A science fiction magazine is a publication that offers primarily

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

, either in a hard-copy periodical format or on the Internet. Science fiction magazines traditionally featured speculative fiction in

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

, novelette,

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

or (usually serialized)

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

form, a format that continues into the present day. Many also contain

editorial An editorial, or leading article (UK) or leader (UK) is an article written by the senior editorial people or publisher of a newspaper, magazine, or any other written document, often unsigned. Australian and major United States newspapers, suc ...

book review __NOTOC__ A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is merely described (summary review) or analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review may be a primary source, opinion piece, summary review or scholarly revie ...

s or articles, and some also include stories in the fantasy and horror genres.

History of science fiction magazines

Malcolm Edwards Malcolm John Edwards (born 3 December 1949) is a British editor and critic in the science fiction field. An alumnus of The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, he received his degree from the University of Cambridge. He was Deputy CEO at the Orio ...

and Peter Nicholls write that early magazines were not known as science fiction: "if there were any need to differentiate them, the terms

scientific romance Scientific romance is an archaic, mainly British term for the genre of fiction now commonly known as science fiction. The term originated in the 1850s to describe both fiction and elements of scientific writing, but it has since come to refer to ...

or 'different stories' might be used, but until the appearance of a magazine specifically devoted to sf there was no need of a label to describe the category. The first specialized English-language pulps with a leaning towards the fantastic were '' Thrill Book'' (1919) and ''

Weird Tales ''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, prin ...

'' (1923), but the editorial policy of both was aimed much more towards weird-occult fiction than towards sf." Major American science fiction magazines include ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances i ...

'', ''

Astounding Science Fiction ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...

'', ''

Galaxy Science Fiction ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Editi ...

'', ''

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher a ...

'' and ''

Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy named after science fiction author Isaac Asimov. It is currently published by Penny Publications. From January 2017, the publication ...

''. The most influential British science fiction magazine was ''

New Worlds New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz Albums and EPs * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartn ...

''; newer British SF magazines include '' Interzone'' and ''Polluto''. Many science fiction magazines have been published in languages other than English, but none has gained worldwide recognition or influence in the world of

anglophone Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest language ...

science fiction. There is a growing trend toward important work being published first on the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

, both for reasons of economics and access. A web-only publication can cost as little as one-tenth of the cost of publishing a print magazine, and as a result, some believe the e-zines are more innovative and take greater risks with material. Moreover, the magazine is internationally accessible, and distribution is not an issue—though obscurity may be. Magazines like ''

Strange Horizons ''Strange Horizons'' is an online speculative fiction magazine. It also features speculative poetry and nonfiction in every issue, including reviews, essays, interviews, and roundtables. History and profile It was launched in September 2000, and ...

'', ''

Ideomancer ''Ideomancer'' was a Canadian quarterly online speculative fiction magazine whose contents included science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, horror, flash fiction and speculative poetry, along with reviews and interviews. The first issue debuted ...

'', ''

InterGalactic Medicine Show ''InterGalactic Medicine Show'' (sometimes shortened to ''IGMS'') was an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine. It was founded in 2005 by multiple award-winning author Orson Scott Card and was edited by Edmund R. Schubert from 200 ...

'', ''

Jim Baen's Universe ''Jim Baen's Universe'' (''JBU'') was a bimonthly online fantasy and science fiction magazine created by Jim Baen (founder and long-time publisher of Baen Books). It was recognized by the SFWA as a Qualifying Short Fiction Venue. ''JBU'' began ...

'', and the Australian magazine ''

Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine ''Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine'' or ''ASIM'' is a fantasy and science fiction magazine published out of Canberra, ACT, Australia. The publishers of ''ASIM'' describe it as "Australia's Pulpiest SF Magazine". The magazine is currentl ...

'' are examples of successful Internet magazines. (Andromeda provides copies electronically or on paper.) Web-based magazines tend to favor shorter stories and articles that are easily read on a screen, and many of them pay little or nothing to the authors, thus limiting their universe of contributors. However, multiple web-based magazines are listed as "paying markets" by the SFWA, which means that they pay the "professional" rate of 8c/word or more. These magazines include popular titles such as ''

'', ''

,'' and ''

Clarkesworld Magazine ''Clarkesworld Magazine'' (ISSN 1937-7843) is an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine. It released its first issue October 1, 2006 and has maintained a regular monthly schedule since, publishing fiction by authors such as Elizabe ...

