September 12, 2013

Cracked Labyrinth Veterans on Sesame Street

What the staff is reading this week:

Alan: "VETERAN by Gavin Smith.  It's good but I suspect that the author doesn't have much in the way of an actual military background.  That is not always an obstacle but it does come through in the novel."

Cary: "THE CRACK IN THE LENS by Steve Hockensmith."

Claud: "THE SPY WHO LOVED: The Secrets And Lives Of Christine Granville, by Clare Mulley (amazing story of WW2 spy); THE BIG OVER EASY and THE FOURTH BEAR, by Jasper Fforde (rereads); THE FLANEUR, by Edmund White; SHAMAN, Kim Stanley Robinson; GEORGETTE HEYER, by Jennifer Kloester; GULP: Adventures On The Alimentary Canal, Mary Roach; MOXYLAND, by Lauren Beukes; THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE, by Neil Gaiman (amazing & melancholy); MURDER AT THE VICARAGE, by Agatha Christie (reread); LIARS AND OUTLIERS: Enabling The Trust That Society Needs To Thrive, by Bruce Schneier; THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA and RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES, by Scott Lynch (rereads); SCATTER, ADAPT, AND REMEMBER: How Humans Will Survive A Mass Extinction, by Annalee Newitz; THE RIDDLE OF THE LABYRINTH: The Quest To Crack An Ancient Code, by Margalit Fox (fascinating tale of the decryption of Linear B); THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES, by Scott Lynch (worth the wait); READY PLAYER ONE, by Ernest Cline; DANCE FOR THE DEAD and METZGER'S DOG, by Thomas Perry; LATE VICTORIAN HOLOCAUSTS: El Nino Famines And The Making Of The Third World, by Mike Davis (phenomenal); THE CUCKOO'S CALLING, by Robert Galbraith (great, actually); THE SHINING GIRLS, by Lauren Beukes; THE BLOODLINE FEUD, THE TRADERS' WAR, and THE REVOLUTION TRADE, by Charles Stross; and THE DRACO TAVERN, by Larry Niven.

Cole: "THE DOG STARS by Peter Heller.  Fantastic. It reminds me a little of FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON."

Jude: " BLACKSAD by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido; KILLED AT THE WHIM OF A HAT; GRANDAD, THERE'S A HEAD ON THE BEACH; ANARCHY AND OLD DOGS; and THE MERRY MISOGYNIST by Colin Cotterill, PROMISED LAND by Robert Parker; HER ROYAL SPYNESS by Rhys Bowen; WEST WITH THE NIGHT by Beryl Markham; and STREET GANG: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF SESAME STREET by Michael Davis.


September 02, 2013

August Bestsellers

Hardcovers
1. Kill City Blues by Richard Kadrey
2. Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
3. Neptune's Brood by Charles Stross
4. Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik
5. The Quarry by Iain Banks
6. Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
7. Sister Mine by Nalo Hopkinson
8. Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold
9. Omens by Kelly Armstrong
10. Heirs and Graces by Rhys Bowen

Mass Market Paperbacks
1. 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson
2. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
3. Magic Rise by Ilona Andrews
4. Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
5. The Long Earth by Stephen Baxter and Terry Prachett
6. Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin tie with Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
7. Darwin Elevator by Jason Hough
8. Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
9. Hellfire by Jean Johnson
10. Heart of Briar by Laura Anne Gilman

Trade Paperbacks
1. Dark Shadows: Wolf Moon Rising by Lara Parker
2. Dark Shadows: Angelique's Descent by Lara Parker tie with Dark Shadows: The Salem Branch by Lara Parker
3. Year's Best Science Fiction 30th Annual Collection edited by Gardner Dozois
4.  In Broad Daylight by Seth Harwood
5. Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone

August News Roundup

*  Borderlands would like to congratulate our friends, John Picacio, Brandon Sanderson, and John Scalzi, the winners of the 2013 Hugo Award for, respectively, Best Artist, Best Novella, and Best Novel.  Also, a shout out to Mary Robinette Kowal, Seanan McGuire, and Dan Wells, for the well deserved recognition for their work in the field.  For the full list of winners - http://www.thehugoawards.org/

*  One of our customers passed along this link to a short film called "Sight" <http://vimeo.com/46304267> .  In these days of Google Glass and direct human-to-human mind control <http://www.washington.edu/news/2013/08/27/researcher-controls-colleagues-motions-in-1st-human-brain-to-brain-interface/> we found this film to be creepy as hell.

