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"There is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on." |
In 1793, science fiction bookseller Nigel Ketter, facing massive legal action and an unprecedented public outcry (see The London Times for June 15th, 1793), sailed for Boston with several tons of collectible monster magazines and rarer-than-rare Arkham House titles. Upon reaching the New World, he made plans to travel south and set up a small book shop in the Caribbean (trading books for rum). Nigel accidentally confused North for South and ended up the arctic wilderness of Minnesota (see photo). He managed to survive by burning old Fanthorpe paperbacks for heat and by hunting (bashing) ice weasels and snow voles with the "Encyclopedia of Science Fiction." He waited. He advertised. He waited some more.
Settlers settled. The city grew.
But alas! No one had anything to read.
Thus (and finally!), in 1977, enterprising descendant Greg Ketter, sensing the needs of the public, opened his first store in Minneapolis.
The DreamHaven Empire had begun.
What a lovely store. Bookstore tourism for life. Okay, let's review: Shakespeare & Co. for when you are in New York and DreamHaven for when you find yourself in Minnesota. Are bookseller exchange programs a thing?
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