It is readings time again, and in March we bring you three authors for the price of two.

Chaz Brenchley (aka Daniel Fox) – Chaz Brenchley has been making a living as a writer since he was eighteen. He is the author of nine thrillers, most recently Shelter, and two major fantasy series: The Books of Outremer, based on the world of the Crusades, and Selling Water by the River, set in an alternate Ottoman Istanbul. A winner of the British Fantasy Award, he has also published three books for children and more than 500 short stories in various genres. He is a prizewinning ex-poet, and has been writer in residence at the University of Northumbria, as well as tutoring their MA in Creative Writing. He was Northern Writer of the Year 2000, and lives in Newcastle-upon-Tyne with a quantum cat and a famous teddy bear. As Daniel Fox, he first went to Taiwan at the millennium and became obsessed, to the point of learning Mandarin and writing about the country in three different genres. The result: the books Dragon in Chains, and Jade Man’s Skin. Daniel Fox weaves the ancient myths and legends of feudal China into a fantasy world of brutal war and brittle passion, immortal gods and mystical creatures.

Malinda Lo – a local author with one of the most astonishing and remarkable debut novels out there, Ash. A beautifully written and fully realized retelling of Cinderalla…with a twist. Apart from the familiar story that we all know of Cinderella, Ash must make a choice between the dark, dangerous fairy Sidhean, and Kaisa, the King’s Huntress. “Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.” Ash is a starred selection of the ABA’s Rainbow List, it is a nominee for the Andre Norton Award, was a finalist for the 2010 William C. Morris Award, and was a Kirkus Best Young Adult Novel of 2009. Formerly an entertainment reporter, Malina was awarded the 2006 Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for Excellence in LGBT Journalism by the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and has master’s degrees from Harvard and Stanford universities. She lives in a small town in Northern California with her partner and their dog.

Each author will read a selection of their work, followed by Q & A moderated by author Terry Bisson. Booksigning and schmoozing in the lounge afterwards.

Books for sale at event, courtesy of Borderlands Books.

6:00PM – Cash bar and reception opens
7:00PM – Author readings begin

All bar proceeds and tips benefit Variety Children’s Charity of Northern California

The Variety Preview Room Theatre
The Hobart Bldg., 1st Floor – entrance between Quizno’s & Citibank
582 Market St., at 2nd @ Montgomery, San Francisco

Don’t drive!! BART/MUNI Montgomery St. station is steps from our front door.

Wednesday, March 10

SF in SF presents a Steampunk Film Festival

Held in conjunction with Nova Albion, the Steampunk Exhibition Convention. Come in costume!

Absinthe cocktails at the bar, with an absinthe-flavored giveaway before the movies!!

$10 suggested donation at the door or bar benefits Steampunk Conventions (to help bring back Nova Albion in 2011). Bar proceeds benefit Variety Children’s Charity.

We will be showing:

• The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello – 30 mins
• Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog – 43 mins
• Perfect Creature – 88 mins

There will be a short intermission before Perfect Creature

Reception and cash bar opens at 6:00PM, Movies begin at 7:00 PM – free popcorn!

Seating is limited; numbers will be given upon entrance to ensure that we fairly seat everyone. First come, first seated.

We are trying to arrange another video hookup in the lounge area, so everyone attending can watch – stay tuned for an update on this!!

Books relating to Steampunk for sale, courtesy of Borderlands Books

The Variety Preview Room Theatre
The Hobart Bldg., First Floor
Entrance between Quiznos & Citibank
582 Market Street at Montgomery & Second

Don’t drive! Montgomery Street BART/MUNI Station is steps away from our front door.

