40 Years with Uncle Hugo

I don't do plugs for businesses or products.  You eat/drink/watch what you like and I shall do the same.  I have been blogging on schedule for three years now and have yet to do a "Top Ten List" of anything.  But today I have to make a rare exception and encourage those geographically able to visit a remarkable establishment.

Welcome to Uncle Hugo's Science Fiction Bookstore (and its companion Uncle Edgar's).  This is, or ought to be, a National Treasure.  It is said to be the longest surviving SciFi bookstore in America and in fact celebrated its 40th anniversary earlier this month.  It is in Minneapolis so I don't get over as often as I would like, but the selection of new and used books is outstanding.  At least I assume the new books are, I go there for the bargain used paperbacks.  And I could spend an entire afternoon browsing the stacks.  And boxes.  And piles.

Great stuff when you have upcoming travels.  Transatlantic flights and occasional bouts of inclement weather do require appropriate reading material.

The whole place has a sort of "underground comix" vibe to it.  Good people are running this store. And serious SciFi fans.  Did you notice the sign out front?  Lets pick up a little detail shot...

500 Nerd Points if you called it.  Yep, it is Tybo the Carrot!  Huh? say you non point winners, who?

In the cheesy 1960s show "Lost in Space" the special effects budget was just sufficient to have the villain of the week wear a rubber suit and try to not look ridiculous.  In the absolute nadir of the show - and perhaps of Western Civilization - there was a February 1968 episode entitled The Great Vegetable Rebellion.  In it the "Space Family Robinson" was imperiled by sentient plants led by.....Tybo.

The actor subjected to this indignity was a certain Stanley Adams.  Adams was one of those work horse character actors in the day of classic TV.  He appeared in virtually every show produced from the late 50s to the early 70s.  5,000 Nerd Points if you can name his memorable role in the original Star Trek series...

Didn't get it?  Don't feel bad.  Even I am not that far beyond the realm of normal human society.  But I have no doubt that the good folks at Uncle Hugo's would have nailed it.

Cyrano Jones, the guy responsible for infesting the U.S.S. Enterprise with Tribbles!