Stefen's Books in Perth, Western Australia | Book shop

Stefen's Books

Locality: Perth, Western Australia

Phone: +61 8 9481 8393

Address: Shop 2 / 431 Murray st 6000 Perth, WA, Australia

Website: http://www.stefensbooks.com.au

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25.01.2022 Something for the kiddlywinks? Little Golden books for Star Trek, Dark Crystal & more. Also the God Of War ABC book has just arrived!

25.01.2022 Few cool things coming in today, but Im particularly keen to have a read of the Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde. Its his new standalone satire, and brings us a searing social critique couched in an absurdist setting. Set in an alternate England where the 12th of August 1965 is the date of the Inexplicatble Anthropomorphising Event- a unexplained event that created a new race of six foot tall rabbits who can talk, walk, drive, and duel. It is now 2022, and human-rabbit relations are fraught with hostility. Peter Knox, human and Member of the Rabbit Compliance Taskforce, discovers that Constance Rabbit, his secret college crush, has moved in next door. The Constant Rabbit is great for fans of Terry Prachett, Douglas Adams, Robert Rankin, and Tom Holt. $32.99

24.01.2022 Will we find out when were getting book 9? Youl have to sign up to find out! To be honest, I think itll be very interesting regardless of whether they announce a date.

24.01.2022 Unpacking now! The second book in Joe Abercrombies new series, The Trouble With Peace. The first one was pretty intense, but I think there may be worse to come. Will absolutely be starting this one right away. If youre of a similar mind, they will be on the shelves presently. Trade paperback $32.99

24.01.2022 I dont think this one needs much explanation. Hardcover $35.00

22.01.2022 Big day for new releases! Weve got the new Feist Firemane book, Queen of Storms in, as well as a new Butcher- the first in a few years. Dark and powerful forces threaten the world of Garn once more in Queen of Shadows, and in Peace Talks, Harry Dresden Chicagos only professional wizard, joins the White Councils security team to make sure hostilities between the supernatural nations dont explode into open conflict. Weve got loads of both, so drop past and grab one!... -Sarah the Myrmidon

21.01.2022 Did a quick test to see if these sparkle in the sunlight. Sadly they dont, but we have plenty of copies of the paperback and hardcover if youd like to check for yourself. Also, given some the prevailing attitudes towards the Twilight Saga, Id just like to assure folks that all purchases will be conducted with absolute discretion.

20.01.2022 U.S. versions of Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson have arrived, and they're oh so flash! Some are already spoken for, but we've got a few spares as well as some of the other Stormlight Archive series in the same spiffy editions. Stock is very limited though, so if you've not pre-ordered one you may want to get a wriggle on if you want to secure a copy.

20.01.2022 The wind and the rain are keeping people away quite a bit today; perhaps everyone snug as a bug in a rug at home in front of the heater. But being snug has very little the reccomend itself if you dont have anything to read, so heres a few new things that have come in today! Divine Heretic is a retelling of Joan of Arc that turns the traditional tale on its head. Out of Body looks like an interesting horror novella that stars a beleagured deli worker whose sleep paralysis... becomes a bigger problem than it seems. Weve also got some continuation of series; Kylie Chans Dawn of Empire is the third in her Dragon Empire Series about dragons in space, and K.A. Doores the Unconquered City is book three in the Chronicles of Ghadid, a fantasy series full of worldbuilding and queerness and scribes and assassins. Drop in and check it out!

20.01.2022 Two old & one new, but all three amazing. 10,000 Light Years From Home was the first short story collection by Alice Bradley Sheldon under her James Tiptree Jr. pseudonym. Like all of her short works, it's poweful and sublime. A lot of store regulars will be familiar with the Gollancz SF Masterworks edition of Her Smoke Rose Up Forever, as will the book club peeps. That's a later collection though and features only three of the stories that are in 10,000 Light Years, so there...'s plenty of new stuff here. Speaking of the SF Masterworks, the latest additon to that section is an omnibus of some Ursula K Le Guin's early books. In it are the first three in the Hainish Cycle; Rocannon's World, Planet of Exile and City of Illusions. All are set against the backdrop of a galactic scale human society, though each book is an individal story. It's worth noting that two of her most famous books, The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed are also part of the Hainish Cycle. The Midnight Circus is a collection of short stories by the master of the fractured fairytale, Jane Yolen. Only this time she's bent her mind to the dark and disturbed. Beastial transformations in New York, monsters at the South Pole and murderous angels are just some of the products of her foray into the shadows. I'm surprised that Jane has writen a dark fiction collection, but not at all surpsed that it's an awesome read.

