Mysterious Galaxy Celebrates 10 Years of Martians, Murder, Magic, and More

Martians, murder, magic, and mayhem are thriving in California. On May 10, Mysterious Galaxy, the purveyors of the aforementioned, celebrated 10 years of bookselling as San Diego's only mystery, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and suspense specialty bookstore.

Co-owners Terry Gilman, Jeff Mariotte, and Maryelizabeth Hart invited customers and surrounding businesses for an all-day birthday bash. The party featured author readings and giveaways of certificates to the local Soup Plantation, Game Empire!, and Starbucks, which the shops had donated to the cause. Among other writers, author Charlaine Harris read from one of her gothic vampire romance mysteries, and Michael Connelly discussed his latest Hieronymus Bosch novel.

MG, as the store is known to its following, often hosts notable community events. Along with its annual birthday parties and regular author readings, Hart said, "Something else we've been doing quite a bit of in the community lately is hosting writing workshops."

One mystery writing workshop included a local FBI agent, and Carolyn Wheat, a defense attorney and writing instructor, will discuss ideas in her How to Write Killer Fiction: The Funhouse of Mystery & the Roller Coaster of Suspense (Daniel & Daniel)at an upcoming event.

MG also hosts biweekly reading groups, which rotate through the bookstore’s different genres.

Over the years, Mysterious Galaxy has moved twice. The store has been in its present 1,800-square-foot location in central San Diego since April 2000. The last change was a good one. "We've seen approximately a 15 percent growth per year since our most recent move," said Hart. She credits her loyal customer base for more than just an increase in sales. Hart mentioned that MG shoppers actually "helped me move from one store to the next and had me open for business the same day."

Store Manager Patrick Heffernan, Owner Terry Gilman, Owner/Publicity Manager Maryelizabeth Hart, Owner/Author Jeff Mariotte, Inventory Manager Linda Tonnesen, and Buyer Elizabeth Baldwin, getting ready to blow out the candles on the 10th anniversary cakes.

That kind of anticipated customer appreciation was what motivated the triumvirate of MG owners to open a science fiction, mystery bookstore. "In late '92, early '93, Terry, Jeff, and I talked about how San Diego had no sci-fi/mystery bookstores," said Hart. "We said the community needed to have a place where people could get books they loved, where they could talk about Orson Scott Card and Robert Crais."

Specializing helped Mysterious Galaxy contend with the larger chain bookstores. Hart explained that the store is "competing by doing something different. [The store's goal] is not being a little to everyone, but being a lot of a particular genre to people who are passionate about it."

Hart also attributed some of MG's recent gains to Book Sense: "It's the best thing that's happened to independent booksellers in ages. It helps create a national presence, but we've still got a ways to go to stop people from having a knee-jerk reaction in thinking there's only one online source [for books]. Part of what we do here is try to spread the word. We suggest that authors link to BookSense.com from their Web sites."

She said that her husband, Mariotte, who's a writer (Mirror Image, Pulse) has "all his [Web sites] linked to BookSense.com." MG keeps all the Book Sense bestseller lists at the front of the store. "We have our focus, but we can get anything," said Hart. The store keeps both a display of the Science Fiction/Fantasy Book Sense bestseller list to the right of the front door and a nearby table stacked with the bestsellers.

Summing up her years of bookselling, Hart said she's been "extraordinarily fortunate to have spent the last 10 years doing what I love for a living. I look forward to many more years." -- Karen Schechner