Did you make it to LuxCon the weekend of 18-19 April? Did you see all the Boba Fetts, Demon Slayers, and the Manga and Disney characters at the Forum Geesseknappchen, and meet fantasy and sci-fi writers, artists, collectors and cosplayers?

Like every year, I went to get my geek on. I love walking among Furries and Jedis and princesses and wondering what they do after the convention - sitting at desk jobs or serving fries? How cool that they can reveal this side of themselves for at least a weekend, and how cool that people can, through their passions and imaginations, live multiple lives.

That’s what I love most about this alternative universe. It’s not just a peek into the worlds created by the likes of Lucas and Tolkien, but into the world of people who love these worlds enough to make them part of their lives and even part of their identity.

I walked out with a bagful of books, after chatting with Darth Vader, hugging the Lorax, and getting trounced in an old arcade game. I also walked out with a desire to continue my exploration into this realm known as sci fi and fantasy.

LuxCon need not be the final frontier. Luxembourg’s annual sci-fi and fantasy festival is the mother ship, the place where both die-hard fans and the sci-fi curious commune. But beyond the mother ship, there’s a whole galaxy of sci-fi docking stations to explore, even in the small universe of Luxembourg.

Fortunately, several places in Luxembourg are obvious destinations for anyone wanting to journey deeper into this genre.

Fantasybox in Merl was first on the scene, celebrating its 25^th anniversary last year. Spending time in the densely packed store is like going on a treasure hunt – you can shimmy through small passageways, push back secret doors and slide open panels. It really is a trove, and incredibly diverse – I left with a graphic novel and a Beatrix Potter book.

Right up with Fantasybox on the roster of well-charted planets is Le Reservoir. Tucked in a street passage, it’s a sprawling oasis with several floors. And since it’s conveniently in the city centre, it’s where teens spend their allowance and buy birthday gifts, but it’s not just for kids. It appeals to all ages, and like Lux Con itself, it’s a place to connect. They even host regular Pokémon tournaments!

Another planet on our chart is the Manga Factory near the Gare. While it’s known as a Manga bonanza, there’s some fringe merch too, with items from everything from Stranger Things to Assassin’s Creed.

Continuing our quest doesn’t require seeking out specialty stores – we can head to any of the city’s bookstores.

Tanya at Ernster’s English bookstore says their separate sci-fi bookcase has always been popular. She sells a copy of Pierce Brown’s 2014 novel, Red Rising, every single day, and her own favourite even predates that – Douglas Adam’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Among new books, she recommends Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary to both devoted sci-fi fans and newcomers, and like that it pits man against the environment rather than an ‘evil entity’. When she adds that it’s also funny, I say, “ring me up, Scotty!”

At Alinea, I chat with Lara, who holds up her personal favourite, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Near us, there’s a timely sign, given the recent news and how Atwood’s dystopian novel is starting to feel prophetic: ‘’The Post-Apocalyptical fiction section has been moved to Current Affairs.’ What Lara loves about Atwood’s book is that against all odds, the narrator never gives up. Offred might be an atypical ‘heroine’, but the gal’s got guts!

While it’s wonderful to support local shops, you don’t have to spend a single cent to embark on a fantasy trip. The city library has shelves full of sci fi, fantasy, graphic novels, manga, audio books and DVDs - and with a free library card, you can check out four books at a go.

What’s with all the bookstores? Aren’t they too tame for our exploration? In fact, nothing could be more fitting, since sci fi as we know it started with a magazine published by the ‘Father of Sci Fi’ - the Luxembourger Hugo Gernsback.

Gernsback moved to the US just as making paper and printing were becoming cheaper and ‘pulp fiction’ was born. Gernsback, a science geek, hopped on this bandwagon and started publishing his magazine, Amazing Stories, in 1926. He first filled its pages with the works of renowned writers - H. G. Wells, Verne, Asimov - but soon widened the playing field by commissioning stories from unknowns, giving rise to a whole new breed of writers.

He left another legacy too – the graphic artwork gracing his magazine covers have shaped the aesthetics of sci fi.

A century on, Amazing Stories is still going strong. Its undying popularity, and that of LuxCon and the many sci-fi shops and book sections in Luxembourg, should give you fair warning – once you enter this universe, you might not ever return!