.'' The SFWA publishes a list of qualifying magazine and short fiction venues that contains all current web-based qualifying markets. The

World Science Fiction Convention Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during ...

(Worldcon) awarded a

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...

each year to the best science fiction magazine, until that award was changed to one for Best Editor in the early 1970s; the Best Semi-Professional Magazine award can go to either a news-oriented magazine or a

small press A small press is a publisher with annual sales below a certain level or below a certain number of titles published. The terms "indie publisher" and "independent press" and others are sometimes used interchangeably. Independent press is general ...

fiction magazine. Magazines were the only way to publish science fiction until about 1950, when large mainstream publishers began issuing science fiction books. Today, there are relatively few paper-based science fiction magazines, and most printed science fiction appears first in book form. Science fiction magazines began in the United States, but there were several major British magazines and science fiction magazines that have been published around the world, for example in France and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

The first science fiction magazines

The first science fiction magazine, ''

'', was published in a format known as

bedsheet The bedsheet format (also known as large pulp) was the size of many magazines published in the United States in the first quarter of the 20th century. Magazines in bedsheet format were roughly the size of ''Life'' but with square spines. While the ...

, roughly the size of

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...

but with a square spine. Later, most magazines changed to the

pulp magazine Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...

format, roughly the size of

comic books A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

or ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

'' but again with a square spine. Now, most magazines are published in digest format, roughly the size of ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

'', although a few are in the standard roughly 8.5" x 11" size, and often have stapled spines, rather than glued square spines. Science fiction magazines in this format often feature non-fiction media coverage in addition to the fiction. Knowledge of these formats is an asset when locating magazines in libraries and collections where magazines are usually shelved according to size. The premiere issue of ''

'' (April 1926), edited and published by

Hugo Gernsback Hugo Gernsback (; born Hugo Gernsbacher, August 16, 1884 – August 19, 1967) was a Luxembourgish–American editor and magazine publisher, whose publications including the first science fiction magazine. His contributions to the genre as publ ...

, displayed a cover by Frank R. Paul illustrating ''

Off on a Comet ''Off on a Comet'' (french: Hector Servadac) is an 1877 science fiction novel by French writer Jules Verne. Plot The story starts with a comet called Gallia, that touches the Earth in its flight and collects a few small chunks of it. The disas ...

'' by

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

. After many minor changes in title and major changes in format, policy and publisher, ''Amazing Stories'' ended January 2005 after 607 issues. Except for the last issue of ''Stirring Science Stories'', the last true bedsheet size sf (and fantasy) magazine was ''

Fantastic Adventures ''Fantastic Adventures'' was an American pulp fantasy and science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1953 by Ziff-Davis. It was initially edited by Raymond A. Palmer, who was also the editor of ''Amazing Stories'', Ziff-Davis's other scien ...

'', in 1939, but it quickly changed to the pulp size, and it was later absorbed by its

digest-sized Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately , but can also be and , similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes have evolved from the printin ...

stablemate ''

Fantastic The fantastic (french: le fantastique) is a subgenre of literary works characterized by the ambiguous presentation of seemingly supernatural forces. Bulgarian-French structuralist literary critic Tzvetan Todorov originated the concept, characte ...

'' in 1953. Before that consolidation, it ran 128 issues. Much fiction published in these bedsheet magazines, except for classic reprints by writers such as

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

and

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

, is only of antiquarian interest. Some of it was written by teenage science fiction fans, who were paid little or nothing for their efforts.

Jack Williamson John Stewart Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006), who wrote as Jack Williamson, was an American list of science fiction authors, science fiction writer, often called the "Dean of Science Fiction". He is also credited with one of t ...

for example, was 19 when he sold his first story to ''Amazing Stories''. His writing improved greatly over time, and until his death in 2006, he was still a publishing writer at age 98. Some of the stories in the early issues were by scientists or doctors who knew little or nothing about writing fiction, but who tried their best, for example, Dr.

