Posts Tagged ‘bookstore’
They’re Back!: The Return of the Uncles
All images by Carz Nelson By CARZ NELSON “I’m happy to be open,” says Don Blyly, owner of twin bookstores Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore and Uncle Edgar’s Mystery Bookstore - known collectively as “the Uncles”. When the bookstores were destroyed by looters during the George Floyd Uprising, many people assumed that Blyly would go into retirement and that would be the end of the Uncles. He smashed those expectations, relocating and rebuilding the stores in little more than two years. Blyly isn’t the only one glad to see the stores reopen. Naturally, the Uncles’ return is welcomed by their many fans in the city, the state, and around the world. Perhaps the most excited, however, is Echo - the store’s canine mascot. She has enthusiastically resumed her duties as store greeter. She’s sure to give you a wag of the tail if you stop by. The 5000 square foot building at 2716 East 31st Street is rich with character. Built in 1932, it features a WPA [...]
Down But Not Out: The Future of Uncle Hugo’s
By CARZ NELSON Don Blyly might reopen the Uncles. During the George Floyd uprising, twin retailers Uncle Hugo”™s Science Fiction and Uncle Edgar”™s Mystery Bookstores were burned to the ground. The loss of these neighborhood institutions was deeply felt. Hugo”™s is the oldest science fiction bookstore in the country; its importance to the science fiction community can”™t be overstated. The two stores, known collectively as the Uncles, routinely attracted customers from all over the Upper Midwest. Don Blyly (photo credit: Light Grey Podcast) Blyly started Uncle Hugo”™s in 1974; the original location was at Fourth and Franklin Avenues. The companion store, Edgar”™s, opened in 1980. The bookstores relocated to 2864 Chicago Avenue in 1984; they were fixtures in the Phillips neighborhood for 36 years. Deciding whether to reopen the stores won”™t be easy. At 70 years young, many assumed owner [...]
