Borderlands Books is a San Francisco

independent bookstore An independent bookstore is a retail bookstore which is independently owned. Usually, independent stores consist of only a single actual store (although there are some multi-store independents). They may be structured as sole proprietorships, ...

specializing exclusively in science fiction, fantasy and horror.

History

In 1997 Alan Beatts opened Borderlands in

Hayes Valley Hayes Valley is a neighborhood in the Western Addition district of San Francisco, California. It is located between the historical districts of Alamo Square and the Civic Center. Victorian, Queen Anne, and Edwardian townhouses are mixed with hi ...

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 The Mission District ( Spanish: ''Distrito de la Misión''), commonly known as the Mission ( Spanish: ''La Misión''), is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California. One of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco, the Mission District's name ...

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 The ''San Francisco Bay Guardian'' was a free alternative newspaper published weekly in San Francisco, California. The paper was shut down on October 14, 2014. Parts of the paper were relaunched online in February 2016. History The ''Bay Guar ...

. On February 2, 2015, in an open letter posted on the store's website, the owners Alan Beatts and Jude Feldman, announced they would close the store on March 31, 2015, explaining they could not afford to pay San Francisco's recently enacted $15

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...

(a minimum wage that they support). The store later announced a plan to remain open by relying on 300 private sponsors at $100 apiece, and this goal was soon surpassed. In November 2017, Borderlands Books purchased 1377 Haight St. in San Francisco from Recycled Records, which is slated to become its new permanent home.

Events

The store makes appearances at horror and science-fiction conventions, and has hosted numerous events with authors and other genre visitors including

Lou Anders Lou Anders is a US-based author, known for the ''Thrones & Bones'' series of middle grade fantasy novels. Anders is a Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor, Hugo Award-winning editor, a Chesley Award for Best Art Director, Chesley Award-winnin ...

, Chris Roberson, John Varley,

Jacqueline Carey Jacqueline A. Carey (born October 9, 1964)"Jacqueline Carey – Summary Bib ...

John Picacio John Picacio (born September 3, 1969) is an American artist specializing in science fiction, fantasy and horror illustration. Biography Picacio was born on September 3, 1969, in San Antonio, Texas.

Graham Joyce Graham William Joyce (22 October 1954 – 9 September 2014) was a British writer of speculative fiction and the recipient of numerous awards, including the O. Henry Award, the World Fantasy Award, and six times the British Fantasy Award ...

Patricia McKillip Patricia Anne McKillip (February 29, 1948 – May 6, 2022) was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. She wrote predominantly standalone fantasy novels and has been called "one of the most accomplished prose stylists in the fantasy ge ...

Paolo Bacigalupi Paolo Tadini Bacigalupi (born August 6, 1972) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He has won the Hugo, Nebula, John W. Campbell Memorial, Compton Crook, Theodore Sturgeon, and Michael L. Printz awards, and has been nominated ...

David Drake David A. Drake (September 24, 1945 – December 10, 2023) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran, he worked as a lawyer before becoming a writer in the military science fiction genre. Biography ...

Randall Munroe Randall Patrick Munroe (born October 17, 1984) is an American cartoonist, author, and engineer best known as the creator of the webcomic ''xkcd''. Munroe has worked full-time on the comic since late 2006. In addition to publishing a book of the ...

Steven Erikson Steve Rune Lundin (born October 7, 1959), known by his pseudonym Steven Erikson, is a Canadian author, novelist who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anthropologist. He is best known for his ten-volume spanning epic fantasy s ...

, and

Cory Doctorow Cory Efram Doctorow (; born 17 July 1971) is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who served as co-editor of the blog ''Boing Boing''. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of th ...

. Borderlands also hosted

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 between 2001 and 2011 with the associated

Emperor Norton Joshua Abraham Norton (February 4, 1818 – January 8, 1880) was a resident of San Francisco, California, who in 1859 declared himself "Emperor of these United States" in a proclamation that he signed "Norton I., Emperor of the United States" ...

Awards, given for “extraordinary invention and creativity unhindered by the constraints of paltry reason”. The first award was 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 The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous ann ...

under the World Fantasy Special Award: Professional category. In late 2009, Beatts opened Borderlands Cafe adjacent to the bookstore. Borderlands had three

Sphynx cat The Sphynx cat (pronounced , ) also known as the Canadian Sphynx, is a breed of cat known for its lack of fur. Hairlessness in cats is a naturally occurring genetic mutation, and the Sphynx was developed through selective breeding of these anim ...

mascots in 2011, named Frost, Hudson, and Newt. The original Sphynx mascot, named Ripley, died in May 2010. In June 2020, allegations that Beatts had committed physical and sexual assault, made violent threats, and engaged in an abusive "pattern of behavior" were publicized on social media and became the subject of genre and local reporting. As a result, a number of authors announced they would no longer support the bookstore or use it as a venue for events.

References

External links

Borderlands-Books.com
{{Coord, 37.7590223 , -122.4215054, display=title Bookstores in the San Francisco Bay Area Companies based in San Francisco Independent bookstores of the United States Science fiction culture American companies established in 1997 Bookstores established in the 20th century Retail companies established in 1997 1997 establishments in California