David H. Keller David Henry Keller (December 23, 1880 – July 13, 1966) was an American writer who worked for pulp magazines in the mid-twentieth century, in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres. He was also a psychiatrist and physician to shell- ...

. Probably the two best original sf stories ever published in a bedsheet science fiction magazine were "

A Martian Odyssey "A Martian Odyssey" is a science fiction short story by American writer Stanley G. Weinbaum originally published in the July 1934 issue of ''Wonder Stories''. It was Weinbaum's second published story (in 1933 he had sold a romantic novel, ''The ...

" by Stanley G. Weinbaum and "The

Gostak Gostak is a meaningless noun that is used in the phrase "the gostak distims the doshes", which is an example of how it is possible to derive meaning from the syntax of a sentence even if the referents of the terms are entirely unknown. It is an ...

and the Doshes" by Dr.

Miles Breuer The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a imperial unit, British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of Unit of length, ...

, who influenced Jack Williamson. "The Gostak and the Doshes" is one of the few stories from that era still widely read today. Other stories of interest from the bedsheet magazines include the first

Buck Rogers Buck Rogers is a science fiction adventure hero and feature comic strip created by Philip Francis Nowlan first appearing in daily US newspapers on January 7, 1929, and subsequently appearing in Sunday newspapers, international newspapers, books ...

story'', Armageddon 2419 A.D'', by

Philip Francis Nowlan Philip Francis Nowlan (; November 13, 1888 – February 1, 1940) was an American science fiction writer, best known as the creator of Buck Rogers. Biography Nowlan was born on November 13, 1888. While attending the University of Pennsylvania, N ...

, and ''The Skylark of'' S''pace'' by coauthors

E. E. Smith Edward Elmer Smith (May 2, 1890 – August 31, 1965), publishing as E. E. Smith, Ph.D. and later as E. E. "Doc" Smith, was an American food engineer (specializing in doughnut and pastry mixes) and science-fiction author, best known for the '' ...

and Mrs. Lee Hawkins Garby, both in ''Amazing Stories'' in 1928. There have been a few unsuccessful attempts to revive the bedsheet size using better quality paper, notably ''

Science-Fiction Plus ''Science-Fiction Plus'' was an American science fiction magazine published by Hugo Gernsback for seven issues in 1953. In 1926, Gernsback had launched ''Amazing Stories,'' the first science fiction magazine, but he had not been involved in t ...

'' edited by Hugo Gernsback (1952–53, eight issues). ''

Astounding ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William Cl ...

'' on two occasions briefly attempted to revive the bedsheet size, with 16 bedsheet issues in 1942–1943 and 25 bedsheet issues (as ''

Analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...

'', including the first publication of

Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...

's ''

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

'') in 1963–1965. The fantasy magazine ''

Unknown Unknown or The Unknown may refer to: Film * The Unknown (1915 comedy film), ''The Unknown'' (1915 comedy film), a silent boxing film * The Unknown (1915 drama film), ''The Unknown'' (1915 drama film) * The Unknown (1927 film), ''The Unknown'' (1 ...

'', also edited by John W. Campbell, changed its name to ''Unknown Worlds'' and published ten bedsheet-size issues before returning to pulp size for its final four issues. ''

'' published 36 bedsheet size issues in 1991–1999, and its last three issues were bedsheet size, 2004–2005.

The pulp era

Astounding Stories ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William Cl ...

'' began in January 1930. After several changes in name and format (''

'', ''

Analog Science Fact & Fiction ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...

'', ''

'') it is still published today (though it ceased to be pulp format in 1943). Its most important editor, John W. Campbell, Jr., is credited with turning science fiction away from adventure stories on alien planets and toward well-written, scientifically literate stories with better characterization than in previous pulp science fiction.

Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...

Foundation Trilogy The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories in 1942–50, and subsequently in three collections in 1951–53, for thirty years the series was ...

and

Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...

Future History A future history is a postulated history of the future and is used by authors of science fiction and other speculative fiction to construct a common background for fiction. Sometimes the author publishes a timeline of events in the history, whi ...

in the 1940s,

Hal Clement Harry Clement Stubbs (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003), better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. He also painted astronomically oriented artworks under ...

's ''

Mission of Gravity ''Mission of Gravity'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Hal Clement. The novel was serialized in '' Astounding Science Fiction'' magazine in April–July 1953. Its first hardcover book publication was in 1954, and it was first publis ...

