Borderlands Books

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.Pickoff-White, Lisa. (April 2, 2008). [http://www.sfweekly.com/2008-04-02/culture/borderlands-helps-make-the-bay-area-a-sci-fi-bookstore-haven/ "Borderlands Helps Make the Bay Area a Sci-Fi Bookstore Haven"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408020310/http://www.sfweekly.com/2008-04-02/culture/borderlands-helps-make-the-bay-area-a-sci-fi-bookstore-haven/ |date=April 8, 2014 }}. SF Weekly. Retrieved December 29, 2011. In 2001 the store moved to 866 Valencia in the heart of the Mission District where it is currently located.[http://borderlands-books.com/about_history.html About the store: Store history]. Borderlands-books.com. Retrieved December 29, 2011. 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.[http://www.shift.jp.org/guide/san-francisco/art-design/borderlands-books.html/ "SHIFT city guide - San Francisco - Borderlands Books"]. Shift.jp.org. Retrieved October 22, 2011.

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 that they support).{{cite web

| title = RIP, Borderlands Books - Boing Boing

| url = http://boingboing.net/2015/02/02/rip-borderlands-books.html#

| accessdate = 2015-02-02

}}

The store later announced a plan to remain open by relying on 300 private sponsors at $100 apiece,{{cite news

| title = SF bookstore Borderlands comes up with plan to avoid closure

| newspaper = San Francisco Examiner

| url = http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/sf-bookstore-borderlands-comes-up-with-plan-to-avoid-closure/Content?oid=2920842

| accessdate = 2015-02-21}} and this goal was soon surpassed.{{Cite web|title = Borderlands Books, no longer in danger of closing, has more than 500 sponsors|url = http://blog.sfgate.com/bookmarks/2015/02/26/borderlands-books-no-longer-in-danger-of-closing-has-more-than-500-sponsors/|website = Bookmarks|accessdate = 2015-06-03}}

In November 2017, Borderlands Books purchased 1377 Haight St. in San Francisco from Recycled Records, which is slated to become its new permanent home.{{Cite news|url=https://www.tor.com/2017/11/01/borderlands-books-buys-permanent-home-thanks-to-patrons-sponsorship/|title=Borderlands Books Buys Permanent Home Thanks to Patrons' Sponsorship|date=2017-11-01|work=Tor.com|access-date=2018-05-15|language=en-US}}

The store makes appearances at horror and science-fiction conventions,{{cite web

|title=Genre bookstores fight big chains with passion, expertise|publisher= CBC News |agency=Associated Press |date=October 10, 2006 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/genre-bookstores-fight-big-chains-with-passion-expertise-1.620312 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723061326/http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2006/10/10/genre-bookstores.html |url-status=live |archive-date=July 23, 2012 |access-date=2012-10-02}} and has hosted numerous events with authors and other genre visitors including Lou Anders,[http://trashotron.com/agony/columns/2005/04-18-05.htm "Lou Anders Interviewed by Rick Kleffel"]. Trashotron.com. April 18, 2004. Retrieved on October 22, 2011. Chris Roberson, John Varley,[http://www.varley.net/Pages/VarleyNews/VarleyNews%20archives.htm "Varley News Archives"]. varley.net. Jacqueline Carey,[http://www.jacquelinecarey.com/archive06.html "Jacqueline Carey's Official Author Site – 2006 News Archive"]. Jacquelinecarey.com. Retrieved on October 22, 2011. John Picacio,{{cite web| title= Behind the Scenes > Photos > World Horror Convention 2006 |year=2006 |url=http://www.deenawarner.net/whc_2006.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614152042/http://deenawarner.net/whc_2006.htm |archivedate=2006-06-14 }} Graham Joyce,[http://mentatjack.com/2009/10/28/borderlands-cafe/ Borderlands Cafe « MentatJack]. Mentatjack.com. October 28, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2011. Patricia McKillip, Paolo Bacigalupi[http://www.bookloveaffair.com/2010/05/book-signing-paolo-bacigalupi-at.html "Book signing Paolo Bacigalupi"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708082926/http://www.bookloveaffair.com/2010/05/book-signing-paolo-bacigalupi-at.html |date=July 8, 2011 }}. Bookloveaffair.com. May 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2011. David Drake,[http://david-drake.com/?s=borderlands "Borderlands"] david-drake.com. Randall Munroe,[http://breadpig.com/2009/09/19/borderlands-books-first-bookstore-in-the-world-stocked-with-xkcd-volume-0/ "Borderlands Books First Bookstore in the world stocked with xkcd volume 0"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425000348/http://breadpig.com/2009/09/19/borderlands-books-first-bookstore-in-the-world-stocked-with-xkcd-volume-0/ |date=April 25, 2010 }}. Breadpig Press Release. Breadpig.com. September 19, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2011. Steven Erikson,[http://majid.info/blog/a-book-signing-with-steven-erikson/ "A book signing with Steven Erikson"]. Fazal Majid's low intensity weblog. November 12, 2005. Retrieved October 22, 2011. and Cory Doctorow.[https://www.scribd.com/doc/3262248/Little-Brother-by-Cory-Doctorow/ "Little Brother by Cory Doctorow"]. pp 17–18. Scribd.com. Retrieved October 22, 2011.

