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Short Fiction Round Up: Bull-Spec

Short Fiction Round Up: Bull-Spec

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bullspec-03-page001-25pctWhile other magazines are dying (and then, a la Realms of Fantasy, being  resurrected) or publishing irregularly, editor Samuel Montgomery-Blinn is making good on his promise to deliver four issues this year of his newly launched Bull-Spec.  Fiction for issue #3 includes the always interesting Lave Tidhar, as well as Katherine Sparrow in addition to  Melinda Thielbar and the first professional sales for Denali Hyatt and David Steffen.

My review of the previous issue is here.

You shouldn’t take any bull, just subscribe to it.

Realms of Fantasy Returns — Again

Realms of Fantasy Returns — Again

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rofLess than three weeks ago we reported that Realms of Fantasy magazine was being closed by Tir Na Nog Press and publisher Warren Lapine. (And Brian Murphy asked if the end of Realms of Fantasy begs the question: Too much fantasy on the market?)

At the time, Warren offered to sell the magazine for $1 to a responsible party who could continue publication. Now SF Scope is reporting that the magazine has been sold to Damnation Books.

Who the heck is Damnation Books? I admit I never heard of them either. According to their website, they’ve published electronic novels, novellas and short stories by Joshua Martyr, S. A. Bolich, Matthew S. Rotundo, and many others. Their CEO is Kim Richards, and their staff includes William Gilchrist, Tim Marquitz, and Lisa J. Jackson.

Damnation Books plans to release the December 2010 issue (previously only available electronically) in print form, and continue virtually immediately with the February 2011 issue, meaning the magazine’s bi-monthly schedule will suffer no gaps.

All subscriptions will be honored, and Damnation has announced plans for an extra-sized June 2011 volume, to coincide with the magazine’s 100th issue. The website remains at www.rofmag.com, and effective immediately the magazine has reopened to submissions.  No official word yet on whether any of the magazine’s current staff will remain.

This is great news for fantasy fans — and kudos to Warren and Damnation Books for orchestrating what looks like a smooth transition.  Here’s hoping Damnation finds the right formula to keep this grand lady of fantasy alive and thriving.

Short Fiction Roundup

Short Fiction Roundup

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apexmag11101The November issue of Apex Magazine has gone to press (can you still use those kind of terms for on-line publication), and edtor Catherynne M. Valente has presented the unusual theme of an Arab/Muslim issue.  A reader comment about Pamela K. Taylor’s “50 Fatwas for the Virtuous Vampire” (because it doesn’t matter what part of the world you may be in these days, the undead sucking blood have somehow or another become cultural icons) describes the story as “[b]oth savagely funny and gut-wrenchingly moving.”

In other news, Word Fantasy Award winning editor Susan Marie Groppi is resigning her “in-chief” role at Strange Horizons. Reviews editor Niall Harrison is assuming the post, and is stepping down after five years from the helm as features editor of  Vector to take on the job.

The end of Realms of Fantasy begs the question: Too much fantasy on the market?

The end of Realms of Fantasy begs the question: Too much fantasy on the market?

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realms_of_fantasy_199410_v1_n1This post over on the Cyclopeatron blog closely mirrors my own thoughts on why I think Realms of Fantasy and other magazines in the short fiction market are largely a dying or endangered breed.

It’s not necessarily the bad economy (though I don’t doubt this is a contributing factor). And it’s not necessarily the changing face of publishing, which is moving from print periodicals to PDF and/or web delivery (though this likely is a contributing factor, since publishers of all stripes have struggled with monetizing content delivered on the web).

Rather, like Cyclopeatron, I’ve long believed that there’s simply too much fantasy fiction on the market, and that magazines have gotten the squeeze as a result.

At first this may seem like a ridiculous notion. Realms of Fantasy, one of the few remaining print fantasy magazines in the market, goes under, and it’s because there’s too much fantasy for it to complete against? Yes, at least in my opinion. Here’s why.

…

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Nov/Dec Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine Now on Sale

Nov/Dec Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine Now on Sale

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fsfnov-dec2010aHuzzah!  The latest issue of my favorite fantasy magazine goes on sale today.

Ahem.  Favorite other than Black Gate, of course.

The big November/December double issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction includes contributions from Robert Reed, Alan Dean Foster, Albert E. Cowdrey, Alexander Jablokov, and many more.

Here’s what the editor, Gordon van Gelder, tells us about the issue:

The Robert Reed story about running in this issue is so effective that I lost 8 pounds and knocked 0:31 off my best mile time just by editing it. Speaking of editing it, it is 100% true that when it was on submission, I read one of the stories in the issue while attending one of my daughter’s tea parties. (I won’t say which story.) Jerry Oltion has bought 5,000 copies of this issue and stored them away, just in case he might need them in the future. Alex Irvine didn’t get the memo that he was supposed to send me a story just so his name could be on the cover.

