Pale Demon by Kim Harrison
Paperbacks
1) Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire
2) Soulless by Gail Carriger
3) Blameless by Gail Carriger
4) Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
5) Feed by Mira Grant
6) Changeless by Gail Carriger
7) An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire
8) Dead Waters by Anton Strout
9) Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
10) Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie tie with License to Ensorcell by Katharine Kerr
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
2) Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
3) Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
4) The Crippled God by Steven Erikson
5) Kraken by China Mievielle tie with Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh
1) Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
2) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
3) Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel by Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett
4) The Crippled God by Steven Erikson
5) Hellhole by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
6) The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle by Pat Rothfuss
7) Scratch Monkey by Charles Stross
8) The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
9) Daybreak Zero by John Barnes
10) Pale Demon by Kim Harrison
Paperbacks
1) Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire
2) Soulless by Gail Carriger
3) Blameless by Gail Carriger
4) Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
5) Feed by Mira Grant
6) Changeless by Gail Carriger
7) An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire
8) Dead Waters by Anton Strout
9) Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
10) Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie tie with License to Ensorcell by Katharine Kerr
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
2) Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
3) Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
4) The Crippled God by Steven Erikson
5) Kraken by China Mievielle tie with Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh
Overheard at Potlatch
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. Since we attended three conventions in March, we're going to spread out the "overheards" over a couple of months so we don't overwhelm you. These are the things we overheard at Potlatch, the first weekend of March.
"So he's sitting there, tremendously urbane, and there's this...wombat!"
"You head for the sign that says 'Sporty's Bikini Bar' & you'll find the cheese paratha."
"I am a writer; I like to lie!"
"Check out this masive steampunk breastpump we had at the hospital!"
"Can that be their war cry? 'Greek Fire, Yo!'?"
"So he's sitting there, tremendously urbane, and there's this...wombat!"
"You head for the sign that says 'Sporty's Bikini Bar' & you'll find the cheese paratha."
"I am a writer; I like to lie!"
"Check out this masive steampunk breastpump we had at the hospital!"
"Can that be their war cry? 'Greek Fire, Yo!'?"
April News Roundup
*You may have noticed a silence from Borderlands over the last few months. Don't worry, we're still here! We were in the process of doing some major computer and service provider changes, and now everything is (cross fingers!) running smoothly again.
*It is also possible that you're getting this newsletter for the first time in a long time. Some of the changes we've made should allow folks to get this newsletter who have been blocked by their service providers in the past. As it always has been, this is an opt-in list. If you would like to be removed from the list, please reply to this email and put "remove" in the subject line. We'll take you off the list immediatly.
*March was really crazy, with three conventions, two gigantic author events, lots of other events, and a partridge in a pear tree -- okay, not really. April and May are chock-full of authors too, and the summer promises even more fun, with the likes of Jaqueline Carey and Steve Englehart.
* This is mostly of interest to writers and publishers, but regular folks might be curious, too -- this website lets you see Amazon sales numbers for books: <http://www.novelrank.com/>
* Thanks to Pat Murphy of the Tiptree Motherboard for alerting us: "The James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award Council is pleased to announce that the 2010 Tiptree Award is being given to BABA YAGA LAID AN EGG, by Dubravka Ugresic." What is the Tiptree Award, you ask? See here for more info <http://tiptree.org/>.
* We are very sorry to report the death of author Diana Wynne Jones at the age of 76. She was a tremendous talent and the genre is poorer for her loss.
* We are also very sorry to report the death of April Derleth, daughter of August Derleth and co-owner of Arkham House publishers, at the age of 56. We all liked April very much and she will be greatly missed.
*It is also possible that you're getting this newsletter for the first time in a long time. Some of the changes we've made should allow folks to get this newsletter who have been blocked by their service providers in the past. As it always has been, this is an opt-in list. If you would like to be removed from the list, please reply to this email and put "remove" in the subject line. We'll take you off the list immediatly.
*March was really crazy, with three conventions, two gigantic author events, lots of other events, and a partridge in a pear tree -- okay, not really. April and May are chock-full of authors too, and the summer promises even more fun, with the likes of Jaqueline Carey and Steve Englehart.
* This is mostly of interest to writers and publishers, but regular folks might be curious, too -- this website lets you see Amazon sales numbers for books: <http://www.novelrank.com/>
* Thanks to Pat Murphy of the Tiptree Motherboard for alerting us: "The James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award Council is pleased to announce that the 2010 Tiptree Award is being given to BABA YAGA LAID AN EGG, by Dubravka Ugresic." What is the Tiptree Award, you ask? See here for more info <http://tiptree.org/>.
* We are very sorry to report the death of author Diana Wynne Jones at the age of 76. She was a tremendous talent and the genre is poorer for her loss.
