Calgary adds dark fiction to its plethora of niche book stores
Emma Voelpel, Staff Writer
Although romance book stores have been slowly popping up throughout the city, there’s now a store with books more haunting than picturesque.
In the heart of Calgary’s own Marda Loop, a bookstore with a particular brand has opened for those who love the horror genre.
Nocturne Books is a space for those with an interest in all things dark fiction.
The owners, Scott Ross-Molyneux and Allison Iriye, opened the store as a facet of their love of horror.
“I think it’s not a surprise given that I grew up around books all the time,” says Iriye. “I was very attached to things like Goosebumps and Nightmare Before Christmas.”
Typical run-of-the-mill bookstores rarely make space for grittier novels. With the husband-and-wife duo both being horror fanatics, it only made sense to have a store where people who share that same passion can easily find books.
Nocturne Books Logos. Courtesy of Nocturne Books website.
“The books you’re really looking for are either special order, or they’re all sold out or the store won’t even bring them in,” says Ross-Molyneux. “ The horror novels or the dark fiction get mixed in with everything else.”
The store had its grand opening in November, which had a major turnout. The weekend saw people crowding in the store from open to close, looking at authors such as Grady Hendrix, Freida McFadden, and of course, Stephen King.
“I’ve never owned a retail store before, so I had no idea what to expect in my mind,” says Ross-Molyneux.
The store isn’t the first of its kind, however, and it won’t be the last. Single-genre book stores have been quietly gaining popularity across Canada over the past few years. Little Ghosts in Toronto and Raven’s End in Winnipeg also cater to horror-obsessed book lovers.
For Calgary, stores such as Slow Burn Books and The Forbidden Library both offer selections for romance. There’s even Serafini Books, a private bookstore that holds a collection of classic literature.
As people begin to reject retail chains in favour of smaller and quainter spaces, Alberta has seen a drive for the opening of independent bookstores.
“For me, it’s refreshing thinking about buying a book and selling a book,” says Ross-Molyneux. “It’s just such a simple and eternal concept.”
Nocturne Books is just the tip of the iceberg. With the interest in the single-genre bookstore rising, businesses such as theirs will only continue to gain popularity.
While their Toronto and Winnipeg counterparts offer subscription boxes as well as Canada-wide shipping, Iriye and Ross-Molyneux want to keep the integrity of having a physical location. They hope to expand to bigger stores and even resell used books in the future.
“There is something really exciting about taking a journey, going somewhere, buying something, then having the excitement build while you drive the thing home,” says Ross-Molyneux. “To me, that’s a really beautiful experience.”
Horror stories are a way of understanding the world around us—they’re a means of learning about threats and how to perceive and react to them. Nocturne Books is looking to create a space for people to access those teachings.
“Reading a horror novel or watching a horror movie is not inherently unsafe,” says Ross-Molyneux. “It gives people a safe space to explore some of the terrifying things in life.”
