SF Bookstores

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These are (or were at one time) many physical Science Fiction walk-in specialty stores with regular open hours. They are not general bookstores which carry SF nor sf specialty operations by mail or on the internet. They may also carry allied genres such as mysteries, comics, or games.

This list covers stores which describe themselves as specializing in SF (though they may include other genres as well) and which have a physical store. It deliberately excludes mailorder services.

When a date is listed as floreat (fl.) this indicates dates for which we have evidence of the store being open, but not necessarily its actual starting or ending date. Stores currently in operation are boldfaced.

Store City Dates
20th Century Books Madison, WI 1979–current
Adventures in Crime and Space Austin, TX fl. mid-90s–2002
The Alchemist's Head Dublin, Ireland fl. 1977–81
Aleph Bookstore Evanston, IL ??–??
Alternate Worlds Melbourne, Vic., Australia 1988–
Amber Unicorn Bookshop Las Vegas 1981–1997, 2008–2020
Andromeda Bookshop Cradley Heath 1971–?? (moved to Birmingham, UK)
Andromeda Bookshop Birmingham, UK ??–late Jan. 2002 and Apr. 19, 2002–Aug 26, 2005
The Asimov Bookshop Sydney, NSWAustralia March 9, 1985–??
Astral Castle Midland, Texas 1995–current
b. brown & Associates Seattle ??–2021
Bakka Books Toronto 1972–current (as Bakka Phoenix Books)
Barry R. Levin Science Fiction & Fantasy Literature Santa Monica, CA Jan. 1, 1973–September 2016
Big Cat Books El Cerrito, CA 1977–??
The Black Hole Adelaide, South Australia 1978–1986
Bookends Cheapstow, London fl. 1974
Books and Music London 1970s
Books of Wonder New York City fl. 1981
Borderlands Books San Francisco Nov. 3, 1997–current
A Change of Hobbit Los Angeles 1972–Feb 1991
Cloak and Rocket Ann Arbor, MI defunct by late 1973
Cold Drake Books Winnipeg
Compleat Enchanter Minneapolis 1979
Dangerous Visions LA fl. 1981-206
Dark Carnival Berkeley, CA 1978–2017
Dark They Were and Golden Eyed London <1974–1981
Dragon's Lair Adelaide, South Australia
DreamHaven Minneapolis Apr. 1, 1977–2011 (predominantly mail order) / 2013 (store closed), and April 2015–current
Dymocks SF Store Sydney June 6, 1995–2000 (at least)
Electric Adventures Hobart, Tas., Australia ??–1995
Ellison Hawker Bookshop Hobart, Tas., Australia ??–current
F. and S. F. Book Co. Staten Island, NY 1950s–90s
Fantastic Planet Perth, Western Australia Aug 21, 2005–2012 (renamed Stefen's Books)
Fantasy Archives Manhattan
Fantasy Book Centre London 1960s
Fantasy Centre London ??–2009
Fantasy, Etc. San Francisco, CA Fl. 1987
Farenheit SF & Fantasy Bookshop Melbourne, Vic., Australia ??–2004
Fat Cat Books Johnson City, NY 1976–July 31, 2010
Fat Cat Comics Johnson City, NY Aug 1, 2010–current
Ferret Fantasy, Ltd Upper Tooring, London fl 1974
Flights of Fantasy Albany, NY ??–current
Flights of Fantasy Seattle
Forbidden Planet Manhattan ??–current
Forbidden Planet UK ??–current
Future Dreams Portland, OR Fl. 1986
Future Fantasy Palo Alto, CA Fl. 1987
Galactic Enterprises Near Baltimore, MD 1981
Galactic Trading Post Adelaide, South Australia
Galaxy Bookshop Sydney, NSWAustralia 1975–current
Gaslight Books Canberra, ACT, Australia 1989–2014
The Great Escape Louisville, KY fl. 1983
Hobbit House Kansas City, MO fl. 1974
Hole in the Wall Books Falls Church, VA Fl. 1983
Horizon Books Seattle
Hourglass Philadelphia founded 1975
House of Speculative Fiction Ottawa, ON Fl. 1984