* We are also very sorry to report the death of April Derleth, daughter of August Derleth and co-owner of Arkham House publishers, at the age of 56. We all liked April very much and she will be greatly missed.
January 01, 2011
December Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) Stonewielder by Ian Cameron Esslemont
2) Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks
3) The Bards of Bone Plain by Patricia McKillip
4) All Clear by Connie Willis
5) Shadowheart by Tad Williams
6) Kraken by China Mieville
7) Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
8) Surrender to the Will of the Night by Glen Cook
9) The Fall by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan tie with The Passage by Justin Cronin
10) Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
Paperbacks
1) Soulless by Gail Carriger
2) Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
3) Feed by Mira Grant
4) Blameless by Gail Carriger tie with Changeless by Gail Carriger
5) The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
6) Steampunk'd edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg
7) Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
8) Gilded Latten Bones by Glen Cook
9) First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher
10) Geist by Philippa Ballantine
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
2) Flaming Zeppelins by Joe R. Lansdale
3) Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer
4) Wildcards vol. I edited by George R.R. Martin
5) Blackout by Connie Willis
1) Stonewielder by Ian Cameron Esslemont
2) Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks
3) The Bards of Bone Plain by Patricia McKillip
4) All Clear by Connie Willis
5) Shadowheart by Tad Williams
6) Kraken by China Mieville
7) Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
8) Surrender to the Will of the Night by Glen Cook
9) The Fall by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan tie with The Passage by Justin Cronin
10) Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
Paperbacks
1) Soulless by Gail Carriger
2) Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
3) Feed by Mira Grant
4) Blameless by Gail Carriger tie with Changeless by Gail Carriger
5) The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
6) Steampunk'd edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg
7) Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
8) Gilded Latten Bones by Glen Cook
9) First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher
10) Geist by Philippa Ballantine
Trade Paperbacks
1) The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
2) Flaming Zeppelins by Joe R. Lansdale
3) Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer
4) Wildcards vol. I edited by George R.R. Martin
5) Blackout by Connie Willis
Quite a Year
by Alan Beatts
Hi. I'm back.
It's been almost a year since I've written anything for this newsletter, which coincides with the opening of Borderlands Cafe. As I suspect many of you know, 2010 was a very busy year and one that, despite a number of nice things occurring, I'm not sad at all to see the backside of. During the year I had to cut most of the non-vital frills off of my work and personal life, in some cases with a chainsaw. One of the casualties was this monthly column. But, things are better now and, though I'm not promising to have time every month to write here, I'm going to try to do so. But I make no promises about the quality or cleverness of what I'll produce.
Speaking of 2010, some of the high points, both personally and professionally, were very nice indeed. In no particular order:
I was asked to serve on the board of the Locus Foundation (which, after the death of Locus' founder, Charles Brown, was created to continue to publish Locus Magazine as well as act as an educational organization within our field). I was pleased and flattered that they were interested in getting me involved. I'm very much looking forward to working with such a fine group of people.
Our new business, Borderlands Cafe, has been going for just over a year and is moving along very smoothly for a new business. Though not profitable yet, I have high hopes that we might turn that corner this year -- which is damn fast for a new business. Much of the credit for that goes to the phenomenal staff that work there. They are, in their own way, as hard-working and talented a group of people as the staff at the bookstore, which is high praise indeed. We've received some very nice coverage from the press, most notably a lovely mention in the travel section of the New York Times <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/travel/05SanFran.html?pagewanted=all>.
Business at the bookstore was steady throughout 2010 and we managed to beat the national average for bookstore sales for both the holiday season and the year as a whole. I'm still looking at the growing popularity of ebooks with great concern but, at least for now, we're doing fine.
One of the worst lows of last year also led to one of the highs. In the spring Ripley, Borderlands well known store cat, passed away from cancer. Losing her was extremely painful for everyone at Borderlands as well as many of our customers but it was especially agonizing for Jude and me.
After some of the shock had worn off, Jude and I noticed that Ash, our other cat, was acting a bit strangely. Since Ash had never been an only cat, we decided to get her some company in the form of Frost, the newest addition to Borderlands. Frost is also a sphinx (i.e. hairless) and is Ash's niece. She's also quite the kitten, even though she's heading well towards adulthood now. Not only has she been a great companion to Ash but having her around has made losing Ripley less acutely painful.
That's about all I have time for in terms of a sketch of last year. It was a hard one but the seeds planted then are showing all the signs of bearing a good harvest this year.
Hi. I'm back.
