Star Wars Shopping: The Shops Are Open Again!

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 A different kind of post today, but I was feeling inspired, so let me know what you think.

The lockdown in the UK lifted yesterday and so non-essential shops are allowed to open again, and we ventured out for the first time today. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, in Waterstones I was disappointed to not find any of the High Republic books, the new Dr Aphra or Skywalker: A Family At War books. However I did find The Star Wars Archives Episodes IV-VI 1977-1983 from Taschen which I hadn’t realized had been published in a smaller more affordable ‘40th Anniversary’ edition in February, at £20 I was very tempted and may still go back for it. But I as it turned out I was very glad I didn’t buy it, due to what happened next.


On our way home I decided to go into ‘Books-On-Sea’ a secondhand book store just about 100ft from our front door, I hadn’t been in before as we only moved into our apartment late last summer and we’ve been in and out of lockdown ever since.


The store is very well put together and attractive, with easy to navigate sections and the science fiction and fantasy section was downstairs. I was quickly able to find the Star Wars section and although I mainly focus on the new canon titles they had some vintage SW books that immediately caught my eye!


I immediately picked out the original novelisations of the Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back as well as the first original novel Splinter of the Minds Eye from 1978 by Alan Dean Foster, all for a combined total of £7.50! Returning upstairs to check out, I got talking to the friendly owner who told me that they were first few books of a big collection that she’d just got in and in a few days the rest would be out on the shelves! 


I came away with three vintage Star Wars paperbacks clutched in my excited hands and a sense of connection to my local community that has been missing the last few months. It just goes to show what you can find if you shop local and support your local independent stores.

Jonny O


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