*  Correction: We apologize for misstating the month of Mick Farren's death in the last newsletter.  Farren passed away on July 27th, 2013.  Farren's work had great impact, sometimes in surprising ways.  Author and customer Cliff Winnig had the following to say in response to the notice of Farren's passing:

"I only met him a couple of times, and then only at his signing events, but my impression of Mick Farren was that he was a really cool and truly sweet individual.  His work, however, looms large in my life.  I discovered his science fiction, starting with NECROM, in the early nineties, when I was coping with a significant loss.  I immediately sought out and devoured every Mick Farren book I could find.  His alchemic blend of post-apocalyptic dystopic nihilism and stubborn outsider protagonists really resonated with me, helping me through that dark time.  I kept my act together as much as I did in no small part because of his fiction.  Now that I think about it, I wish I'd told him that.  His books were such a big deal to me that it didn't occur to me at the time to mention it; it'd be like commenting that the atmosphere contains oxygen."

* We were delighted to host actress and author Lara Parker in August.  She was featured in this SF Weekly blog article: http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2013/08/ode_to_angelique_sked_for_morn.php , and one of the attendees at her event had this to share: http://tumbledodie.tumblr.com/post/59226186576/rising-moon.

* We have ALL the signed books this month!  If you'd like a signed book from Rhys Bowen, Chaz Brenchley, S.G. Browne, Max Gladstone, Seth Harwood, Nalo Hopkinson, Richard Kadrey, Sheldon Siegel or Simon Wood, just give a call or drop a note!

* Overheard: "What did you think of it?" "It was definitely a book. With pages and everything."

* We sincerely regret to report the death of crime writer Elmore Leonard at age 87. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/21/books/elmore-leonard-master-of-crime-fiction-dies-at-87.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

September Upcoming Events

Kim Stanley Robinson, SHAMAN (Orbit, Hardcover, $27.00) Saturday, September 7th at 1:00 pm (Please note this event starts at 1:00 pm, two hours EARLIER than our usual events.)

Douglas Lain, BILLY MOON (Tor, Hardcover, $24.99) with guests Terry Bisson and Daniel Coffeen Saturday, September 7th at 3:00 pm

Seanan McGuire, CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT (Roc, Mass Market, $7.99) Saturday, September 14th from 5:00 - 8:00 pm

SF in SF (at the Variety Preview Room in the Hobart Building, 582 Market Street) with authors Greg Bossert and Nick Mamatas Saturday, September 14th at 7:00 pm

Janet Dawson, DEATH RIDES THE ZEPYHR (Perseverence Press, Trade Paperback, $15.95) Sunday, September 15th at 3:00 pm

One City/One Book Bookclub discussion of LITTLE BROTHER by Cory Doctorow, Sunday September 22nd at 6:00 pm.  (Please note this is just a book club and NOT an author event; Cory Doctorow WILL NOT be attending.)

L.E. Modesitt, Jr., THE ONE-EYED MAN (Tor, Hardcover, $24.99) Monday, September 23rd at 7:00 pm

Presentation on Censorship's Effects on First Amendment Rights with attorney Cyrus Wadia - Wednesday, October 2nd.

Cat Valente, THE GIRL WHO SOARED OVER FAIRYLAND AND CUT THE MOON IN TWO (Feiwel & Friends, Hardcover, $16.99) Friday, October 4th at 7:00 pm

Laura Anne Gilman, SOUL OF FIRE (Luna, Trade Paperback, $14.95) and FIXED (as L.A. Kornetsky) (Gallery Books, Trade Paperback, $15.00) Saturday, October 5th at 3:00 pm

Shaenon K. Garrity, SKIN HORSE (Couscous Collective, Trade Paperback, $14.00) Saturday, October 5th at 5:00 pm

Full event details after the break