Browsed by
Category: Magazines

The Best of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly: Volume 1, 2009-2011 Compiled by the Editors of HFQ

The Best of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly: Volume 1, 2009-2011 Compiled by the Editors of HFQ

Comments 3 comments

oie_28203924eCuQXbPYRegular readers of my monthly short story roundup know how great I think Heroic Fantasy Quarterly is, ranking it the most consistent forum for the best in contemporary swords & sorcery. Some may think I’m laying it on a little thick, but The Best of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly: Volume 1, 2009-2011, a distillation of the mag’s first three years, should prove that I’m not.

While we are living in a time when some magnificent S&S short stories are being written, most are confined to the ephemeral pages of the web. So I consider it important that Adrian Simmons, David Farney, and the rest of the HFQ crew have endeavored to preserve some of their very best in book form.

Before diving into the stories (and poems — never let it be forgotten that HFQ is one of the few places publishing heroic poetry), let me start with the cover. By the very existence of that “Volume 1” in the title you know to expect more. It implies that the editors know there’s an audience hungering for S&S right now, and that they have faith it will still be there in the future, waiting for “Volume 2.”

Then there’s the art by Justin Sweet. Eschewing either the violent moment of battle or the smoldering embers of its aftermath, we see the warrior and his companions as their adventure is about to begin. From a mountainous vantage they can survey the tower below ready to be plundered, or the prisoner within its walls rescued. Maybe it’s the squadron of ships in which they’re interested. Of course, the fact that all three seem to be looking at something just out of the frame to the left could mean the bounty hunters looking for them, or a pack of ghouls, has just broken from the forest. Whatever the specifics of the painting, for me it’s a picture from just before the events of the story. It promises there’s something coming that will get my blood pumping and transport me, if only for a dozen pages, out of the humdrum and into the extraordinary.

…

Read More Read More

December 2015 Lightspeed Magazine Now on Sale

December 2015 Lightspeed Magazine Now on Sale

Comments 4 comments

Lightspeed December 2015-smallLots of great stuff in the December Lightspeed. First off, editor John Joseph Adams shares some big news in his editorial.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, publishers of my Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy (and the rest of the Best American series), have offered me the opportunity to edit a science fiction/fantasy (and horror) novel line for them — and naturally I agreed!

The line will be called John Joseph Adams Books (their idea, not mine!), and will be a tightly-curated list of 7-10 titles per year. We’ll be pre-launching the line in early 2016 with new editions of three Hugh Howey novels: Beacon 23, Shift, and Dust — making them available via traditional publishing for the first time, and then the line will kick things off in earnest in early 2017 with our first batch of never-before-published works.

This is fabulous news for John, and for the industry as a whole. Expectations are high for the new line, and I’m sure he will deliver.

Also, Black Gate readers will be delighted to find a story by BG blogger Mark Rigney, author of the eternally popular Tales of Gemen, “The Trade,” “The Find,” and “The Keystone,” three of the most widely read stories in the Black Gate Online Fiction library. “Portfolio” is a tale of strange reincarnation, and a set of very unnerving paintings.

…

Read More Read More

Entertainment Weekly Gives Us Our First Look at Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr Strange

Entertainment Weekly Gives Us Our First Look at Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr Strange

Comments 2 comments

Entertainment Weekly Dr Strange-smallThe new issue of Entertainment Weekly, on sale tomorrow, offers us our first peek at Benedict Cumberbatch as sorcerer supreme Dr. Strange — and they’ve really nailed the look. As James Whitbrook at io9 puts it:

I am genuinely shocked at how close this adheres to Strange’s classic costume from the comics — it’s all there, the color scheme, the cloak, the eye of Agamotto dangling from his neck, It’s all there — right down to Strange’s greying hair. It really has leapt off the page of a Doctor Strange comic into real life, and it looks great.

Click the image at right for a bigger version.

Doctor Strange is one of two films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe scheduled to be released next year; the other is Captain America: Civil War (May 6). Principal photography on Dr Strange began last month, and it is scheduled to be released November 4. It also stars Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Mads Mikkelsen, and is directed by Scott Derrickson (The Messengers, Sinister).

The article reportedly will reveal the roles played by Cumberbatch’s co-stars for the first time. Read more details at the EW website, or read the complete article in the print issue. We last covered Entertainment Weekly with the February 2013 issue, which coincidentally featured Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness.

Galaxy Science Fiction, February 1953: A Retro-Review

Galaxy Science Fiction, February 1953: A Retro-Review

Comments 8 comments

Galaxy February 1953-smallGalaxy Science Fiction continued its momentum into the February, 1953 issue. Boldy asserting it only published original stories (no reprints), it drew the finest science fiction authors of the time.