19.01.2022 This years Hugo awards winners have been announced from ConZealand, which adapted to the current covid situatiuon by morphing into an on-line convention. The shortlists were very strong and Id recommend folks check out not just the winners, but the other noninees too. Were certainly going to keep carrying loads of all of them. Nevertheless, Im very pleased to see Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone pick up another win for This is How You Lose the Time War, and Arkady Martine... for A Memory Called Empire, two staff and customer favourtites. Complete list of winners on the official site. http://www.thehugoawards.org/

19.01.2022 NAIDOC week is a great opportunity to dive into some brilliant Indigenous authors and get a taste of the diversity of art coming out of Indigneous Australia. We’ve got a few great books on display in the store that we think you’d like- why not pop in and check them out! -Sarah the Myrmindon

19.01.2022 Rhythm of War has arrived! It's in one enormous single volume and going for $32.99. Grab 'em while they're hot! -Sarah the Myrmidon

18.01.2022 A quick vid to give folks a better idea of whats on the coffee mugs were doing a clearance sale on.

18.01.2022 If it's all too much for you (and there are so many reasons for feeling that way right now), I recommend a trip to Moomin Valley for dose of kindness and compassion. Sure they're for kids, but not just for kids. Sweet, charming characters who solve their problems with kindness and empathy, their adventures peppered with Tove's wonderful illustrations. These books have delighted children and adults for more than 70 years, but it's never to late to make friends with this family of Finnish trolls. You'll always be welcome. These lovely hardcover editions are $19.99 ea

18.01.2022 A quick reminder that our Books From Afar (Melbourne in this case) event with Sami Ullah Shah is on Tuesday the 30th at 7pm WA time via Zoom. If you want to be a part of it (and you should) contact me via DM here or Email [email protected] for the link. Weve also got a stack of Boy of Fire and Earth if you havent already got one, which if youre a fan of really interesting Urban Fantasy is something you should really fix.

17.01.2022 So, we have some news about the second book in Sam Hawkes Poison Wars series. Heres the cover, and itll be out in November. Which is further away than Id personally like because to be honest, the business with Kalina at the end of City of Lies has me desperate for answers. Given how many of them weve sold, I cant be the only one.

15.01.2022 I’ve been planning to spotlight this book for a while, and then quite out of the blue I was contacted by Jeremy Szal to see if I wanted some signed book plates to go with my copies. Of course I did, and they are here in store now to go with your brand new copy of Stormblood. It’s a high tech science fiction actioner with a protagonist, Vakov Fukasawa, who carries Stormtech in his blood as a result of his military service. Of alien origin, Stormtech has no real human analog. I...t’s got some of the properties of a drug, a virus, a symbiote and a parasite. It empowers him to do some remarkable things but also gives him an irrational fondness for danger that manifests as the very worst impulse control. It’s got a classic set up; someone seems to be targeting ex-military types, and when some of his old unit turn up dead, Vakov becomes an unwilling police asset in the investigation. Don’t misunderstand. He wants the folks that did this, he’s just not that keen on doing it for the very power structure that made him a part alien killing machine. This is a fun and dynamic book with a sequel due in 2021. It’s basically your summer blockbuster science fiction action film.(personally, I cast Mark Dacascos as Vakov in my headcanon). Hits the same sweet spot for me as Richard Morgan’s Thirteen and Thin Air. Stormblood has a rrp of $32.99, but we’ll be doing them for $29.99 while stocks last, and of course you’ll be supporting Australian SF and getting a special bookplate too! Gollancz Hachette Australia Books #stormblood #stormtech #actionsf #australiansf

13.01.2022 Just because the dragon was an accident, didnt mean Lucky loved it any less. -"Luckys Dragon," by Kelly Barnhill, from the Book of Dragons. Ive always been mad keen on dragons, to the point Ive bought books purely because theyve had a dragon on the front cover or in the title. Its a habit that has had mixed results at times, but the Book of Dragons looks to be one of the successes of the see-dragon-buy-book strategy. Every road and open doorway is a constant danger to ...a man of wandering disposition. -"Dragon Slayer," by Michael Swanwick, from the Book of Dragons Its a collection of short stories of dragons of all stripes, from rampaging monsters to benevolent sages. Edited by Jonathan Strahan and with authors of the calibre of R.F. Kuang, Garth Nix, Ken Liu, Kate Elliott featuring in this collection of draconic tales, the Book of Dragons is a must read for anyone with a taste for the scaly and inferno-y. $32.99 -Sarah the Myrmidon

13.01.2022 I dont envy anyone who has to pick a winner from this amazing list. I reckon just pull a Mean Girls and give them all a bit.

