Mysterious Galaxy is an independent genre bookstore that is passionate about creating and maintaining a community of readers, authors, and booksellers.

Welcome!

Welcome to Mysterious Galaxy -- books of Martians, Murder, Magic and Mayhem (with occasional Masks, Matchmaking, and Munchkins). We are physically a specialty genre store in Southern California with a focus on SF, Fantasy, Mystery, Suspense, and Horror. Here on the web we offer a whole world of book choices, some physically on our shelves, some immediately available for your ebook reader, and many more available for special order!

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Being a part of your literary community means offering more than just great books. Mysterious Galaxy is committed to regular in-store events with authors, book discussion groups, and other special events and celebrations.

Tue, 05/21/2013 - 10:00am

A selection of books that go on sale this week, most on Tuesday May 21st.                Check with staff if you have questions.  You can also purchase many of the below in eBook format. Just click the title to see if an eBook is available for that title. (Thanks to Kobo, most ebooks are now available for pre-sale.)                  Happy Reading!                 Signed titles may arrive later in the month. Contact the staff to reserve a copy. 

Wed, 05/22/2013 - 6:45pm

Chaperoned by Danny Harris. What’s a Book Blind Date you ask? It’s a chance to meet new people and win fantastic prizes! Danny will be chaperoning this fun event. Here’s how it works: We have a selection of books in four of the major genres we carry: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery and Horror. When you sign up, you select a book from your favorite genre. We take all the names of our participants and randomly match you up by book/genre in teams for game night. Hilarity ensues. The winning team takes home the Grand Prize. And registered contestants get 10% off of your purchases during the event. This event is for all ages, and...

Wed, 05/22/2013 - 7:00pm

Starship Century contains both fiction and non-fiction writings and essays on ideas from beam driven sails to weird physics to nuclear fission as we reach for the stars. Co-editors Gregory Benford and James Benford, and contributors Robert Zubrin, Peter Schwartz, Allen Steele, Neal Stephenson, Geoff Landis, Freeman Dyson, John Cramer, Joe Haldeman, David Brin, Vernor Vinge, and Ian Crawford will discuss plans to launch a ship to the stars. Participants may change subject to availability. Contact staff for updates.     Starship Century Anthology   Starship ...

Thu, 05/23/2013 - 4:00pm

      Mysterious Galaxy looks forward to seeing readers and authors Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr, Terry Brooks,Peter David, Delilah S. Dawson, Kevin Hearne, Leanna Renee Hieber, C.J. Hill, Gini Koch, Tom Leveen, Jeffrey J. Mariotte, Shannon Messenger,  Mike Mignola,Alexandra Monir, Joseph Nassise, Kris Neri, James A. Owens, Aprilynne Pike, Cherie Priest, Melanie Rawn, Adam Rex, Marsheila Rockwell, Brandon Sanderson, John Scalzi, Janni Lee Simner, Shawn Speakman, Michael Stackpole, David Lee Summers, Sam Sykes, Greg van Eekhout, Suzanne Young, Timothy Zahn and more.  Mysterious Galaxy will be in booth #2411. Please...

Thu, 05/23/2013 - 7:00pm

The San Diego Book Discussion Group is led by Fearless Leader Christine. The May 23rd discussion focuses on Lauren Beukes' Zoo City. Participation is open to all readers; readers need not have completed a particular book to attend – it’s the perfect opportunity for readers to branch out and find new favorites!        Don't forget, attendees receive 20% off the current group selection!

Our publishers are kind enough to send us Signed First Editions for non-touring authors' works. To see a complete list of Signed First editions, check the menu for signed first editions by genre.

The Black Country (Hardcover)

$26.95
ISBN-13: 9780399159336
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Putnam Adult, 6/2013
Received in San Diego on May 16th!

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Check out what we (MG staff and friends) have recently read and enjoyed.

The Human Division (Hardcover)

$25.99
ISBN-13: 9780765333513
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Tor Books, 5/2013

 

From Our May Newsletter

Speculative Fiction

John Scalzi is a cannibal. Not that he eats the flesh of other humans (so far as I know); but he “use[s] or draw[s] on material of (as another writer or an earlier work)” (Merriam-Webster, cannibalize). As he did with Fuzzy Nation, Red Shirts, and Zoe's Tale, Scalzi has drawn on existing work or ideas to create something wholly new and absorbing. Published online as a three-month digital serial from January to April, 2013, The Human Division is now available as a hardcover. It follows the exploits of Lieutenant Harry Wilson of the Colonial Union (CU) as he deals with other sentient beings in an often-violent, competitive universe (the same universe of Old Man’s War). What this series of thirteen loosely linked episodes (and two extras) brings to mind is the brilliant and funny Retief tales of Keith Laumer. Scalzi even incorporates the satirical humor that characterized most of Retief’s exploits (see especially, Episode 7: The Dog King). These stories are all told against a background that sees the CU in conflict with Earth, as well as with a confederation of alien civilizations that is trying to pull Earth into its alliance against the CU. Assigned as a representative of the Colonial Defense Forces under the authority of various ambassadors and other politicians, Lieutenant Wilson often has to outthink (and sometimes outfight) not only his alien foes but also his own, sometimes thick-headed, fellow humans. These are immensely enjoyable stories—serious yet often laugh-out-loud funny. Highly recommended.

–Guest Reviewer Terry Hertzler  

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