The Twisted Spine opens NYC’s first horror bookstore in Brooklyn

A new specialty bookstore dedicated to horror has opened in Brooklyn, marking New York City’s first devoted horror bookseller. The Twisted Spine offers more than 1,500 titles, spanning from Dracula and Frankenstein to The Haunting of Hill House, and it pairs its shelves with a cafe and a night-time beer and wine bar. The owners describe the space as a cozy, study-like refuge for readers who want to linger, discuss, and discover—rather than a jump-scare retail theater.

The store opened in Williamsburg this month after a year of evolving plans and a community-driven push to turn a pop-up concept into a brick-and-mortar destination. Grand opening events on September 6 drew a line down the block, with some customers waiting up to two hours to enter. The demand has only intensified since then, the owners said. The venture began as a pop-up operation last September, and a Kickstarter that raised about 40,000 dollars helped momentum toward a permanent home. The founders—Jason Mellow and Lauren Komer—are life partners who live in Manhattan’s Two Bridges neighborhood and decided last year that New York needed a dedicated horror bookstore.

The shop’s layout artfully organizes titles into subcategories that run from Horror 101 and comic horror to folk horror and even splatterpunk, a label for the genre’s most extreme offerings. Co-owner Komer, a scientist by training, said horror fans appreciate a space that makes room for both newcomers and connoisseurs: there is something for every level of fear. The emphasis on curation reflects a belief that the audience for spine-tingling reads is broad and growing. The ambiance reinforces the intent: the store aims for a cozy, mysterious feel with a fireplace and ample seating, steering away from the feel of a Halloween shop that jumps out to startle visitors. Every coffee cup is served in a skull-themed vessel, and the cafe adds a comforting cadence to long reading sessions.

The Twisted Spine also features an in-house cafe with year-round Eternal Pumpkin Spice lattes and themed pastries, plus a beer and wine bar at night. The combination of coffee, cocktails, and literature aims to create a genuine third space—a place beyond home and work where readers can gather, talk shop, or simply decompress with a book in hand. The owners say their goal is to foster community, noting that post-pandemic realities have left a dearth of venues where people can sit, read, and meet face to face at any hour. The shop’s layout, with its intimate nooks and a dedicated children’s corner, is designed to welcome families alongside serious readers and casual browsers alike.

The Twisted Spine’s community orientation extends beyond its shelves. The owners have announced partnerships with cultural institutions to broaden engagement with the horror genre. One anticipated program is a children’s Scary Story Time, developed in collaboration with the Brooklyn Public Library, signaling a belief that the genre can be accessible to younger readers in age-appropriate formats. The shop plans to host events with international bestselling authors and to curate mystery movie nights and silent book clubs, appealing to a wide cross-section of fans who want to connect around a shared passion. The scale of upcoming events has already exceeded initial capacity projections; a recent author panel had to be moved to a brewery that could accommodate nearly 200 RSVPs in a short time, underscoring the format’s popularity and the space’s appeal as a community hub.

The Twisted Spine’s customer base spans both horror newcomers and seasoned readers, according to Komer. The store’s multi-tiered approach—careful shelving, an inviting cafe, and regular programming—helps reinforce the idea that horror literature can be a gateway to broader reading and deeper discussions about morality, resilience, and the human experience. Komer argues that horror’s enduring appeal lies in its willingness to challenge readers and reflect real-world anxieties, noting that interest in the genre tends to rise during periods of political and social unrest. While the shelves hold some of the most notorious names in the field, the shop’s ethos is about connection as much as fright.

The Twisted Spine’s opening has been widely interpreted as a sign of the continued vitality of culture-driven retail in New York City. Its founders say the project has thrived thanks to a community that has embraced a focused, genre-specific space as a legitimate cultural venue. They view the store as a living, evolving project—one that will continue to expand in response to reader demand, author visits, and collaborative events with nearby cultural institutions. The brick-and-mortar presence also serves as a test bed for new titles and formats, potentially shaping how horror literature is marketed and discussed in urban settings.

As the owners prepare for a slate of upcoming author appearances, film screenings, and children’s programming, they also acknowledge the economic realities of running a brick-and-mortar bookshop in a city with high rents. The line cited by Komer about NYC rent being a real horror underscores a broader sense of humor about a city that remains a magnet for readers and writers alike but demands strategic partnerships and community support to sustain niche ventures. In a landscape where digital reads and large retailers dominate, The Twisted Spine positions itself as a curated, social, and tactile alternative—a place where a reader might spend an afternoon selecting a novel, meet a fellow horror aficionado, or simply relax with a cup of coffee in a skull mug while a storm rages outside.