Merry Christmas, Holidays, Hannukah, Festivus, Kwaanza, Saturnalia, Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, Brumalia or whatever it is you’re celebrating this time of year. ‘Tis the season you may find yourself looking for the perfect gift for the SF/Fantasy/Horror fan on your list. Take a look at some of these local offerings:
JASON LIMON Original Artwork & Prints — He’s a San Antonio homeboy and a rising art star. He isn’t a household name in his own hometown (yet), but his work is currently heading to major exhibitions in San Francisco, Berlin, and Hamburg. Be the first on your block to have some Jason Limon goodness on your wall. You can say you knew him before the rest of SA did. Rest assured that the Blue Star and First Friday art illuminati will embrace him as their very own (“We knew him all along!”), long after the rest of the world’s art scene trumpets him as the genius he is. Puro San Antonio. 
QUARANTINED by Joe McKinney — A deadly flu outbreak threatens to wipe out the populace of San Antonio. The military quarantines the Alamo City to halt the spread of the disease. Amid the chaos, homicide detective Lily Harris finds a murder victim hidden among the plague dead, and her questions begin to make some powerful and dangerous people very uncomfortable.
ATOMIC COMICS Gift Certificates for Comics, Graphic Novels, and Figures — If you haven’t been to Atomic Comics lately, you’re missing out on one of San Antonio’s best comic-book emporiums. And this weekend is the perfect opportunity to visit. Saturday, Dec. 12 & Sunday, Dec. 13 — everything in the store is 50% OFF for Atomic Comics’ Annual Christmas Rush Sale (*on any item not new this week). 50% off, people!!! That’s why owner John Minton is Superman when it comes to treating SA comic book fans the right way. Get there early!! 4904 Broadway / San Antonio / TX / 78209 / 210.826.3223
HYPERBUBBLE’s Better Set Your Phasers to Stun – This 5-song maxisingle on the Glasgow, Scotland based Bubblegum Records label mixes San Antonio synth pop with Star Trek love. The first track on the disc is a version of Better Set Your Phasers to Stun with guest vocals by BubblegumPunkPopDisco queen Helen Love. One mix of the song can be heard on Hyperbubble’s MySpace page, and the disc also includes the catchy track UFO Beach Party. With lyrics like “You better set your phasers to stun, you better pop your bubble gum.” we’re not delving into hard SF, but it’s more than worth the mere £1.99 plus postage. Definitely worth checking out.
DAMIEN BRODERICK’s QUIPU — In QUIPU, a reimagining of Damien’s prize-winning 1984 novel TRANSMITTERS, one character, Caroline, is going batty. Another, Joseph, can’t talk to women, even if he is a certified high-IQ clever dick trying to take snapshots of the end of the universe. Ray and Marj have their own hassles with in-laws, but student terrorists get in the way. Meanwhile Brian, misogynist and wit, appalls everyone in the quipu world. Quipus? They’re the scandalous fanzines that hikes traded before blogs were invented. Hikes? Why, high-IQ clever dicks, of course. The book’s drew some rave reviews too. Arthur C. Clarke Award winner GEORGE TURNER called it ”far and away Broderick’s best novel.” From E-Reads in both print and ebook formats.
Joe R. Lansdale’s VANILLA RIDE or the recently published collection of some of Lansdale’s best stories, SANCTIFIED AND CHICKEN-FRIED, which features a foreword by Bill Crider. From the publisher’s website: “In this collection of gothic tales that explore the dark and sometimes darkly humorous side of life and death, you’ll meet traveling preachers with sinister agendas, towns lost to time, teenagers out for a good time who get more than they bargain for, and gangsters and strange goings-on at the end of the world.”
DIBBLE’S Hobbies Gift Certificates for Games and Models — It’s a San Antonio institution and a local treasure trove for local modelbuilders, gamers, and hobbyists. They’re very well-known for their extensive railroad sets and expertise, but they have tons of gems for fantasy role-playing gamers, lead figure lovers, and miniature enthusiasts. The folks behind the counter are some of the nicest people you’ll ever encounter. Think of Dibble’s like “Cheers” for model-builders and tabletop gamers — even if everybody doesn’t know your name there, they treat you like they do. 1029 Donaldson Ave. / San Antonio / TX / 78228 / Tues-Sat. 10-6pm / 210.735.7721
Crocheted ADIPOSE — How could diets pills go wrong in such a cute way? Inspired by the Doctor Who episode Partners in Crime, these little guys range in price from $12.00-$15.00. Head over to the Doctor Who Fans Unite Fan Art page to see more and get contact info.
Rick Riordan’s THE LIGHTNING THIEF — The major motion picture debuts February 12, 2010 so your kids should read the book now. It’s the first in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and is a great read for kids and young adults.
