Borderlands Books is a San Francisco independent bookstore

Independent bookstore

An independent bookstore is a retail bookstore which is independently owned.-Literary and countercultural history:Author events at independent bookstores sometimes take the role of literary salons. The bookstores themselves, "have historically supported and cultivated the work of independent...

 specializing exclusively in science fiction, fantasy and horror.

History

In 1997 Alan Beatts opened Borderlands in Hayes Valley as a used-only bookstore consisting of his personal collection and a selection of books from Know Knew Books in Palo Alto. In 2001 the store moved to 866 Valencia in the heart of the Mission District where it is currently located. Shortly after opening in the new location, Borderlands Books was awarded the "Best Sign Of De-Gentrification in the Mission" from the SF Bay Guardian.

Author Events

During the past ten years, Borderlands has hosted numerous events with authors and other genre visitors including Lou Anders

Lou Anders

Lou Anders is an American editor, author and journalist, primarily of science fiction/fantasy novels, articles and short stories.-Biography and journalism:...

, Chris Roberson

Chris Roberson (author)

Chris Roberson is a science fiction author, tromboner, and publisher based in Austin, Texas, best known for alternate history novels and short stories.-Biography:Chris Roberson grew up near Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, Austin...

, John Varley

John Varley (author)

John Herbert Varley is an American science fiction author.-Biography:Varley grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, moved to Port Arthur in 1957, and graduated from Nederland High School. He went to Michigan State University on a National Merit Scholarship because, of the schools that he could afford, it...

, Jacqueline Carey

Jacqueline Carey

Jacqueline Carey is an author and novelist, primarily of fantasy fiction.-Life:She attended Lake Forest College, receiving B.A.'s in psychology and English literature. During college, she spent 6 months working in a bookstore in London as part of a work exchange program. While there, she decided...

, John Picacio

John Picacio

John Picacio is an award-winning American artist specializing in science fiction, fantasy and horror illustration.-Biography:...

, Graham Joyce

Graham Joyce

Graham Joyce is an English writer of speculative fiction and the recipient of numerous awards for both his novels and short stories. He grew up in a small mining village just outside of Coventry to a working class family. After receiving a B.Ed. from Bishop Lonsdale College in 1977 and a M.A. from...

, Patricia McKillip, Paolo Bacigalupi

Paolo Bacigalupi

Paolo Tadini Bacigalupi is an American science fiction and fantasy writer.He has won the Hugo, Nebula, Compton Crook, Theodore Sturgeon, and Michael L. Printz awards, and was nominated for the National Book Award...

 David Drake

David Drake

David Drake is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now one of the premier authors of the military science fiction subgenre.-Biography:...

, Randall Munroe

Randall Munroe

Randall Patrick Munroe is an American webcomic author and former NASA roboticist as well as a programmer, best known as the creator of the webcomic xkcd...

, Steven Erikson

Steven Erikson

Steven Erikson is the pseudonym of Steve Rune Lundin, a Canadian novelist, who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anthropologist....

, and Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow

Cory Efram Doctorow is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who serves as co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licences for his books...

.

Borderlands also hosts the Tachyon Publications

Tachyon Publications

Tachyon Publications is an independent press specializing in science fiction and fantasy books. Founded in San Francisco in 1995 by Jacob Weisman, Tachyon books have tended toward high-end literary works, short story collections, and anthologies....

 anniversary party with the associated Emperor Norton Awards, given for “extraordinary invention and creativity unhindered by the constraints of paltry reason,”. The first award is given to a single work of science fiction, fantasy, or horror, or to an author in these genres, and the second to any creation, creator, or service relating to those genres.

Other Information

In 2008, Borderlands' owner Alan Beatts and general manager Jude Feldman were jointly nominated for a World Fantasy Award

World Fantasy Award

The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

 under the World Fantasy Special Award: Professional

World Fantasy Special Award: Professional

This World Fantasy Award is presented to individuals for their outstanding professional work in the fantasy field, and voted by a panel of judges at the World Fantasy Convention....

 category.

Borderlands currently has two Sphynx cat mascots named Ash and Frost.. The original mascot Ripley died in May 2010.