'' in the 1950s, and

's ''

'' in the 1960s, and many other science fiction classics all first appeared under Campbell's editorship. By 1955, the pulp era was over, and some pulp magazines changed to

digest size Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately , but can also be and , similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes have evolved from the printin ...

. Printed adventure stories with colorful heroes were relegated to the comic books. This same period saw the end of radio adventure drama (in the United States). Later attempts to revive both

pulp fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhame ...

and radio adventure have met with very limited success, but both enjoy a nostalgic following who collect the old magazines and radio programs. Many characters, most notably The Shadow, were popular both in pulp magazines and on radio. Most pulp science fiction consisted of adventure stories transplanted, without much thought, to alien planets. Pulp science fiction is known for clichés such as stereotypical female characters, unrealistic gadgetry, and fantastic monsters of various kinds. However, many classic stories were first published in pulp magazines. For example, in the year 1939, all of the following renowned authors sold their first professional science fiction story to magazines specializing in pulp science fiction:

, Arthur C. Clarke,

Alfred Bester Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books. He is best remembered for his science fiction, inclu ...

Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...

A. E. van Vogt Alfred Elton van Vogt ( ; April 26, 1912 – January 26, 2000) was a Canadian-born American science fiction author. His fragmented, bizarre narrative style influenced later science fiction writers, notably Philip K. Dick. He was one of the ...

and

Theodore Sturgeon Theodore Sturgeon (; born Edward Hamilton Waldo, February 26, 1918 – May 8, 1985) was an American fiction author of primarily fantasy, science fiction and horror, as well as a critic. He wrote approximately 400 reviews and more than 120 sh ...

. These were among the most important science fiction writers of the pulp era, and all are still read today.

Digest-sized magazines

After the pulp era,

magazines dominated the newsstand. The first sf magazine to change to

was ''Astounding'', in 1943. Other major digests, which published more literary science fiction, were ''

'', ''

'' and '' If''. Under the editorship of

Cele Goldsmith Cele Goldsmith Lalli (1933 – January 14, 2002) was an American editor. She was the editor of ''Amazing Stories'' from 1959 to 1965, ''Fantastic'' from 1958 to 1965, and later the Editor-in-Chief of ''Modern Bride'' magazine. Biography Gold ...

, '' Amazing'' and ''

'' changed in notable part from pulp style adventure stories to literary science fiction and fantasy. Goldsmith published the first professionally published stories by

Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...

(not counting student fiction in ''

Literary Cavalcade Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include o ...

''),

Keith Laumer John Keith Laumer ( – ) was an American science fiction author. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he was an officer in the United States Air Force and a diplomat in the United States Foreign Service. His older brother March Laumer was ...

Thomas M. Disch Thomas Michael Disch (February 2, 1940 – July 4, 2008) was an American science fiction author and poet. He won the Hugo Award for Best Related Book – previously called "Best Non-Fiction Book" – in 1999, and he had two other Hugo nomination ...

Sonya Dorman Sonya Dorman (June 4, 1924 – February 14, 2005), born Sonya Gloria Hess, was the working name of Sonya Dorman Hess. She was born in New York City in 1924 and died in Taos, New Mexico on February 14, 2005, at the age of 80. Dorman published arou ...

and

Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...

. There was also no shortage of digests that continued the pulp tradition of hastily written adventure stories set on other planets. '' Other Worlds'' and ''

Imaginative Tales ''Imaginative Tales'' was an American fantasy and science fiction magazine launched in September 1954 by William Hamling's Greenleaf Publishing Company. It was created as a sister magazine to '' Imagination'', which Hamling had acquired from R ...

'' had no literary pretensions. The major pulp writers, such as Heinlein, Asimov and Clarke, continued to write for the digests, and a new generation of writers, such as

Algis Budrys Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys (January 9, 1931 – June 9, 2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome (in collaboration with Jerome Bixby), John ...

and

Walter M. Miller, Jr. Walter Michael Miller Jr. (January 23, 1923 – January 9, 1996) was an American science fiction writer. His fix-up novel, ''A Canticle for Leibowitz'' (1959), the only novel published in his lifetime, won the 1961 Hugo Award for Best Novel. Pr ...