More info? Call Rina at 4150572-1015 or email her at sfinsfevents@gmail.com

Thursday, March 4 – 6:00PM

Zachary Mason – The Lost Books of the Odyssey
Books Inc. – Opera Plaza

Thursday, March 4 – 12:00PM

Kurt W. Beyer – Grace Hopper and the Invention of the Information Age. Sponsored by Kepler’s Books
This event takes place at: The Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, Call (650) 810-1898 for information.
Go here to register for this event

Thursday, March 4 – 7:30PM

Joe Hill – Horns
The Booksmith

Friday, March 5 – 7:00PM

Joe Hill – Horns
Book Passage – Corte Madera

Monday, March 8, 2010 – 7:30PM

Camille Rose Garcia – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The Booksmith

Tuesday, March 9 – 5:00PM

Seanan McGuire – A Local Habitation
Borderlands Books

Wednesday, March 10 – 7:00PM

Elif Batuman – The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them
Book Passage – Corte Madera

Thursday, March 11 – 7:00PM

The Cartoon Art Museum welcomes Pepe Moreno for a special presentation and book signing. Moreno’s groundbreaking graphic novel, Batman: Digital Justice, was the second best-selling graphic novel of its era. Moreno will be discussing his work on Batman: Digital Justice as well as his latest graphic novel, Rebel, which was previously serialized in the popular fantasy magazine Heavy Metal. $5 suggested donation

Thursday, March 11 – 7:30PM

Elif Batumen – The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them
Kepler’s Books

Thursday, March 11 – 6:30PM

Seth Shostak – Confessions of an Alien Hunter: A Scientist’s Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Sponsored by Kepler’s Books, Menlo Park. This event takes place at: Menlo Park City Council Chambers
701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park. For reservations call 1-800-847-7730 or register online

Friday, March 12 – 8:00PM

Beware The Ides Of March!!!
4 Writers plus a Stab at Music and Noise
Admission is free. There will be wine if you’re lucky.
Johnny Strike, Roger Pinnell, Alvin Orloff, Carrie Hall
Dog-Eared Books, San Francisco

Saturday, March 13 – 3:00PM

Chaz Brenchley (aka Daniel Fox) – Jade Man’s Skin
Borderlands Books, San Francisco

Saturday, March 13 – 6:00PM

John Everson – The 13th & Alice Henderson – Voracious
Borderlands Books, San Francisco

Of particular interest this month is the slate of offerings for the Alameda Public Library. The Alameda Community Reads Program this year focuses on Speculative Fiction. This theme includes sub-types, such as science, fantasy, horror and supernatural fiction. By choosing this general theme, the Library can offer the community a wide variety of titles to choose from and broaden the experience for all participants. All events take place at the Alameda Free Library, 1550 Oak Street, Alameda, as part of the Alameda Community Reads Program. Free and open to the public.

Monday, March 8, 7:00PM

Tim Pratt – Pen to Paper or Fingers to Keyboard: Writing Science Fiction/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction im will focus on what it takes to turn imaginative ideas into a compelling story. Author of the popular Marla Mason series, and numerous short stories, his advice on writing is worth taking.

Sunday, March 14 – 2:00PM

Ellen Klages – The Green Glass Sea, Portable Childhoods, White Sands, Red Menace

Ellen will be speaking primarily about her collection of short stories Portable Childhoods and the ins and out of being a short story writer and award-winning YA historical fiction writer. Always entertaining!

Wednesday, March 17, 6:30PM

Claire Coustier will chat about The History of Horror Fiction. Ms. Coustier’s talk will focus on Horror fiction, both supernatural and taken from the real world. She will discuss the genre from its earliest Gothic beginnings to current day and how horror fiction affects the reader as a possible alternate existence.

Thursday, March 25, 7PM

Professor Aaron Jason from California State University East Bay will speak on Exploring Alternate Worlds: A History of Speculative Fiction and provide a “guided tour” touching on themes, authors, sub-genres and related genres.

Sunday, March 28, 1:00PM

Main Library – Meet a Stormtrooper as he takes a break from the busy life of fighting good!

The Library is also running a month long series of science fiction films; call 510-747-7713 for titles and details, or visit here.

Friday, March 12th – Sunday March 14th

Nova Albion Steampunk Convention, Emeryville, CA

Lots of great vendors and makers in the Dealers’ Room at this awesome convention!