12.01.2022 Had some requests for a better look at our discounted book related coffee mugs, so here they are.

11.01.2022 In other news, we got a nice stack of backlist restock so I can fill some of the missing middles, ends and beginnings of our most popular series. Weve also had some very cool new releases arrive, but Ill do a thing for them tomorrow. In the meantime Ill be chipping away at this edifice.

11.01.2022 The in-store date for Australia is the 4th of October. Im not sure what other stores are doing, but were going to have an epic stack of them. Though probably not for very long.

10.01.2022 As folks are probably aware, we decided not to do our usual launch & lunch event for Juliet Marilliers new book A Dance With Fate. Under the circumstances we think it prudent. But, we still love Juliets books and so do a bunch of you so we arranged for her to come in this morning and sign a bunch of books. People who read our earlier posts had the opportunity to request personalized copies, which well be sending out presently (with a bonus launch bookmark). To round out th...e deconstructed event idea from earlier posts, ill soon be uploading a short video of Juliet reading from the book. Thanks to Juliet for continuing to write wonderful books (and then come and sign them), Pan Macmillan Australia for the very flash bespoke bookmarks, and all the folks who continue to buy, read and tell their friends about Juliets books.

10.01.2022 My preview copy is somewhat the worse for being carried around for a week, but the release version of Christopher Paolinis new science fiction epic (seriously! nearly 900 pages of big-scale SF goodness), has the full cover artwork and looks pretty damn cool. Unfortunately I cant unbox them till tomorrow though, so youll have to swing by then to check them out. Trade paperback $32.99

09.01.2022 A short reading from Juliet Marillier from her new book A Dance With Fate, recorded during a visit to Stefens Books, August 2020.

09.01.2022 Dont forget to grab the zoom link for tonight if youre keen to come along! Wed love to have you there with the inimitable Sami Shah to discuss all things urban fantasy.

08.01.2022 So. It's coming up to Christmas, and you're starting to wonder what to buy for that one nerdy friend who's already got everyhting. Well don't panic, cause we've got you covered. They've got everything already? We've got more. They like niche stuff? We're VERY good at niche. DC fan who's got every piece of Batman merch ever created? Bet they don't have the novelisation of the Killing Joke. Into Tolkein? How about an encyclopedia of every bit of folklore that went into buildi...ng the rings of power? Hitchikers Guide fan? What about the original scripts for the 1985 radio play? DnD fanatic? The Critical Role graphic novel might do quite nicely. Come in and say hi! -Sarah

08.01.2022 We did a post about this book a few week ago, so Im sure folks know about the wonderful new Dragon themed anthology edited by Jonathan Strahan. Its a great book with a stunning slection of contributors and weve got lots of copies of the local trade paperback. However, Im always on the lookout for something a bit special and recently got the chance to get my hands on a carton of first edition hardcovers. I think thats a pretty big deal, and Jonathan agreed to make it even better by popping into the store to sign them. So the good news is that you can get one of these signed first edition hardcovers for $35.00, which is only slighty more than the trade paperback and a bargain, but the bad news is that I wont be able to get any more and once these are gone.

08.01.2022 Fans of Juliet Marillier will Im sure be aware that she has a new book out at the end of the month. If you follow the store, then youll also likely know that we generally do an in instore event with Juliet to coincide with new releases. A Reading, lots of sigining and then we all go off to lunch. Its tremendous fun, always has a good crowd and weve been doing it for years. This time however, and for obvious reasons, were not really able to do that. While the covid situat...ion in WA is nowhere near as severe as other places, nevertheless Im inclined to caution. Juliet herself is in the high-risk catagory, and while doing the traditional event would probably be ok, probably is not good enough when were talking about someone elses health. So, I thought Id nick an idea from modern cooking boffins and instead go with a deconstructed event made up from the following componants. #1 The book: A Dance With Fate should be arriving on the 28th of July in trade paperback with an RRP of $32.99 (though well be doing them for a launch price of $29.99). #2 Folks who want their copies signed can leave them at the store, or take them home and read them and then scoot them back before...* #3 Round about the 9th or 10th of August Juliet will visit the store and sign the copies people have left (or dropped in). Im also planning on shooting a short video with Juliet with some questions (that you good people will ask in the comments) and maybe even a reading if we can. #4 With your signed book collected and the video cued up, you can now enjoy the event safely and from the comfort of home. * Well happily do phone /email/ or DM orders and post books if required. Contact us and well work something out for you..

