The Other Change of Hobbit
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The Other Change of Hobbit bookstore started off in Berkeley in 1977, opening the same weekend as Star Wars. Specializing in science fiction and fantasy books, it's been the site of many interesting events over the years. Dave Nee and Tom Whitmore along with Debbie Notkin were the original partners. Debbie gracefully left after 18 years, only occasionally poking her nose in since then.
There have been hundreds of signings over the many years of the store's life including Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin, Tanya Huff, Clive Barker, Terry Pratchett, Roger Zelazny, Anne McCaffrey, Harlan Ellison, C. J. Cherryh, Jane Fancher, Katherine Kurtz, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Joe Haldeman, Poul Anderson, Karen Anderson, Gordon Dickson, Octavia Butler, Thomas M. Disch, Michael Bishop, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, David Brin, Joanna Russ, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Madeleine L'Engle, Leo Dillion, Diane Dillon, Vonda N. McIntyre, Jane Yolen, Greg Kihn, Cecelia Holland, Kim Stanley Robinson, Peter S. Beagle, Pat Murphy, Lois McMaster Bujold, Sean Stewart, Cory Doctorow, David Weber, Terri Windling, Laurell K. Hamilton, Brian Froud, R. A. Salvatore, and John Varley. In the back room of the store there are three different boards with all those signatures and doodles on them.
Between Tom, Dave, Jan and Lori (the current staffers) they have well over 100 years experience in reading and selling science fiction. This occasionally means questions like 'I don't remember the author or the title but the cover was blue' actually works out to the happy reader walking out with an answer and often times, the book in question.
In one of the display windows of the store we have Poul Anderson's typewriter and desk. It was donated by his wife, Karen Anderson after Poul's death in 2001. Also in the window is Tom Whitmore's Hugo Award for co-chairing Worldcon in 2001.
The store itself is three stories, in a building built around 1905. Upstairs, better known to the staff as Shelob's lair is the store office, the main street level is the selling floor with its thousands of books and Dave's toy collection. Downstairs is the basement storage with thousands more books. All told, the store database has over 20,000 unique titles that have been cataloged in the store's history.
Store History
The three partners had formed The Portable Bookstore in 1974 to sell books to members of The Elves', Gnomes', and Little Men's Science Fiction, Chowder, and Marching Society. While selling books at Westercon in 1976, Sherry Gottlieb, founder of A Change of Hobbit (then in Westwood, later in Santa Monica, California), suggested that they open a brick-and-mortar store in Berkeley. This was the kick in the pants they needed.
Originally hidden away in the ground floor mall off of Telegraph Avenue, the store moved to its current location on Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley, California in 1993.
It's one of the earliest science fiction websites in existence, having come online in January 1995.
Event Signings
2006
- August Mary Ann Mohanraj
- May John Picacio
- April Jane Lindskold
2005
- November Terry Bisson and Paul Park
- November George R. R. Martin
- October R. A. Salvatore
- October John Ringo
- October Ellen Steiber
- September Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
- June Lois McMaster Bujold
- April Robert Charles Wilson and Robert J. Sawyer
- January Kage Baker
2004
- July Gregg Rickman
- May Adam Connell
Store Cats
The most recent store cat was Shagrat, a lovely fluffy gray rescue who lived at the store from 1994 to 2005.
One of the other cats is Shelob.