“The Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition (March 12-14 in Emeryville) takes the best elements of traditional science fiction and fantasy conventions, combines them with the passion, ingenuity, and hands-on workshops of Maker events, and places it all in a steam-powered, neo-Victorian setting that spans the 1830s through the early 1910s, from the cultured salons of gaslit London to the rugged coast of San Francisco.”

Tuesday, March 2 – 7:30PM
**Moved to Tuesday for this month only.**
The Night of the Living Book Club will discuss The Reach by Nate Kenyon
Books Inc. in Mountain View

Wednesday, March 3 – 6:30PM
The Other Realms Fantasy and Science Fiction Book Club will meet
Call bookstore for title
Books Inc. in Burlingame

Sunday, March 21 – 6:00PM
Science Fiction/ Fantasy Book Club Meeting will discuss Hominids, by Robert Sawyer
Borderlands Books / Borderlands Cafe, San Francisco

You’ll want to be there.

This year’s WonderCon takes place from April 2 through April 4 at Moscone Center, San Francisco. Guests include: Sergio Aragones, Peter S. Beagle, Frank Cho, Amanda Conner, Colleen Doran, Mark Evanier, Stan Freberg, Adam Hughes, Adam Kubert, Joe Kubert, Tim Powers, Greg Rucka, Kevin Smith and Judd Winick.

Two movies have dominated this year’s animated film awards. At the Golden Globes and the Oscars, Up and Coraline have been going head-to-head. On Wednesday 17th you can see them both at SF in SF.

Up – (96 mins) – animated. By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn’t alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.

Coraline – (100 mins) – animated. An adventurous girl finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets. Based on the book by Neil Gaiman.

Doors and cash bar open at 6:00PM. Films will begin about 6:30PM-ish – there will be a short intermission between films

Suggested $5 donation at the door or bar supports Variety Children’s Charity of Northern California.

Special giveaway item to be raffled off before films start!

Free Popcorn!

The Variety Preview Room Theatre
The Hobart Bldg., 1st Floor – entrance between Quizno’s & Citibank
582 Market St., at 2nd @ Montgomery, San Francisco

Don’t drive!! BART/MUNI Montgomery St. station is steps from our front door.

It is reading time again!

Saturday, February 13, 2010
SF in SF is pleased to present authors

JEDIDIAH BERRY
LAURIE R. KING

Jedediah Berry was raised in the Hudson Valley region of New York State. His short stories have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Best New American Voices and Best American Fantasy. He lives in Northampton, Massachusetts, and works as the assistant editor of Small Beer Press. The Manual of Detection is his award-winning first novel, now available in hardcover and paperback.

While Laurie R. King’s fiction falls into several areas, first in the hearts of most readers comes Mary Russell, who becomes first the apprentice of Sherlock Holmes, and then his partner. Over the course of ten books (and more to come!), Russell and Holmes challenge each other to ever-greater feats of detection, traveling the world from Sussex to Simla. King’s other series concerns San Francisco homicide inspector Kate Martinelli, her SFPD partner Al Hawkin, and her life partner Lee Cooper. In the course of her five books, Kate has encountered a female Rembrandt, a modern-day Holy Fool, two difficult teenagers, and a manifestation of the goddess Kali.

Reception begins, and cash bar opens at 6:00PM
Author readings begin at 7:00PM

Each author will read a selection of their work, followed by Q & A moderated by author Terry Bisson. Booksigning and schmoozing in the lounge afterwards.

Books for sale at event, courtesy of Borderlands Books

The Variety Preview Room Theatre
The Hobart Bldg., 1st Floor – entrance between Quizno’s & Citibank
582 Market St., at 2nd @ Montgomery, San Francisco

Don’t drive!! BART/MUNI Montgomery St. station is steps from our front door.

Thursday, February 11 – 7:00PM – 8:00PM
Not Your Mother’s Book Club presents The Bleeding Heart Ball!
Carrie Jones – Captivate
Alyxandra Harvey – Hearts at Stake
Books Inc. Opera Plaza
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