, sold their most famous stories to the digests. ''

A Canticle for Leibowitz ''A Canticle for Leibowitz'' is a post-apocalyptic social science fiction novel by American writer Walter M. Miller Jr., first published in 1959. Set in a Catholic monastery in the desert of the southwestern United States after a devastating n ...

,'' written by Walter M. Miller, Jr., was first published in ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. Most digest magazines began in the 1950s, in the years between the film '' Destination Moon'', the first major science fiction film in a decade, and the launching of

Sputnik Sputnik 1 (; see § Etymology) was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for t ...

, which sparked a new interest in space travel as a real possibility. Most survived only a few issues. By 1960, in the United States, there were only six sf digests on newsstands, in 1970 there were seven, in 1980 there were five, in 1990 only four and in 2000 only three.

British science fiction magazines

The first British science fiction magazine was '' Tales of Wonder'', pulp size, 1937–1942, 16 issues, (unless '' Scoops'' is taken into account, a tabloid boys' paper that published 20 weekly issues in 1934). It was followed by two magazines, both named ''Fantasy'', one pulp size publishing three issues in 1938–1939, the other digest size, publishing three issues in 1946–1947. The British science fiction magazine, ''

'', published three pulp size issues in 1946–1947, before changing to digest size. With these exceptions, the pulp phenomenon, like the comic book, was largely a US format. By 2007, the only surviving major British science fiction magazine is '' Interzone'', published in "magazine" format, although small press titles such as ''

PostScripts ''Postscripts'' was a quarterly British magazine of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and crime fiction, first published in June 2004.Polluto'' are available.

Transition from print to online science fiction magazines

During recent decades, the circulation of all digest science fiction magazines has steadily decreased. New formats were attempted, most notably the slick-paper stapled magazine format, the paperback format and the webzine. There are also various semi-professional magazines that persist on sales of a few thousand copies but often publish important fiction. As the circulation of the traditional US science fiction magazines has declined, new magazines have sprung up online from international small-press publishers. An editor on the staff of ''

Science Fiction World ''Science Fiction World (Sci-Fi World; SFW)'' (, Kehuan Shijie), began in 1979, is a monthly science fiction magazine published in the People's Republic of China, headquartered in Chengdu, Sichuan. It dominates the Chinese science fiction magazi ...

'', China's longest-running science fiction magazine, claimed in 2009 that, with "a circulation of 300,000 copies per issue", it was "the World's most-read SF periodical", although subsequent news suggests that circulation dropped precipitously after the firing of its chief editor in 2010 and the departure of other editors. The

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, doing business as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, commonly known as SFWA ( or ) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. While ...

lists science fiction periodicals that pay enough to be considered professional markets.

List of current magazines

For a complete list, including defunct magazines, see

List of science fiction magazines This is a list of science fiction and science fiction-related magazines. The primary focus of the magazines in this list is or was writing about science fiction and/or contained science fiction for at least part of their run. {, class="wikitable ...

American magazines

* '' Abyss & Apex Magazine'', 2003–present * ''

Analog Science Fiction and Fact ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...

'' (a.k.a. ''Astounding Stories'', ''Astounding Science-Fiction'' and ''Analog Science Fact & Fiction''), 1930–present * ''

Apex Magazine ''Apex Magazine'', also previously known as ''Apex Digest'', is an American horror and science fiction magazine. This subscription webzine, ''Apex Magazine'', contains short fiction, reviews, and interviews. It has been nominated for several awa ...

'', 2005–present * '' Aphelion the Webzine of Science Fiction and Fantasy'', 1997–present * ''Ares Magazine'' (New Edition)'','' 2017–present (Based on defunct magazine

Ares Ares (; grc, Ἄρης, ''Árēs'' ) is the Greek god of war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for success in war b ...

) * ''

Asimov's Science Fiction ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy named after science fiction author Isaac Asimov. It is currently published by Penny Publications. From January 2017, the publication ...

'' (a.k.a. ''Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine''), 1977–present * ''

Bards and Sages Quarterly ''Bards and Sages Quarterly'' is a quarterly fantasy, horror, and science fiction literary magazine published by Bards and Sages, and edited by Julie Ann Dawson. Its first issue was released in January 2009. It is a semi-professional paying marke ...

