Despite the downpour, the recent grand opening of The Twisted Spine, New York City’s first horror-centric bookstore and cafe was met with a crowd, including a line outside the door.
The Twisted Spine was originally conceived as a series of pop-ups by owners Lauren Komer and Jason Mellow, a former scientist and musician, respectively. The duo had not heard of a space where you can come together to celebrate tales of horror.
“Oftentimes in bookstores, it's common to have one or two shelves devoted to horror, but not an entire store,” Mellow said.
Komer agreed, noting how she hoped the new bookstore would become “a place where people are looking forward to being able to hang out and enjoy the spooky side of life.”
Through fundraisers and collaborations with The Brooklyn Horror Society and Nitehawk Cinema, the duo behind the bookstore, which opened on Sept. 6, was able to build a loyal cult following.
One couple, Ryan Degan and Laurel Handler-Vosen, said they initially discovered The Twisted Spine as an imprint featured at the Brooklyn Book Festival around a year ago and continued to follow the owners on Instagram.
“To get a new bookstore is awesome, and to have one with such a unique, cool concept, especially for a genre I love so much, is just awesome,” said Degan, who was especially excited about a new bookstore opening as a local bookstore had just closed near his home in Fort Greene.
A bookstore is a third space that’s not a bar or a restaurant, but a place where you can meet people and do things, said Handler-Vosen.
“I think it adds a lot of character to have someplace local where people can come and shop, and it's nice to not support Amazon and other big retailers too," she said.
Between the warm, cozy lighting, the black brick walls and leather reading chairs, The Twisted Spine, at 306 Grand St., offers Brooklyn its very own goth reading nook. The dark wood tables and shelves are stacked with titles, ranging from mainstream picks, like Stephen King classics, to indie press titles like CJ Leede’s Maeve Fly, to translated works like Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung.
There are also a variety of subgenres in their own sections, from translated works to comedy and more – and the owners are always happy to give recommendations.
For readers just starting to read horror, Komer recommends Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. “It's a good spooky tale and it's very accessible,” she said.
Fans who like something a little bit more extreme may like Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy Snyder, added Komer, who noted her personal love for cosmic horror titles.
Mellow recommends for people to come in and look for something that they don't necessarily think of as horror. “I think come and take a look at our selection. You'll find something you'll like.”
