* Overheard in the store:
"What he SAID: 'You'll surely have an unforgettable travel experience.' What I HEARD: 'You'll surely have an on-board cannibal experience.'"
* Borderlands Cafe is currently on the lookout for some stalwart adventurers to join our Caffeinated Coalition (i.e. the Cafe is hiring!). Our adventuring schedule is flexible and occupies 20 - 40 hours per week. No prior experience in either making coffee or slaying dragons is necessary, but fluent English is required and avid readers are preferred. Strong work ethic, active imagination, & sense of humor also all pluses. Resumes may be left at the cafe counter, and inquiries may be directed to Z. Jenerik, Cafe Manager, zjenerik@borderlands-books.com.
* Borderlands and Comix Experience were profiled in SF Weekly. Read the article Open Borders: Keeping a Mission Bookstore Open here: http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/open-borders-keeping-a-mission-bookstore-open-borderlands-books-minimum-wage-gentrification-alan-beatts-comix-experience/Content?oid=4828224
* SFist also included Borderlands among its list of The 12 Best Independent Bookstores in San Francisco. How wonderful! (It’s also important to remember how lucky we are to live in an area that has more than 12 independent bookstores.) http://sfist.com/2016/07/21/the_best_independent_bookstores_in.php
* The first footage from the upcoming "American Gods" television show has been released. All the fans who thought it would never be made can now let out a huge gust of air, and then proceed to hold their breath again and hope it’s everything they want it to be: http://www.tor.com/2016/07/22/feast-your-eyes-on-the-first-footage-from-american-gods/
* Local author Nick Mamatas is teaching a class in "Fabulist Fiction: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mysteries, Young Adult, Magical Realism, Chick Lit & More" from August 13th - October 1st for the SF Creative Writing Institute. The class meets for six sessions and costs $395. More information is available, and you can also sign up here: https://sfwriting.institute/portfolio/fabulist-fiction/
* SFWA has started to admit Game Writers to its ranks. For all the rules and regulations, go here: http://www.sfwa.org/2016/07/sfwa-admit-game-writers-starting-august-1st-2016/
* Over at the Mary Sue there’s a great article written by Emma Newman on why feminism in fantasy is so important to so many people: http://www.themarysue.com/why-is-feminism-in-fantasy-so-important/
* In an interesting compliment to the above article, Cecilia D’Anastasio has an article in The Nation asking "Where is the new cyberfeminism?" Especially in light of all the progress on the horizon.
https://www.thenation.com/article/where-is-the-new-cyberfeminism/
* When satire gets too close to truth: Cthulhu and the British government? Seems like a match made by the Elder Gods: https://thedailybelter.com/2016/07/01/cthulhu-launches-bid-for-conservative-leadership/
* Speculative magazine Fireside Fiction did a special report on the state of black speculative fiction, showing that as many as half of science fiction magazines published no black writers in 2015, and that looking at the numbers, the probability of that being random chance are astronomical. Read the full report, all the data and accompanying essays here: https://medium.com/fireside-fiction-company/blackspecfic-571c00033717#.okiqxdeum
* The daily cycle on Jupiter’s moon Io would fit into many a science fiction story: http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/232891-science-fiction-becomes-science-fact-with-a-better-look-at-jupiters-moon-io
* The Big Book of Science Fiction is over 1,100 pages of science fiction, interesting not only for the stories it contains but also the research and history it covers. Much like The Weird anthology (also edited by Jeff & Ann VanDerMeer) it is quite large and much more a coffee table book than a pocket book. http://www.theverge.com/2016/7/21/12187852/the-big-book-of-science-fiction-vandermeer-anthology
* Personally we miss a lot of the campier subgenres of science fiction that are no longer with us. Bring back science fantasy! Here are a list of the scientific breakthroughs that killed some of them: http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2016/08/9-scientific-breakthroughs-that-killed-science-fiction-subgenres/
* Award-winning Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu disabused people of the idea that Africa is somehow not interested in science fiction or has no connection with the genre with a recent speech. Article and link to her full presentation here: http://qz.com/743683/without-allowing-space-for-imagination-we-lose-hope/
* It’s summer! Here’s have a list of movies where temperature change tries to kill us!: http://io9.gizmodo.com/8-science-fiction-tales-where-heatwaves-nearly-killed-u-1784668775
* Harry Potter & The Cursed Child Parts 1 & 2 has been released, and although it seems already to be a huge fan favorite, most of the reviews have been less-than-stellar. Case in point: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-disappointed_us_57a2c2fce4b0456cb7e1799b
* Here’s a list of books to read after finishing The Cursed Child (or for some people, instead of). We're especially glad they mentioned Kathleen Duey’s series, which is very underrated: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/features/what-read-after-cursed-child/
* Over at geek.com, the origin of elves as a species is explored with much attention to history and literature: http://www.geek.com/news/the-origin-of-the-species-elves-1663330/
* Ana Grilo explores a number of newer superheroines in comics that refuse to be bound by the misogynistic ideas that box in many female characters. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/features/comics-superheroines-difference/
* Many long term GRRM fans have been agitating for an adaptation of his Wild Cards anthology series, about a disease that alters people into heroes, villains and jokers. Well, it looks like it’s finally going to happen. http://www.hitfix.com/harpy/george-rr-martin-is-bringing-wild-card-superheroes-sci-fi-to-tv
*Speaking of having hope for adaptations! A Wrinkle of Time is being adapted with Jessica Lee (Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph, Zootopia) as screenwriter, Ava DuVernay as director and Oprah Winfrey as Mrs. Which. We're excited! http://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/news/a38126/oprah-ava-duvernay-a-wrinkle-in-time/
* An interview with Harry Turtledove where he talks about what got him started, how he plays with history, and what interests him about certain eras: https://www.inverse.com/article/19307-harry-turtledove-alternate-history-fallout
* The most expensive film in Chinese history, "The Great Wall" has understandably angered many people, including many Asian communities, because it seems to be another white savior movie along the lines of Dances with Wolves, but with dragons and Matt Damon. http://sciencefiction.com/2016/08/03/first-trailer-the-great-wall-receives-massive-backlash-asian-community/
* The 10 Speculative Fiction Beach Reads of 2016 according to Inverse and Zebbie Watson: https://www.inverse.com/article/18922-sci-fi-fantasy-books-summer-2016-beach-reads
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Award News
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* The winners of the Shirley Jackson Awards have been announced. The full list is here: http://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org/award-winners/2015-shirley-jackson-awards-winners/
* The 2016 World Fantasy Awards have announced their nominees and Locus Online News has the full list: http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/07/11044/
* The winners of the 2016 Seiun Awards have been announced. Most of the details are in Japanese, but the winners and categories are translated to English. http://www.sf-fan.gr.jp/awards/2016result.html
* The Sunburst Award Society, which celebrates excellence in Canadian Literature of the fantastic, have announced their nominees for 2016: http://www.sunburstaward.org/node/105
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