'', 2009–present * '' Bull Spec'', 2009–present * ''

'', 2006–present * '' Compelling Science Fiction'', 2016–present * ''

Daily Science Fiction ''Daily Science Fiction'' is an email and online magazine devoted to publishing science fiction stories that was founded in 2010. Per the title, it is a daily publication, publishing each weekday, edited by Jonathan Laden and Michele Barasso. O ...

'', 2010–present * ''

Escape Pod An escape pod, escape capsule, life capsule, or lifepod is a capsule or craft, usually only big enough for one person, used to escape from a vessel in an emergency. An escape ship is a larger, more complete craft also used for the same purpose ...

'', 2005–present, fiction podcast and online * ''

The Future Fire ''The Future Fire'' is a small press, online science fiction magazine (), run by a joint British- US team of editors. The magazine was launched in January 2005 and releases issues four times a year, with stories, articles, and reviews in both HTM ...

'', 2005–present, US/UK * ''

The Grantville Gazettes ''The Grantville Gazettes'' are anthologies of short stories set in the 1632 universe introduced in Eric Flint's novel ''1632'' that was primarily published as a bi-monthly electronic magazine from 2003 until shortly after Flint's death in 20 ...

'', 2003–present * '' Galaxy's Edge Magazine'', 2013–present * ''

GUD Magazine ''Greatest Uncommon Denominator Magazine'' (also known as ''GUD Magazine'') is an American literary magazine, the first publication from Greatest Uncommon Denominator Publishing, founded in Laconia, New Hampshire in July 2006. Format and periodi ...

'' 2006–present, print/pdf * ''Hypnos'', 2012–present *
Illuminations of the Fantastic
' (online, 2020–current) * ''

'', 2005–2019 * ''

'', 2007–2010 (Merged with ''The Grantville Gazettes'') * ''

Leading Edge The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, ...

'' (a.k.a. ''The Leading Edge Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy''), 1981–present * ''Lightspeed'', 2010–present * '' Locus: The Magazine of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field'', 1968–present * ''

'' (a.k.a. ''The Magazine of Fantasy''), 1949–present * '' Nebula Rift'', 2012–present * ''

Not one of us ''Not One Of Us'' is a small press horror and science fiction magazine published in Massachusetts, USA, four times a year. The first issue appeared in October 1986. The theme is "people or things out of place in their surroundings": outsiders, ...

'', 1986–present * '' Perihelion Science Fiction'', 1967–1969, revived 2012–present * ''

Planet Magazine ''Planet Magazine'' is a free American online fantasy and science fiction magazine A science fiction magazine is a publication that offers primarily science fiction, either in a hard-copy periodical format or on the Internet. Science fictio ...

'', 1994–present * ''

Planetary Stories Planetary means relating to a planet or planets. It can also refer to: ;Science * Planetary habitability, the measure of an astronomical body's potential to develop and sustain life * Planetary nebula, an astronomical object ;People * Planetary ...

'', 2005–present * '' Quantum Muse E-Zine'', 1997–present * ''

Shimmer Magazine ''Shimmer Magazine '' was a quarterly magazine which published speculative fiction, with a focus on material that is dark, humorous or strange. Established in June 2005, ''Shimmer'' was published in digest format and Portable Document Format ...

'', 2005–2018 * '' Space Adventure Magazine'', 2011–present * '' Space and Time Magazine'', 1966–present * ''

'', 2000–present * '' Three-lobed Burning Eye'', 1999–present * ''

Uncanny Magazine ''Uncanny Magazine'' is an American science fiction and fantasy online magazine, edited and published by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas, based in Urbana, Illinois. Its mascot is a space unicorn. The editors-in-chief, who originally ...

'', 2014–present * '' Unfit Magazine'', 2018–present * '' Waylines Magazine'', 2013–present – US/Japan * ''

'', 1923–1954, revived 1988–present

British magazines

* '' Arc'', 2012–present * ''

Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the followi ...

