June 01, 2011

May Bestsellers

1. Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi
2. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
3. Mind Storm by K.M. Ruiz
4. Embassaytown by China Mieville
5. Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente
6. Welcome to Bordertown edited by Holly Black and Ellen Kushner
7. Dancing With Bears by Michael Swanwick
8. Scratch Monkey by Charles Stross
9. Tiassa by Steven Brust
10. The Crippled God by Steven Erikson

Mass Market Paperbacks
1. Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
2. Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
3. Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
4. Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
5. Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter
6. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
7. Ark by Stephen Baxter
8. Naamah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey
9. Taint in the Blood by S.M. Stirling
10. Equations of Life by Simon Morden tie with
      Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire

Trade Paperbacks
1. Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks
2. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
4. Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh
5. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Overheard at the Store and at Fog Con

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.  When we haven't attended any cons recently, we just keep track of outrageous stuff we've heard in the store!  So we heard the following in the store in May:

"Exactly how pregnant are you allowed to be at this wedding?"

"She kidnapped them & fed them bran muffins until they had Stockholm Syndrome.  And were very regular."

"I've seen myself burned in effigy more times than I can count."

"We are going to have haunted Nazi clowns!"

"Do you know any women in open relationships who'd be interested in attending?"

(1) "You just don't wear six-inch heels to a show with a mosh pit."
(2) "Hell, no.  Maybe two inches; just enough to kick someone!"

"Which one do you hate better?"

"It's unfortunately much more rare that old favorite books, re-read, are visited by the Awesome Fairy than by the Suck Fairy."


And these gems were sent to us by our Anonymous Intrepid Reporter (thanks, AIR!) from BayCon:


"Yes, that's my service cat; I've lost my sense of ennui, and now he looks bored for me."

"OF COURSE I know who Michael Moorcock is; I just didn't know he was an author."

"The mask used to belong to my mother; she wore it at her wedding."

"I'm finally making money, and now you tell me the place is on fire?"

"Dude, don't you know to use painter's tape? Duct tape will pull all your hairs out."

"I'm sure there's a pretty nice person there, behind all the boredom I feel when talking with her."

"He said the high heels hurt him only when he's sleeping."

June News Roundup

*  A note to our newsletter readers, genre historians and geeks-in-general: Bud Webster, SFWA's Estates Liaison, writing in "Black Gate", mentioned that he could use a hand finding out who now represents the work of the following authors.  If you have any information that might assist him, please contact him care of "Black Gate": <http://www.blackgate.com>.  And a further note to writers out there -- please, for the love of dingoes, once you've published some stuff, do some estate planning!  Don't leave future generations to boggle over whom to ask if they can reprint your work.  His article about that is here: <http://www.blackgate.com/2011/05/29/estate-your-business-please/>

Here are the authors for whom Mr. Webster is seeking representation info: Christopher Anvil, Jerome Bixby, Ronald Anthony Cross, Lloyd Arthur Eshbach, Raymond Z. Gallun, Chester Geier, Wyman Guin, Colin Kapp, P. Schuyler Miller, Kris Neville, Rog Phillips, Ross Rocklynn, T. L. Sherred, Wilmar H. Shiras, George H. Smith, George O. Smith, Angus Wells, and Wallace West.

* Steven R. Boyett, <http://www.steveboy.com/> author of ARIEL and ELEGY BEACH, did an amazing reading at FogCon in March.  If you'd like to hear the pieces, the links are below.  You may also hear the first two chapters here: <http://www.mortalitybridge.com/>.

<http://www.steveboy.com/audio/steven_r_boyett_-_mortality_bridge_%28soliloquy%29_-_fogcon_03-11.mp3>

<http://www.steveboy.com/audio/steven_r_boyett_-_mortality_bridge_%28floating_bridge%29_-_fogcon_03-11.mp3>

* Charlie Jane Anders (of Writers With Drinks and i09.com fame) wrote a very flattering article about Borderlands bookstore and Cafe for The Open Bar at Tin House (an online magazine): <http://www.tinhouse.com/blog/>.  Thanks very much!