Space Crime Continuum Changing Places

Nine-year-old Space Crime Continuum in Northampton, Mass., one of the few double-genre bookstores—specializing in both science fiction and mystery—moved at the end of April. "We're going 400 meters southeast, or into the 21st century," said game creator Chris Aylott, who co-owns the store with his wife, Deb Tomaselli. "We're changing the way we think about ourselves and becoming a general bookstore."

Actually, like any good bookstore, Space Crime Continuum has been evolving since it was founded in 1995. Over the years, it's added games and graphic novel sections, as well as history, science and travel, to its product mix. In the new space, Aylott and Tomaselli are planning to also add cooking and general fiction.

"Everyone thinks the new store is bigger," said Aylott, noting that, actually, the 1,600-sq.-ft. space is slightly smaller. "But we'll have more useable space and there is more parking. And it's a new building," he added. Other changes include a dedicated area for author events. Aylott figures that kids can use the events area to play board games at other times.

Although Aylott acknowledged that it was "a bit of a gamble" to move a thriving business to a new building that is still looking for tenants and to change the inventory, he said that it's important to "widen out. We're very fond of The Apprentice, and one of the themes is, 'You've got to think big.' We're trying to apply that. You fail just as much if you think small."

Customers and friends helped the owners pack the store, while professional movers handled the rest. Aylott and Tomaselli worked hard to keep the store open as long, and as disruption-free, as possible before the move. "We were open, but packing on April 25. We're normally closed on Monday, so we moved on that day and reopened in the new space on the [next day]," said Aylott. The first event, a reading by Karen Joy Fowler from her new novel, The Jane Austen Club, took place the following Saturday, on May 1.