“Four in One” by Damon Knight — George Meister and his team establish a base on an alien planet and begin to explore the surroundings. The four of them fall down a ridge and are consumed by a strange, slug-like organism. The only thing remaining of the humans are their brains, eyes, and spinal columns. Amazingly, they can each influence the organism as though it’s part of their own body, which is essentially the only body any of them have. Though George, as a scientist, wants to spend time analyzing the creature, the others are divided as to the next step to take. And they begin to take more aggressive actions, such as forming appendages that might be able to kill any opposing brains.

This is such a unique story that it’s a good read just for that reason alone. But the characters and tension also work well together. There’s a bit of a gross factor involved, I suppose, but I hope that doesn’t dissuade readers.

“Protective Mimicry” by Algis Budrys — Someone is counterfeiting galactic money, but the bills are perfect duplicates, down to the serial number. The treasury’s chief inspector sends a man named Baumholtzer to investigate where they turned up – a humid, heavily-forested planet named Deneb XI. Baumholtzer heads to the only city on the planet and finds a bar that knows how to make his drink. Unfortunately for Baumholtzer, the person behind the duplicate money knows he’s coming.

It’s a nice detective story with great descriptions. I wish it had been longer, but it moves at a good pace, so maybe expanding it wouldn’t be a great idea. I just liked the feel of the narration so much that I wanted to keep going.

…

Read More Read More

December 2015 Locus Now on Sale

December 2015 Locus Now on Sale

Comments 0 Comment

Locus December 2015-smallThe December issue of the Newsmagazine of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Field features interviews with authors Chuck Wendig and Bet Cato, reports on the 2015 World Fantasy Awards and British Fantasy Awards, a convention report of the World Fantasy Convention, news on the massive Orbit expansion we reported on last month, the Nebula Nominations, author updates on George R.R. Martin, William Gibson, and Neil Gaiman, and many others, US and British Forthcoming Books lists, a column by Kameron Hurley, short fiction reviews from Gardner Dozois and Rich Horton, and reviews of new books from Charlie Jane Anders, Jonathan Strahan, Catherynne M. Valente, Linda Nagata, Cherie Priest, Matt Wallace, Kameron Hurley, Gemma Files, and many others.

In addition to all the news, features, and regular columns, there’s also the indispensable listings of Magazines Received, Books Received, British Books Received, and Bestsellers. Plus an obituary for T.M. Wright, Letters, and an editorial. See the complete contents here.

We last covered Locus with the October 2015 issue. Locus is edited by Liza Groen Trombi, and published monthly by Locus Publications. The issue is 62 pages, priced at $7.50. Subscriptions are $63 for 12 issues in the US. Subscribe online here. The magazine’s website, run as a separate publication by Mark R. Kelly, is a superb online resource. It is here.

See our December Fantasy Magazine Rack here, and all of our recent Magazine coverage here.

Hubert Rogers’ Astounding Covers — And His Fascinating Correspondence with Robert A. Heinlein and L. Sprague de Camp

Hubert Rogers’ Astounding Covers — And His Fascinating Correspondence with Robert A. Heinlein and L. Sprague de Camp

Comments 11 comments

Astounding April 1941 Hubert Rogers-small

At IlluxCon this past October, one of our major purchases was a pulp painting by artist Hubert Rogers. Rogers was Astounding Science Fiction’s primary cover artist from late 1939 to early 1952, with a break from 1943 through 1946 due to World War II (which he spent in Canada painting war posters and other paintings related to the war). We’d made arrangements over the summer to buy it from a friend of ours, who had owned it for many years, and he drove it up to IlluxCon with him so we could complete the deal.

This one appeared on the cover for Astounding, April 1941, and illustrated “The Stolen Dormouse” by L. Sprague de Camp. Shortly after its publication, De Camp wrote to Rogers, asking if he could acquire the painting, which he did.

…

Read More Read More

Beneath Ceaseless Skies 188 Now Available

Beneath Ceaseless Skies 188 Now Available

Comments 0 Comment

Beneath Ceaseless Skies 188-smallThe December 10th issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies, issue #188, arrives with a brand new cover, “Huashan Temple” by Xiao Ran, a concept artist from Shanghai, China. Click on the image at right to see a bigger version.

Issue #188 has short fiction from Nick Scorza and John Wheeler, and a reprint (from issue #120) by Laura E. Price.

“Eyes Beyond the Fire” by Nick Scorza
When no eyes were on her, Lys frayed a rope with her knife — choosing one which would not harm the sails but would send an iron pulley tumbling into the sea. When Tamlen angrily ordered a replacement brought from the cargo hold, Lys was first to volunteer and on her way before anyone could deny her.

“The Rest Will Blur Together” by John Wheeler
I am Melika. And that is all, now. My grandfather — I believe he was my grandfather — said that our memories make us who we are. I hope that he was wrong, for if he spoke the truth, then I am no one.

From the Archives:
“The Drowned Man” by Laura E. Price
The drowned man brushed past Corwyn in his hurry to get away from her sister.