It's been almost a year since I've written anything for this newsletter, which coincides with the opening of Borderlands Cafe. As I suspect many of you know, 2010 was a very busy year and one that, despite a number of nice things occurring, I'm not sad at all to see the backside of. During the year I had to cut most of the non-vital frills off of my work and personal life, in some cases with a chainsaw. One of the casualties was this monthly column. But, things are better now and, though I'm not promising to have time every month to write here, I'm going to try to do so. But I make no promises about the quality or cleverness of what I'll produce.
Speaking of 2010, some of the high points, both personally and professionally, were very nice indeed. In no particular order:
I was asked to serve on the board of the Locus Foundation (which, after the death of Locus' founder, Charles Brown, was created to continue to publish Locus Magazine as well as act as an educational organization within our field). I was pleased and flattered that they were interested in getting me involved. I'm very much looking forward to working with such a fine group of people.
Our new business, Borderlands Cafe, has been going for just over a year and is moving along very smoothly for a new business. Though not profitable yet, I have high hopes that we might turn that corner this year -- which is damn fast for a new business. Much of the credit for that goes to the phenomenal staff that work there. They are, in their own way, as hard-working and talented a group of people as the staff at the bookstore, which is high praise indeed. We've received some very nice coverage from the press, most notably a lovely mention in the travel section of the New York Times <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/travel/05SanFran.html?pagewanted=all>.
Business at the bookstore was steady throughout 2010 and we managed to beat the national average for bookstore sales for both the holiday season and the year as a whole. I'm still looking at the growing popularity of ebooks with great concern but, at least for now, we're doing fine.
One of the worst lows of last year also led to one of the highs. In the spring Ripley, Borderlands well known store cat, passed away from cancer. Losing her was extremely painful for everyone at Borderlands as well as many of our customers but it was especially agonizing for Jude and me.
After some of the shock had worn off, Jude and I noticed that Ash, our other cat, was acting a bit strangely. Since Ash had never been an only cat, we decided to get her some company in the form of Frost, the newest addition to Borderlands. Frost is also a sphinx (i.e. hairless) and is Ash's niece. She's also quite the kitten, even though she's heading well towards adulthood now. Not only has she been a great companion to Ash but having her around has made losing Ripley less acutely painful.
That's about all I have time for in terms of a sketch of last year. It was a hard one but the seeds planted then are showing all the signs of bearing a good harvest this year.
January News Roundup
* Our friends at io9 have put together a list of 55 SF and fantasy films to look out for this year <http://io9.com/5723075/55-science-fictionfantasy-movies-to-watch-out-for-in-2011>. Based on some of the titles, it looks like the list combines "look out for" as in "avoid like the plague" and "look out for" as in "this is gonna be cool" but anyway you slice it, this year is going to be big for genre film.
* Cory Doctorow has a nice article at Publisher's Weekly about the saga of self-publishing his recent novel. It's amusing, enlightening, and perhaps a cautionary story for authors considering self-publishing <http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/cory-doctorow/article/45565-zen-and-the-art-of-self-publishing.html>.
* Cory Doctorow has a nice article at Publisher's Weekly about the saga of self-publishing his recent novel. It's amusing, enlightening, and perhaps a cautionary story for authors considering self-publishing <http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/cory-doctorow/article/45565-zen-and-the-art-of-self-publishing.html>.
December 01, 2010
November Bestsellers
Hardcovers
1) Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
2) Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks
3) Zero History by William Gibson
4) Kill the Dead by Richard Kadrey
5) All Clear by Connie Willis
6)The Starter by Scott Sigler
7) Pegasus by Robin McKinley
8) Painted Boy by Charles de Lint
9) Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
10) Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold
Paperbacks
1) Soulless by Gail Carriger
2) Gilded Latten Bones by Glen Cook
3) An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire
4) Echo City by Tim Lebbon
5) Elegy Beach by Steven R. Boyett
6) Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs
7) Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
8) Live Free or Die by John Ringo
9) Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
10) Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
Trade Paperbacks
1) Fated by S.G. Browne
2) Tearing the Sky by Jamil Moledina
3) The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
4) Yarn by Jon Armstrong
5) Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
1) Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
2) Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks
3) Zero History by William Gibson
4) Kill the Dead by Richard Kadrey
5) All Clear by Connie Willis
6)The Starter by Scott Sigler
7) Pegasus by Robin McKinley
8) Painted Boy by Charles de Lint
9) Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
10) Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold
Paperbacks
1) Soulless by Gail Carriger
2) Gilded Latten Bones by Glen Cook
3) An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire
4) Echo City by Tim Lebbon
5) Elegy Beach by Steven R. Boyett
6) Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs
7) Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
8) Live Free or Die by John Ringo
9) Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
10) Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
Trade Paperbacks
1) Fated by S.G. Browne
2) Tearing the Sky by Jamil Moledina
3) The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
4) Yarn by Jon Armstrong
5) Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
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