Photo: Harry Potter Proposal

Redditor trehlo says, “This is how I proposed to my girlfriend.”

Photo: Sign of the Times

A Borders going-out-of-business photo from Reddit

 

Last week, The New York Times reported that Borders' bankruptcy plan has faced criticism: “publishers characterized the plan as unrealistic and said they were more convinced than ever that Borders would be forced to sell itself or liquidate.”

Depressing, but much like Circuit City and Blockbusters, no surprise whatsoever.  Not only did the three chains fail to keep abreast of technological change, all three offered a shopping experience somehow less enjoyable than their immediate competitor.  Barnes & Noble stores have always made for a nicer afternoon of browsing than the local Borders.  I'm not sure if was the staff or just the ambiance, but I've never been able to really relax at a Borders.

Infographic: How to Get Published

YA author Kate Hart offers this flowchart explanation on how to get published.

Bookshelves: Bias of Thoughts

John Leung of the Australian architecture firm ClarkeHopkinsClarke presents the mind-bending “Bias of Thoughts” bookshelf.  The three-dimensional design is based on the famous 2D optical illusion.

Leung writes: "Thoughts are biased. When ideas are passed from one person to another, due to the transfiguration of the communication process and the frame of mind of the receiver, they are always perceived with bias. ... Visually, the optical illusion serves as a reminder that, whenever one picks up a medium, ideas can be misinterpreted when passed from one end to the other."

Photo: Borders Sign

This sign was spotted by a Reddit user on the door of a Chicago Borders.  I get the feeling that the store's employees aren't too happy about the company being forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  Of course, that's just a guess.

For another taste of the Borders employee rage at their collective LiveJournal Community, I Work at Borders.

Source: Reddit

Awards: 2011 Terry Pratchett’s First Novel Prize

The Terry Pratchett Anywhere But Here, Anywhen But Now First Novel Prize shortlist has been announced:

• Postponing Armageddon, Adele Abbott
• The Platinum Ticket, Dave Beynon
• Half Sick of Shadows, David Logan
• Apocalypse Cow, Michael Logan
• Lun, Andrew Salomon
• The Coven at Callington, Shereen Vedam

The award, launched in 2010 by Sir Terry Pratchett and Transworld Publishers, is for an unpublished first novel “set on Earth, although it may be an Earth that might have been, or might yet be, one that has gone down a different leg of the famous trousers of time.”  The winning writer will be offered a £20,000 prize as an advance against royalties on a publishing contract with Transworld.

Full contest details are available at Terry Pratchett’s official website.

Awards: 2011 Prometheus Award

The Libertarian Futurist Society has released the short list for this year’s Prometheus Awards, which honor libertarian Science Fiction novels. Here's the short list for the Best Novel category:

• For the Win by Cory Doctorow (Tor Books)
• Darkship Thieves by Sarah Hoyt (Baen Books)
• The Last Trumpet Project by Kevin MacArdry
• Live Free or Die by John Ringo (Baen Books)
• Ceres by L. Neil Smith (Big Head Press)

Winners for this category and the previously-announced Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame) will be presented in an awards ceremony at the World Science Fiction Convention, August 17-21 in Reno, Nevada.