And now here's another beloved Bay Area bookstore that has collapsed because of the internet.
Berkeleyside brings us the sad news that Berkeley's sci-fi and comic book store Dark Carnival plans to close its doors. Owner Jack Rems describes himself as "heartbroken" but declining sales prohibit the store from staying open for business. Dark Carnival's sister store down the block, The Escapist, will stay open as long as sales can support it.
Numerous authors and sci-fi enthusiasts are chiming in on what the loss means for Berkeley and for similar stores in general. Former Escapist store manager Chris Juricich lamented, "I'm sad for the loss of the store to the community and no one could ever blame Jack for not having applied his intelligence and passion to its continued survival, but, much like the business of comic book retail, selling reading matter is an uphill climb."
Rems doesn't know exactly when Dark Carnival will close its door at 3086 Claremont Avenue for the final time. As for now, the shop remains open with its entire inventory on sale for 20% off.
"On my first morning in the neighborhood, back in April 1997, Dark Carnival was my first stop," very famous Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon tells Berkeleyside. "Then as now, I considered it, along with Star Grocery, to be one of the chief glories of the Elmwood District. I bought a paperback copy of one of Gordon R. Dickson's Dorsai novels and struck up a conversation with the remarkable Jack Rems that has lasted ever since... I'm just devastated by the news."
Dark Carnival's business has struggled before. In December of 2013, Rems reached out to customers asking them to come shop and keep the store alive. Whatever response Dark Carnival received seems to have been a temporary fix. Unless a superhero comes to save the day, Dark Carnival is not long for this world.
Is anyone else fondly remembering Ray's Occult right now?
Related: Another SF Bookstore Bites The Dust: Books Inc. In The Castro
