Since 2021

Our story

Off Planet Books & Puzzles is an independent Iowa bookstore and puzzle shop founded in 2021 by Bill Claman, a US Air Force Desert Storm veteran who never stopped looking up.

Bill is also an author. His book Hungry For Mars? Here's Your Menu! How And What You Will Eat On Mars takes a serious, fun look at feeding people on another planet. That mix of real curiosity and a sense of play is the whole idea behind the shop.

We sell new and remainder books on witchcraft and magic, mythology, horror, fantasy, science fiction and mystery, plus jigsaw puzzles, board games, and activity and coloring books. Remainder books are brand new publisher overstock, which means you get unread copies at a friendlier price.

We also run a Featured Author program that gives independent writers of the strange and wonderful a place on our shelves.

In September 2026 we open our first walk-in store in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. We give you space to read and play, now with actual floor space too.