07.01.2022 Some new shiny things have arrived for you perusing pleasure! Nophek Gloss is a debut SF that's been compared favourably to Becky Chambers, and Call of the Bone Ships is the sequel to R J Barker's Bone Ships, about a war fought in boat made from the bones of a (maybe) long extinct race of dragons. $22.99 each.... -Sarah the Myrmidon

07.01.2022 One of the things I've most heard said about Ghost of Tsushima game is how beautiful the whole thing looks. If you'd like to revisit those images and get a bit of insight into the design process, might I suggest the very flash folio art and design companion book?

07.01.2022 I dont generally do much in the way of sidelines since I pretty much try to fill all available space with books, but this lot were such a bargain that I decided to get some. Theyre whats left of a discontinued line of book-related calico bags and coffee mugs. Weve got the Dracula and Hans Christian Andersen bags for $9.99 (or free if youre buying enought books to need one) and the mugs we have Alice in Wonderland, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Poe, Hans Christian Andersen and Shakespeare. All $4.99, which means you can have a cool book-nerd work mug for basically the same price as a bland generic.

06.01.2022 Paolini has only rarely kept it to less than 500 pages (dont fact check me) and To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is no exception. Theyre going for $32.99 and weve got a fat stack of them- pop by and have a look! -Sarah the Myrmidon

06.01.2022 Keeping our fingers crossed has paid dividends; A Dance with Fate has arrived right on time! Well be gearing up for our deconstructed book signing with Juliet Marillier happening around the 9th of august, so come in and grab a copy (or ask for one to be put aside) for Juliet to sign when she comes in. If you havent heard, the event is a little different to accomadate health needs in the current situation: you can find the full details on this post here: https://bit.ly/306q...lmi A dance with fate has an RRP of $32.99 but were selling it for a cool $29.99, so come grab one before they go. -Sarah the Myrmidon

05.01.2022 My poor impulse control when it comes to books is not exactly a secret, but Im lucky to have a wonderful customer base with a similar lack of restraint so the constant waves of cool books rushing into the store tend to rush out again pretty quickly. I think this time however I may have gone too far. It recently came to my attention that I could get a bunch of Firefly Encyclopedias and Diablo art books at a bargain price and kind of did the how many do you want? Yes! thing. So, now I have a frightening stack of Firefly Encyclopedias and a smaller, but nevertheless concerning pile of Diablo art books. The RRP on each of these is $69.99 but well be doing them for $29.99 each till they run out or until Im crushed by hubris and a tower of art books. #firefly #browncoats #diablo #artbooks #gotcarriedaway

05.01.2022 Weve got some very lovely, very cheap Edgar Allen Poes in! You can grab one of these neat little volumes for just $5.99. Cheaper than a fast food breakfast, but the experience is longer lasting and you wont feel sick afterwards. Actually its Poe, so you never know. -Sarah the Myrmidon

04.01.2022 Woke to the news that Terry Goodkind had died. I remember first reading Wizards First Rule as part of the wave of nineties fantasy that included the start of series like Robert Jordans Wheel of Time, George R R Martins Song of Ice and Fire, Robin Hobbs Farseer, Anne Bishops Black Jewels and Sara Douglass Axis. There was just so much to read. Goodkind returned again and again to the world he created and wrote thirty books set there with the last two, Heart of Black Ice & Into Darkness released this year. It doesnt feel like 26 years since I read Wizards First Rule, or that Terry Goodkind would be 72. But here we are. https://www.tor.com//terry-goodkind-sword-of-truth-wizard/

02.01.2022 Good news for fans of Daevabad; Empire of Gold is in! Con-woman Nahri and idealistic djinn prince Ali have joined forces to save the magical kingdom from a devastating civil war. If youre looking to get into fantasy thats a bit different from the elves and dwarves in faux-medieval western Europe, this series is a great jumping in point to the range of fantasy novels out at the moment that draw on Islamic mythology. ... -$29.99 Sarah the Myrmidon

01.01.2022 Unpacking now! New books from Ernest Cline & Jenn Lyons and a SF debut from Simon Jimenez

01.01.2022 We were planning to do a Books in Bars event with Sami Ullah Shah earlier this year, but given the circumstances weve morphed it into Books From Afar and were doing the Zoom thing on the 30th of June. Come along and listen to Sami talk about his YA books Boy of Fire and Boy of Earth and very likely other nerds stuff too. https://www.facebook.com/events/731094977694216/