We last covered F&SF with their Oct/Nov issue, with Richard Chwedyk, Michael Swanwick, Terry Bisson, and Richard Matheson. If you missed it, maybe it’s time to consider subscribing?

Complete details (and a subscription form) are available on their website.

Epic Black Gate Trailer of AWESOMENESS!

Epic Black Gate Trailer of AWESOMENESS!

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Claire: How do we do this, O’Neill? I’m still new at this website editing.

John: Just type everything I say, Cooney.  First, we wanna hype Magill and Sam.

Claire: Easy!

John: Wow, you type fast. This can’t be too long. We’ve got to get right to it.

Claire: Okay. So, dear Black Gate readers, look at this cool thing my friends Magill Foote and Sam Rahn did. It’s so 21st Century. And it makes Black Gate look so cool. Not that it needed any help. And now we just post it? Beneath the cut?

John: No, no, no. It’s gotta be right here!  Do it now!

R.I.P. Realms of Fantasy

R.I.P. Realms of Fantasy

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rofoct1Tir Na Nog Press has shuttered Realms of Fantasy magazine, this time apparently for good. Its last issue was September/October, pictured at left.

Realms of Fantasy was one of the few remaining professional fantasy fiction magazines. Founded in October 1994 by Sovereign Media as a sister magazine for Science Fiction Age, it published acclaimed  fiction from some of the biggest names in the industry. Its long-time fiction editor was Shawna McCarthy.

In addition to fiction and top-notch review columns, the magazine was well known for its slick look and thoroughly professional design, and it pioneered a mix of art and fiction with gorgeous color galleries of top fantasy artists virtually every issue.

In a controversial move early this summer, publisher Warren Lapine threatened to close the magazine if enough subscribers didn’t renew — which generated some lively discussion on whether publicizing approaching doom was a workable marketing tactic for a modern magazine. [Looks like it wasn’t.]

In his farewell note, Lapine complains about how much money the magazine cost him, and offers to sell it to “a responsible party” for $1. He claims the December issue is ready for publication, and will be released in PDF format on the website for free download by subscribers. He is also closing his vampire magazine Dreams of Decadence.

Realms of Fantasy was well known for discovering and nurturing writers who have since gone on to stellar careers, something done by fewer and fewer magazines. Its departure leaves a significant void in the industry.

Short Fiction Roundup

Short Fiction Roundup

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230_295__final_coverOxford American Magazine is a literary quarterly focusing on Southern culture. A particular favorite of mine is its annual music issue that features articles on both well-known and obscure Southern musicians with an accompanying CD.  The current fall issue’s theme is the future, including 11 short stories set somewhere around in 2050. I’m not familiar with these authors, the one exception being Charles Yu whose first novel, How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, has been getting some attention.

Apex Magazine 17 Arrives

Apex Magazine 17 Arrives

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apex-oct-10aThe October issue of Apex Magazine is now available.

Apex is a magazine of Dark Fiction, publishing science fiction, fantasy, horror, and “mash-ups of all three.”  Single issue price is $2.99, and they are available in ePub/PDF/LIT/PDB/ LRF/mobi/RB/prc formats, which is more formats than I knew existed. A lot more, if I’m honest about it.

They have an October Financial Goal meter right on the website, so you can see exactly how your purchase impacts the bottom line, which is fairly gratifying.  If I did that, I’d have to have a separate meter for the uncontrolled pulp purchases currently depleting the Black Gate bank account. Stupid eBay.

Original fiction this issue is from Ian Tregillis and Brenda Stokes Barron, and there’s a special reprint by Ekaterina Sedia. Poetry is by Rose Lemberg and Elizabeth McClellan.

Their September issue apparently snuck past us, but we did profile August.  So we’re not completely asleep.

Apex Magazine is edited by the lovely and tireless Catherynne M. Valente.

Come Visit Port Iris

Come Visit Port Iris

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port-isisOK, there’s gotta be a more creative headline when your name is Port Iris magazine, but that’s the best I could come up with.

Editor Casey Seda dropped us a note this week, saying:

I have not come across Black Gate until recently, but when I did, I had to subscribe to your RSS feed immediately. As an editor of my own speculative fiction magazine, I like to see the opinions of readers for other magazines. Our magazine has released its 3rd quarterly issue and is available for free in web and PDF formats.

I was intrigued enough to drop by their website. Port Iris is an extremely attractive publication, and in the Submission Guidelines Casey says he’s “specifically looking for science fiction and fantasy, but I am open to almost anything. Cross-genre is acceptable too.” Sounds like a recipe for an interesting magazine.

Issue 3 contains three short stories, “The Father of the Riverborn,” by Megan Arkenberg, “Salary Ninja,” by Aidan Doyle, and “Watching,” by Jeremy C. Shipp, as well as interviews with A.J. Hartley, Davey Beauchamp, and DJ Torch.

You can find the latest issue here. Check it out and let us know what you think.