The Star Wars Pop-Up Library at Changi Airport may have wrapped up back in January, but the National Library Board (NLB) has another treat for sci-fi fans. The new Sci-Fi Pop-up Library at Parkway Parade is NLB’s 1st fully self-service library that also doubles as an exhibition space, with almost 4,000 books for readers of all ages to borrow.
Image credit: @publiclibrarysg via Instagram
It’s part of NLB’s Nodes initiative, a series of curated pop-up spaces that bring books, exhibitions, and learning experiences beyond traditional library walls. These pop-ups often appear in places we already frequent, including shopping malls like Parkway Parade.
For this edition, NLB has teamed up with The Imaginariad, an organisation “dedicated to celebrating and preserving the legacy of speculative fiction” – the broad genre of stories that explore “what if” scenarios beyond our everyday reality. Sci-fi, of course, is one of its most well-known subgenres.
Step through the entrance decked out in green neon lights, and it’ll feel like you’ve entered a portal to the future.
Image adapted from: @publiclibrarysg via Instagram
Inside, you’ll find Singapore 2126 illustrations imagining what life here could look like a century from now. They were created by Singapore-based artist Kristal Melson, and the artworks reimagine familiar icons in a futuristic light – there’s Marina Bay Sands as an alien-like mothership ready for liftoff, and even the Merlion taking flight.
You’ll also get to admire book cover art up close, featuring original paintings from sci-fi novels. Keep an eye out for other artworks and figures spanning across space opera, dystopian, and cyberpunk worlds from The Imaginariad’s own collection as well.
Image adapted from: @publiclibrarysg via Instagram
Bring your kiddos along, as a collection of close to 4,000 English sci-fi books, graphic novels, and comics awaits readers of all ages.
Image credit: @nlbsingapore via Instagram
And if you’re curious about how sci-fi has taken off in Singapore, there’s also a showcase highlighting its local growth, featuring works by homegrown authors for you to discover.
Image credit: @nlbsingapore via Instagram
Entry is free, and there are a few ways to get in:
Sci-fi might still feel like it belongs far, far off in the future, but this pop-up gives you a sneak peek of what could be waiting just around the corner. And maybe you just need a library visit to catch a glimpse of it.
Admission: Free
Date: Now till 11th Apr 2027
Time: 10am-10pm, Daily
Venue: Level 4, Parkway Parade
More articles for bookworms:
Cover image adapted from: @publiclibrarysg & @nlbsingapore via Instagram
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