Book Notes — Long Jumping Genres, Chiaki’s Death Sentences

Goethe’s Sorrows of Young Werther has been accused of encouraging suicides, so forceful a piece of literature it was.  But that is nothing compared to Kawamata Chiaki’s fictional poet who writes “The Gold of Time,” poetry so powerful that whoever reads them dies.  Or, do they?

Death Sentences is a fascinating experiment.  And I write this with the caveat that I am not academically or historically up to the challenge. I can only comment on the challenge.  The ideal reader should probably be familiar with not only the history of noir and of science fiction, but also have more than a passing knowledge of surrealism.  I am a lightweight in all three departments.  However, I am curious.  And that characteristic is what kept me going, even when I should have noticed, I’m told, the subtle references to Philip K. Dick, William Gibson and others.

We begin the story in relatively contemporary Japan with sleazy, corrupt cops and ugly sex in a cheap hotel.  Noir most tawdry.  Next, we find ourselves in Paris with the art and philosophy of the surrealists dominating the narrative in a much earlier time. Eventually, after some time behind the scenes in the world of Japanese publishing, the reader arrives on a primitively populated Mars in 2031. Earth people, apparently, were in a hurry to get off their planet. Inhabiting an inhospitable Mars in 19 years will be preferable to staying here. And it is on Mars that the truth unfolds.  Or does it?

When I read a book like this, one that doesn’t fully engage my attention, but won’t quite let me go either, I suspect it is my deficiency that keeps it from being compelling. I remained, it seemed, always on the verge of enlightenment.  Maybe that was the point.  However, when I read the comments of others on the Internet and on the book jacket, all more learned than I am in such matters, I tend to think that reading it, I repeat, might be very worthwhile for those who have serious academic interests in noir, surrealism and science fiction. I would love to hear other comments on the book, perhaps from those more grounded in the various disciplines.

Chiaki is also highly respected in Japan and is often compared to or contrasted with Haruki Murakami, an author whose work I almost always enjoy.

Death Sentences was published in Japan earlier, but is making its English translation debut in the U.S. now. Next book up for me is Red Harvest. I need to get back to the basics.

San Francisco Bookstores — Borderlands, Other Worldly on Valencia

This is part of a series about San Francisco’s independent bookstores and the neighborhoods they serve. For previous articles please click here.

If only we crime writers had a local San Francisco bookstore specializing in the kinds of books we write. I hope that writers of fantasy, science fiction and horror appreciate the jewel of a store that is Borderlands Books on Valencia.

The day I visited, the staff was setting up for an author event. There was a sense of enthusiasm in the room — people with good cheer, enjoying their work. I wandered through the aisles of bookshelves, gazing at the collection of new and used books. These were for serious readers of the genres. The shelves were neatly kept, the categories clearly identified. This isn’t a place deeply engaged in pop-culture — no super-sized superhero character cut-outs or Star Trek memorabilia, just books and more books. However, one of the big draws is Ripley, a sweet mild-mannered, and lovely, hairless felinean from the planet Sphynx.

I’ve written about the Mission neighborhood before. It may be the city arts and letters central. There are a number of bookstores and galleries in the area. Valencia Street, in particular, continues its dynamic growth — with shops selling mid-century furniture, stuffed antelope, vintage clothing as well as restaurants (trendy high-end to deliciously low-end) springing up near its start at Market Street and stretching almost all the way to Cesar Chavez. This is the neighborhood of around the block lines waiting for Bi-Rite ice cream and mile-high meringue on Banana pie. This is a great walk or bike ride that includes a couple of alleys with spectacular murals.

While its doubtful you could call Borderlands Books trendy (they sell books on paper, after all), they are doing what great independent bookstores are supposed to do. They have a staff that knows the subject matter. They hold many author and other book-related events and participate in a thriving, creative community. They also make you feel welcome.

Maybe they should add a mystery annex.

866 Valencia Street, (415) 824-8203, www.borderlands-books.com

San Francisco Bookstore — KAYO, Pulp Fiction, Pulp Non-Fiction

Walk through the doors, the owners say and you will have a “glimpse of the lurid past of dime store novels, sleazy 1960s exploitation and 1970s pop culture.” It’s true. This small store in downtown San Francisco specializes in vintage mysteries, science fiction, westerns and erotica.

Not inappropriately, the KAYO Bookstore is located in San Francisco’s Tenderloin — an area often thought of as sleazy — drugs, prostitutes, massage parlors and strip joints. All of that is in the midst of transformation. The store is located at the base of Nob Hill. The streets here are gaining a new, more trendy status with real estate agents suggesting a new name, The Tendernob.

New name or not, KAYO visitors are not far from emerging galleries and only a few blocks from downtown shopping or from the Civic Center. There are an increasing number of interesting restaurants and bars populating the area. While the down and out character is disappearing, there is enough grittiness left to complement the great pulp novels, posters and vintage magazines in the store — a kind of pulp museum.

814 Post Street, (415) 749-0554, www.kayobooks.com

Incidentally, for those interested in great pulp covers — covers for the kind of books found at KAYO, check out Killer Covers.