Getting Away With It

Did you know there are a bunch of bookstores in like a ten-block radius in Dumbo?

I started out today headed to the recently-opened Singularity&Co. Bookstore in Dumbo, of which I was a Kickstarter backer for their ebook project. It’s a nice geeky little space down near the water on Bridge St. in Dumbo, packed full of both vintage science fiction paperbacks and science fiction ephemera — I spotted a Makerbot there, as well as a few old Macs, a Star Trek play set, a suit of armor, and a bunch of other stuff. They had what appeared to be an episode of the Twilight Zone playing silently on a screen and a good selection of music in the background. Kalia, one of the founders, was working the register and talking to customers. I chatted with someone about next steps for a cyberpunk fan after Snow Crash and Neuromancer, and ended up recommending Charlie Stross to him. I myself picked up Gravity’s Rainbow, a collection of Dashiell Hammett, and Stross’ Accelerando.

After that, I wandered over to the Brooklyn Bridge Park and saw at least two wedding parties, then turned and headed back into Dumbo and nearly tripped over the rather oddly-named powerHouse Arena, the Dumbo storefront for the publisher powerHouse Books. An interesting store; almost a cross between a bookstore and an event space. Their we’re no shelves to speak of: their entire stock was arrayed on tables. I browsed, but didn’t buy anything, instead walking down the street to sit for a bit in Starbucks.

I walked up Front St. and hey, another bookstore! P.S. Bookshop is a medium-sized independent shop, with new and (mostly) used titles. I browsed lightly here; their emphasis, display-wise, is on large-format art books. However, in one of the corners, I found a trade copy of Warren Ellis’ Ministry of Space, which is one of the few Warren Ellis books I haven’t read yet. So I bought that and a nice Mucha poster for my apartment.

Then I got back on the F train and went home. I think I’ll make a pizza tonight.