'', 1979–present * ''Fever Dreams Magazine'', online publication 2012–present * ''

'', 2005–present – US/UK * '' Interzone'', 1982–present * '' Jupiter Magazine'', 2003–2015 * '' SFX, 1995–present * '' Starburst, 1977–present * '' The Third Alternative'' (later and currently ''Black Static''), 1994–present

Other magazines

* ''

Albedo One ''Albedo One'' is an Irish horror, fantasy and science fiction magazine founded in 1993 and currently published by Albedo One Productions. Overview ''Albedo One'' is widely regarded as the successor to the defunct Irish science fiction magazin ...

'', 1993–present, Ireland * ''

'', 2002–present, Australia * '' Argonauta'', 1954-2006,

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. * ''

Aurealis ''Aurealis'' is an Australian speculative fiction magazine published by Chimaera Publications, and is Australia's longest running small-press science-fiction and fantasy magazine. The magazine is based in Melbourne. History and profile ''Aureali ...

'', 1990–present, Australia * '' Esli'', 1991–2016,

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

* ''

Fantastyka ''Fantastyka'' (est 1982, in 1990 renamed ''Nowa Fantastyka'') is a Polish speculative fiction monthly fantasy and science fiction magazine. History ''Fantastyka'' was established in 1982 by sci-fi fans Andrzej Krzepkowski, Jacek Rodek and , u ...

'' (also known as ''Nowa Fantastyka''), 1982–present,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

* '' Futura'', 1992–present,

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

* ''

Galaktika ''Galaktika'' was a science fiction magazine of Hungary, published between 1972 and 1995. At its peak 94,000 copies were printed in Hungary. For comparison, ''Analog (magazine), Analog'' magazine printed 120,000 copies in the United States. A ne ...

'', 1972–1995, revived 2004–present,

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

* '' Helice'', 2006–present,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

* ''

Kalpabiswa ''Kalpabiswa'' is an online Bengali language science fiction literary magazine. It is the first and biggest online sci-fi magazine published in Bengali language. It is the main Bengali sci-fi web magazine. Notable Bengali fiction writers like Adr ...

'', 2016–present,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

* ''

Mir Fantastiki ''Mir Fantastiki'' (russian: Мир фантастики), officially abbreviated as ''MirF'', is a Russian monthly science fiction and fantasy magazine. The name also refers to the website run by the magazine, Mirf.ru. ''Mir Fantastiki'' litera ...

'', 2003–present, Russia * ''

Mithila Review ''Mithila Review'' is the only international science fiction and fantasy magazine published from India. It publishes original speculative fiction, poetry, reviews and interviews from authors from South Asia and around the world. Contributors to ...

'', 2016–present,

* ''

Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine ''Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine'' is a digest sized, perfect bound, Canadian magazine publishing science fiction and fantasy stories, science and opinion articles, SF news and reviews. ''Neo-opsis'' is based in Victoria, British Columbia, Ca ...

'', 2003–present, Canada (English) * '' NewFoundSpecFic'', 2009–present, Canada (English) * '' Nova Science Fiction'', 1982–1987, revived 2004–present, Sweden * ''

On Spec ''On Spec'' is a digest-sized, perfect-bound, Canadian quarterly magazine publishing stories and poetry in science fiction, fantasy, and allied genres broadly grouped under the "speculative fiction" umbrella. History and profile Based in Edmon ...

'', 1989–present, Canada (English) * '' Quarber Merkur'', Austria * ''

Portti ''Portti'' (meaning ''Gateway'' in English) is a Finnish science fiction magazine published in Finland. History and profile ''Portti'', published since 1982, is famous for its popular annual short story A short story is a piece of prose fict ...

'', 1982–present,

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

* ''

RBG-Azimuth ''RBG-Azimuth'' (''GDC-Azimuth) was a quarterly Ukrainian bilingual (Russophone and Ukrainophone) science fiction magazine, published since 2006. Its stories were written in the Russian language by authors living around the world. This included ...

'', 2006–present,

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

* ''

'', 1979–present, China * ''

Sci Phi Journal ''Sci Phi Journal'' is a quarterly online magazine (formerly monthly, with a print option) devoted to publishing science fiction stories and essays "at the intersection between speculative philosophy", anthropology and other humanities, with a pa ...