Borderlands also hosted Tachyon Publications' anniversary party between 2001 and 2011 with the associated Emperor Norton 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.[http://www.locusmag.com/News/2009/08/emperor-norton-award-winners.html "Emperor Norton Award Winners"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090911025048/http://www.locusmag.com/News/2009/08/emperor-norton-award-winners.html |date=September 11, 2009 }}. Locus Magazine. August 31, 2009.

In 2008, Borderlands' owner Alan Beatts and general manager Jude Feldman were jointly nominated for a World Fantasy Award under the World Fantasy Special Award: Professional category.[http://www.worldfantasy.org/awards/2008.html/ "World Fantasy 2008 Award Recipients & Nominees"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101201075150/http://worldfantasy.org/awards/2008.html |date=December 1, 2010 }}. Worldfantasy.org. Retrieved October 22, 2011. In late 2009, Beatts opened Borderlands Cafe adjacent to the bookstore.Hernandez, Rigoberto (January 1, 2010). [http://missionlocal.org/2010/01/room-for-one-more-borderlands-cafe-opens/ "Move Over, Borderlands Opens Its Cafe on Valencia"]. Mission Local.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/10/us/10bcomnivore.html|accessdate=2012-10-02

|title=The Bay Citizen - Niche Bookstores Provide More Than Books|work=Bay Citizen|first=Reyhan |last=Harmanci |date= September 9, 2010 |publisher=The New York Times |edition=National}}

Borderlands had three Sphynx cat mascots in 2011, named Frost, Hudson, and Newt.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100826013940/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2010%2F08%2F06%2FRV951EOCSQ.DTL "List of SF Bookstore Cats"]. San Francisco Chronicle. August 6, 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2011.{{dead link|date=October 2011}} The original Sphynx mascot, named Ripley, died in May 2010.McGovern, Bridget (May 18, 2010). [http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/05/saying-goodbye-to-ripley-the-borderlands-cat/ "A Fond Farewell to Ripley, the Borderlands Cat"]. Tor.com. Retrieved October 22, 2011.

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.{{cite web|url=http://thehorrorshowbk.libsynpro.com/kaitlyn-booth-and-nick-hanover-the-horror-show-with-brian-keene-ep-271|website=The Horror Show with Brian Keene|access-date=2020-07-08|date=July 2, 2020|title=Episode 271}}{{cite web|url=https://missionlocal.org/2020/07/borderlands-books-owner-publicly-accused-of-sexual-assault-by-own-daughter-domestic-violence-by-ex-girlfriend/|access-date=2020-07-09|title=Borderlands Books owner publicly accused of sexual assault by daughter, domestic violence by ex-girlfriend|first=Julian|last=Mark|website=Mission Local|date=July 9, 2020}}

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Category:Bookstores in the San Francisco Bay Area

Category:Companies based in San Francisco

Category:Independent bookstores of the United States

Category:Science fiction culture

Category:American companies established in 1997

Category:Bookstores established in the 20th century

Category:Retail companies established in 1997

Category:1997 establishments in California