Science-Fiction Service
The Science-Fiction Service was a mail-order book-selling business in the UK operated between 1937 and 1945 by Ted Carnell in London and Leslie J. Johnson in Liverpool. It was the first dedicated sf book-selling business in the UK.
A 1937 letterhead gives both Carnell's and Johnson's addresses although the name on the business is 'V. H. Johnson', Les Johnson's brother.
In 1938 they acquired premise in Liverpool's Houghton Street which also housed meetings of the Liverpool branch of the Science Fiction Association (SFA). A catalogue from December 1938 gives Carnell's name with Abe Bloom also of Liverpool as 'General Manager' although this time the name H. M. Crossen[1] appears rather than Johnson's.
Ron Holmes recalls that the Houghton Street premises was vacated around early 1940 when Johnson knew he was about to be called up for military service and 'I took on the job of dismantling the office and transferring all the books to [Johnson's] home.' After the War, Johnson restarted the business around 1947, initially as 'Science-Fantasy Publications (Incorporating "Outlands Publications")' and eventually morphing in to Milcross Book Service and from August 1956 'H. M. Johnson'.
Links
- Science-Fiction Service at fiawol.org.uk
- Milcross Book Service at fiawol.org.uk
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- ↑ Hilda Margaret Crossen, Johnson's then fiancee although they would marry in August 1939
| Store | 1937—1945 |
| This is an SF bookstore page. When a floreat "fl." is listed it records the dates for which we have evidence and may not be the store's entire span. |