Nick Scorza has been published in magazines such as Something Wicked, Hobart, and Dogwood. John Wheeler is a graduate of the Alpha Science Fiction and Fantasy Workshop for Young Writers; this looks like his first sale.

…

Read More Read More

January 2016 Asimov’s Science Fiction Now on Sale

January 2016 Asimov’s Science Fiction Now on Sale

Comments 0 Comment

Asimov's Science Fiction January 2016-smallThe January issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction contains a big new novella from Allen M. Steele, “Einstein’s Shadow,” plus stories by Ian McHugh, Ted Kosmatka, Nathan Hillstrom, and others — all under a gorgeous cover by Donato Giancola, who painted the cover for Black Gate 15. Here’s the description from the website:

Our January 2016 issue features a tense alternate history novella by Allen M. Steele. Danger, intrigue, and suspense are all aboard a Bel Geddes airliner as it makes an unforgettable transatlantic journey in “Einstein’s Shadow.”

Genevieve Williams ponders the haunting and unknowable alien in “The Singing Bowl”; Ian McHugh takes on a different set of provocative and nearly unfathomable aliens in “The Baby Eaters”; while Robert R. Chase offers us human and inhuman perspectives on “Conscience.” Brand-new author Nathan Hillstrom debuts in Asimov’s with a terrifying tale of “White Dust”; Dominica Phetteplace speculates about the mystery of “Atheism and Flight”; and Ted Kosmatka investigates the startling consequences of “Chasing Ivory.”

Non-fiction this month includes Robert Silverberg’s Reflections column, which invokes ancient Norse myth and the Twilight of the Gods in his reminiscence about “Fimbulwinter 2015”; James Patrick Kelly’s On the Net looks at “The World of Series”; Paul Di Filippo’s On Books reviews a Mike Ashley anthology of tales by early women SF writers, as well as works by Alan Smale, Ken Liu, and the Strugatsky brothers; Alvaro Zinos-Amaro & Paul Di Filippo offer a Thought Experiment about “Pushing the World in a Certain Direction and other Acts of Submission”; plus the annual Readers’ Awards’ ballot and Index, poetry, and other features.

…

Read More Read More

Interzone #261 Now on Sale

Interzone #261 Now on Sale

Comments 0 Comment

Interzone 261-smallThe November-December issue of Britain’s longest running science fiction and fantasy magazine is now on sale. The cover, “Sleepy Hollow,” is by Martin Hanford (click the image at right for a bigger version.) This issue offers some fascinating ideas. Here’s Lois Tilton at Locus Online on Malcolm Devlin’s “Five Conversations with My Daughter (Who Travels in Time).”

One night, after yet another fight with his wife, Dad’s six-year-old daughter comes to join him on the sofa and begins to speak in the voice of an adult woman. It seems that from time to time her future self can rejoin herself as a child, in moments when two points converge — whatever that means. She’s come now to ask a favor, later… He does, of course, promise, and as the years pass he comes more and more to believe her. But the favor she asks, when the time comes, isn’t what he would have chosen.

And on Rich Larson’s “We Might Be Sims”

The three disposable convicts on an experimental trip to Europa [“We’re cheap enough already,” Mack says. “We’re a tin can full of human detritus.”] have long since gone stir-crazy, each in different ways. Jasper has decided it’s all a simulation, that they’re really locked in a bunker somewhere on Earth. He wants to open the hatch, to prove it.

Read Lois’ complete comments on the issue here.

…

Read More Read More

December GigaNotoSaurus Features “Quarter Days” by Iona Sharma

December GigaNotoSaurus Features “Quarter Days” by Iona Sharma

Comments 2 comments

giganotosaurus logo-smallOne of my frequent complaints about the current crop of genre magazines is that they don’t publish enough novella-length fiction. As page counts shrink and more magazines announce they’ll only consider fiction below 8,000 words, the market for novellas — generally any fiction between 17,500 words and novel length — has dramatically shrunk.

But what if there was a market that published only SF and fantasy novelettes and novellas? That would be totally fabulous, right?

Well, there is such a market, and as a matter of fact, it is fabulous. GigaNotoSaurus, edited by Rashida J. Smith and published since November 2010, is a free online magazine that offers readers one story, between 5,000 and 25,000 words, every month. It has published multiple Nebula-nominated works, including Ken Liu’s “All the Flavors” and Ferrett Steinmetz’s “Sauerkraut Station,” as well as Judith Tarr’s “Dragon Winter,” S. Hutson Blount’s “The Taking of Book 257,” and C.S.E. Cooney’s marvelous “How the Milkmaid Struck a Bargain With the Crooked One.”

This month’s story is Iona Sharma’s “Quarter Days,” which Stompydragons called “utterly delightful. I loved the world she’s built, her characters felt fresh, and the plot used all of that to great effect.” Read it free here.