'', 2014–present, Belgium * ''

SF Magazine is a science fiction magazine published by Hayakawa Shobō in Japan. It was Japan’s first successful science fiction prozine. History ''S-F Magazine'' was established in 1960. It began publication with the February 1960 issue, which appea ...

'', 1959–present, Japan * ''

Sirius B Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbreviated Alpha CMa ...

'', 2011–present, Croatia * ''

Solaris Solaris may refer to: Arts and entertainment Literature, television and film * ''Solaris'' (novel), a 1961 science fiction novel by Stanisław Lem ** ''Solaris'' (1968 film), directed by Boris Nirenburg ** ''Solaris'' (1972 film), directed by ...

'', 1974–present, Canada (French) * ''

Tähtivaeltaja ''Tähtivaeltaja'' (literally ''stellar wanderer'') is a Finnish language, Finnish quarterly science fiction magazine published in Finland. History and profile ''Tähtivaeltaja'' was started in 1982. The magazine is published by Helsingin science ...

'', 1982–present, Finland * '' Ubiq'', 2007–present, Croatia * '' Universe Pathways'', 2005–present,

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

* ''

Urania Urania ( ; grc, , Ouranía; modern Greek shortened name ''Ránia''; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy, and in later times, of Christian poetry. Urania is the goddess of astronomy and stars, he ...

'', 1952–present, Italy * '' Usva webzine'', 2005–present, Finland

References

Sources

Several sources give updates on the state of science fiction magazines.

Gardner Dozois Gardner Raymond Dozois ( ; July 23, 1947 – May 27, 2018) was an American people, American science fiction author and editing, editor. He was the founding editor of ''The Year's Best Science Fiction'' anthologies (1984–2018) and was editor of ...

presents a summary of the state of magazines in the introduction to the annual ''

The Year's Best Science Fiction ''The Year's Best Science Fiction'' was a series of science fiction anthology, anthologies edited by American Gardner Dozois until his death in 2018. The series, which is unrelated to the similarly titled and themed ''Year's Best SF'', was publish ...

'' volume. ''

Locus Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to: Entertainment * Locus (comics), a Marvel Comics mutant villainess, a member of the Mutant Liberation Front * ''Locus'' (magazine), science fiction and fantasy magazine ** ''Locus Award' ...

'' lists the circulation and discusses the status of pro and semi-pro SF magazines in their February year-in-review issue, and runs periodic summaries of non-US science fiction. * Day, Donald B., ''Index to the Science Fiction Magazines: 1926–1950'', Perri Press, 1952. * Strauss, Erwin S., ''The MIT Science Fiction Society's Index to the S-F Magazines: 1951–1965'',

MITSFS The MIT Science Fiction Society (or MITSFS) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a student organization which maintains and administers a large publicly accessible library of science fiction, fantasy, and science fantasy books and magaz ...

, 1965. * Clute, John and Nicholls, Peter, ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'',

St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under si ...

, 1993. * Knight, Damon, ''Science Fiction in the 30s'',

Avon Books Avon Publications is one of the leading publishers of romance fiction. At Avon's initial stages, it was an American paperback book and comic book publisher. The shift in content occurred in the early 1970s with multiple Avon romance titles reach ...

, 1977. * Asimov, Isaac and Greenberg, Martin H., ''Isaac Asimov presents Great Science Fiction Stories of 1939'', DAW Books, 1979.

External links

Website for ''Locus'', the newsmagazine of the science fiction field
* Illustrated checklists for over 1000 SF/fantasy/horror magazines

Duotrope
– search engine for fiction magazine markets
Howard and Jane Frank Collection of Science Fiction Pulp Magazines
at the

University of Maryland Libraries The University of Maryland Libraries is the largest university library in the Washington, D.C. - Baltimore area. The university's library system includes eight libraries: six are located on the College Park campus, while the Severn Library, an of ...

Early Science Fiction Pulp Magazines: Resources in Special Collections
at

Michigan State University Libraries Michigan State University Libraries (MSU Libraries) is the academic library system of Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research universi ...

The Pulp Magazines Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Science Fiction Magazine Science fiction webzines

History of science fiction magazines

The first science fiction magazines

The pulp era

Digest-sized magazines

British science fiction magazines

Transition from print to online science fiction magazines

List of current magazines

American magazines

British magazines

Other magazines

See also

References

Sources

External links