Hydra Bookshop ??, New Zealand
The Illustrated Store Portland, OR 1976–??
Infinitas Bookshop Sydney, NSWAustralia 1991–2012
Interstellar Master Traders Lancaster, UK 1990s?
Known Space Books Adelaide, South Australia 1987–??
Legends Sci-Fi & Fantasy Shop Launceston, Tas., Australia 1994–??
Lois Newman Books Boulder, CO fl. 1974
Looking Glass Bookstore Portland, OR Fl. 1986
Medway Science & Fantasy Centre Bookshop Gillingham, UK Fl. 1952
Minotaur Melbourne, Vic., Australia (previously a comics shop) 1984–current
Merlin's Closet Providence, RI 1979–??
Mindbridge Baltimore, MD fl. 1977
Moonstone Bookcellars Washington, DC Fl. 1979-87
Mysterious Galaxy Redondo Beach, CA 2011–current
Mysterious Galaxy San Diego, CA 1993–current
The Nostalgia Shop Memphis, TN late ’70s
Notions Unlimited Bookshop Melbourne, Vic., Australia March 6, 2012–August 20, 2014
Odyssey Bookshop Louisville, KY fl. 1983
Of Science & Swords Melbourne, Vic., Australia ??–2013
Other Change of Hobbit Berkeley, CA 1997–??; 2012–??
Other Worlds West Warwick, RI
Otherland Berlin, Germany ??–current
Pandemonium Books and Games Cambridge, MA 1989–current
Phantasia Science Fiction & Mystery Bookshop Sydney, NSWAustralia Oct 9, 1996–2000 (at least); switched to mailorder by Feb 2001
Phantasmagoria Books Dulwich, London fl. 1974
Poor Richard's Store El Cerrito, CA fl. 1974
Pulp Fiction Brisbane, Qld, Australia 1995–current
Purple Unicorn Books Duluth, MN fl. 1976
Robert A. Hittel Bookseller Ft. Laudale, FL Fl. 1985-86
Saratoga SF and Mystery Saratoga, NY
Sargasso Book Shop Lakewood, CO fl. late ’60s
Science Fantasy Bookstore Harvard Sq, Cambridge, MA 1977–89
Science Fiction Bookshop Edinburgh
Science Fiction, Mysteries and More Manhattan, NY fl. 1992
Science Fiction Plus Rochester, NY
The Science Fiction Shop Manhattan, NY fl. 1974-1977
Science Fiction Syndicate Austin, TX Fl. early 30s
Sentry Box Calgary, AL
SF&F Book Service Staten Island, NY 1950s-90s
SF-Bokhandeln Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo 1978–present
Science Fiction Unlimited Los Angeles, CA mid-1950s
Slow Glass Books Melbourne, Vic 1993–2002; has switched back to mail order
Space Age Books Melbourne, Vic opened before Apr 1971, closed Dec 1985
The Space-Crime Continuum Northhampton, MA
Space, Time and Crime
The Space Merchants Perth, W.A. 1984–??
Starlite Books St. Paul, MN early 1977–??
The Stars Our Destination Chicago, IL 1988–2003
Stefen's Books Perth, W.A. 2012–current
Stellar Bookseller Boca Raton, FL Fl. 1989–91
Stephen's Book Service New York, NY 1950s and ’60s
Supernova Books Perth, W.A. 1985–2005 (became Fantastic Planet)
Tales from the White Hart Baltimore 1975–97
Tales of Space and Crime Saratoga, NY
The Time Machine Des Moines, IA mid-70s?
Tim's White Dwarf Perth, Western Australia ??–current
A Time When... Carmichael, CA fl. 1981
A Touch of Strange Perth, Western Australia 1988–2000
Transreal Fiction Edinburgh 1997–current
Uncle Hugo's Minneapolis March 2, 1974–current
White Dwarf Books Vancouver, BC 1978–current
Wonder World Seattle, WA fl. 1987
Wonderworld Long Beach, CA fl. 1974
Zap! Brisbane, Qld, Australia

See also Category:Store.

Store 1950s—
This is an SF bookstore page. When a floreat "fl." is listed it records the dates for which we have evidence and may not be the store's entire span.

If applicable, please include category Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Ireland, NZ, UK, US, ROW or World.

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