On April 18, 1981 at 11:30AM, Forbidden Planet held a grand opening for its New York City location. Forbidden Planet is the trading name of three separate businesses with online and retail bookstores selling science fiction, fantasy and popular culture products. The original Forbidden Planet store opened in London in 1978 and was named after the 1956 feature film of the same name. Specializing in film and television collectibles, Forbidden Planet sells comic books & manga, graphic novels, fantasy & horror merchandise, DVDs & Blu-rays, video games, along with a variety of co-branded collector’s editions.

The first New York store opened in 1981, located at 56 East 12th Street and Broadway in Greenwich Village. Forbidden Planet NYC was founded by Mike Luckman, with Americans Phil Seuling and Jonnis Levas acting as silent partners.

The original location had one of the most extensive selections in the world of in-print science fiction and fantasy paperback books, primarily from major genre labels including Ballantine, Del Rey and Ace, along with small press releases. There were also large and small press magazines, hardcover books, movie & comics tie-in toys and merchandise, and comic books. The New York City shop continues to have book signings and appearances by authors, artists and filmmakers.

In the 1990s, the primary New York City store moved across the street to a significantly smaller space at 840 Broadway and East 13th Street, and the focus became comic books and graphic novels, with a greatly diminished selection of traditional fiction.

On 24 July 2012, the shop relocated again, this time several doors south to 832 Broadway, where it would enjoy 3,400 square feet of retail space. As of 2025, the New York City location is not part of Forbidden Planet International, but is a separate entity.