Forbidden Planet

Shopping, Bookshops Covent Garden
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Forbidden Planet

Self-confessed geeks (and otherwise) get together at London’s mega-store for sci-fi, fantasy and comic-related books and memorabilia. Forbidden Planet stocks thousands of books – covering science fiction, animation, graphic arts, computer games, film, horror, sport, superheroes, and more – as well as a huge range of graphic novels, from classic Marvel comics, to obscure small publishers from around the world, to Viz manuals. The store also stocks a good number of signed books, as well as a huge range of DVDs, action figures, posters, clothing, games, and other genre-related merchandise. What’s more, author events take place here regularly. A first port-of-call for Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who obsessives.

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Venue name: Forbidden Planet
Contact:
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Address: 179 Shaftesbury Avenue
London
WC2H 8JR
Opening hours: Open 10am-7pm Mon-Wed, Fri; 10am-8pm Thur; noon-6pm Sun
Transport: Tube: Covent Garden/Tottenham Court Rd
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Average User Rating

4.1 / 5

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star:3
  • 4 star:4
  • 3 star:0
  • 2 star:1
  • 1 star:0
LiveReviews|9
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tastemaker

Yet another afternoon spent sifting through shelves and shelves of comics, deciding whether I could justify spending all of my bank overdraft on the new series that I have been desperate to read or basically the entirety of the glass cabinet of trinkets, statuettes and so many other things as you walk into the shop.

This shop. Needs. A. Warning. If you are a keen follower of any fandom or go in with someone that has a particular nerdy obsession, be prepared. You will spend hours in here, or at least your rent for the next 3 months. It is really hard to not buy anything from here and you will definitely have your Christmas list sorted.

I have yet to go to one, but they often hold many events for their comic book section downstairs- particularly signings and if you can’t make the event itself, they will often have signed copies of comics/books leftover!

It is expensive, and you may be able to find the same things if you shop around but it is not the same as the experience of being in the shop and I guarantee you will see something that you have never seen before!


This is an excellent place to shop for gifts for the people you know who love pop culture.  The top floor has toys and novelty items but the best bit is below where they have a large selection of comics, trade paperbacks, and books.  They also have regular book signings which are good to go to, though fair warning, the queue sometime goes around the building for some of the more popular authors like Neil Gaiman. The staff know quite a bit and have helped me find the perfect gift when I've been overwhelmed by the selection.

Staff Writer

Such a good shop for little gifts and geeking out. Great book selection, awesome toys. A little over priced but it really does fire up the nerd in you.

Tastemaker

I wouldn't call this a shop but a museum for all my geekness.

If you are a fan of superman to Harry Potter or Doctor who to game of thrones without forgetting Star wars and TMNT then this is the place for you!

You will feel like a kid again!

Tastemaker

Whenever my brothers visits London, they go to FP before they see me. One time my youngest didn't even tell me he was here so that he could spend more time gawking at comic books. In fairness this place ALWAYS has what you're looking for, from limited editions to obscure figurines. They do celebrity signings every few months as well. 

Tastemaker

Forbidden Planet has a wide selection of items relating to popular culture - from Aliens to Spiderman, Zelda to Ghostbusters - rest assured that if you want it, they will have it.


Although the prices can seem a bit steep, owning items which are often made with incredible detail is well worth it. 


Whether you are a tourist or a fan of novelty stuff, this is the place to go.


My favorite shop where it's allowed to be an adult in a childish universe.

Tastemaker

This is a bit of a zoo, where crowds can be manic and the action figures + novelty items crowd out space for books. Even browsing the comic section at Waterstone's is a more pleasant experience.


I love Forbidden Planet. It is so easy to lose time here and so hard not to buy loads of stuff!