''InterGalactic Medicine Show'' (sometimes shortened to ''IGMS'') was an American

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fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

and science fiction magazine. It was founded in 2005 by multiple award-winning author

Orson Scott Card Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...

and was edited by Edmund R. Schubert from 2006–2016, after which Scott Roberts took over. It was originally biannual, but became quarterly in 2008 and bimonthly in 2009, except for a brief hiatus in 2010. The magazine ceased publication in June 2019.

History

The magazine's original publishing schedule, as reported on Sci Fi Wire on 29 September 2005, was to be quarterly, with columns updated monthly. The first issue was released 15 October 2005, the second released 1 March 2006, the third was released 2 October 2006 and the fourth was released 20 February 2007. Since the fifth issue in July 2007, new issues have been released quarterly.Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show
''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction,'' April 9, 2015 Beginning in March 2009, the magazine's schedule was increased to bi-monthly, while the amount of content per issue was slightly reduced. The first two issues were edited by Card himself. The magazine was edited by Edmund R. Schubert from June 2006 until June 2016. Scott Roberts took over as the editor beginning in July 2016. In June 2019, the magazine ceased publication with issue #69.

Stories and features

''IGMS'' featured original stories by such award-winning authors as

Peter S. Beagle Peter Soyer Beagle (born April 20, 1939) is an American novelist and screenwriter, especially of fantasy fiction. His best-known work is ''The Last Unicorn'' (1968), a fantasy novel he wrote in his twenties, which '' Locus'' subscribers voted the ...

David Farland John David Wolverton (May 28, 1957 – January 14, 2022), better known by his pen names Dave Wolverton and David Farland, was an American author, editor, and instructor of online writing workshops and groups. He wrote in several genres but was ...

Tim Pratt Tim Pratt (born December 12, 1976) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and poet. He won a Hugo Award in 2007 for his short story " Impossible Dreams". He has written over 20 books, including the Marla Mason series and several Path ...

Eugie Foster Eugie Foster (December 30, 1971 – September 27, 2014) was an American short story writer, columnist, and editor. Her stories were published in a number of magazines and book anthologies, including '' Fantasy Magazine'', '' Realms of Fantasy'', ...

, Bud Sparhawk, Mary Robinette Kowal,

James Maxey James Maxey is an American author best known for his work in the fields of science fiction and fantasy. He has won the Phobos Award, been nominated for the WSFA Small Press Award, is a 2015 Piedmont Laureate, and reprinted in the Year's Best Sci ...

, Mette Ivie Harrison,

Sharon Shinn Sharon Shinn (born 1957) is an American novelist who writes combining aspects of fantasy, science fiction and romance. She has published more than a dozen novels for adult and young adult readers. Her works include the Shifting Circles Series, ...

Eric James Stone Eric James Stone (born 1967) is an American science fiction, fantasy, and horror author. He won the 2004 Writers of the Future contest, and has published in ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'', '' InterGalactic Medicine Show'', and ''Jim Baen's ...

and

. In addition to short fiction, each issue was fully illustrated and includes audio content, and serialization of longer works by Card. In 2009, Greg Siewert's story, "The Absence of Stars: Part One" won the WSFA Small Press Award for best short story of the year. In 2011 Nick Greenwood won the

Chesley Award The Chesley Awards were established in 1985 by the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists to recognize individual artistic works and achievements during a given year. The Chesleys were initially called the ASFA Awards, but were later re ...

for Best Cover Illustration (Magazine) for issue #17's cover, and in 2014 Alex Shvartzman's "Explaining Cthulhu to Grandma" won another WSFA Small Press Award. Other ''IGMS'' stories have been nominated for national awards and have been reprinted in various Year's Best anthologies, as well as appearing on the ''

Locus (magazine) ''Locus: The Magazine of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field'', founded in 1968, is an American magazine published monthly in Oakland, California. It is the news organ and trade journal for the English-language science fiction and fantasy fields ...

'' annual recommended reading list. In addition to the fiction, the site featured weekly columns and reviews, along with regular author interviews.

Anthology

Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show ''Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show'' (2008) is a science fiction and fantasy anthology edited by Edmund R. Schubert and Orson Scott Card. Originally published in paperback by Tor Books in August 2008, it contains eighteen storie ...

'', an anthology reprinting selected stories from the webzine, was published by Tor in August, 2008, edited by Edmund R. Schubert and Orson Scott Card. Two further reprint anthologies were published as e-books; a collection of stories winning the magazine's reader's award, ''InterGalactic Medicine Show Awards Anthology, Vol. I Kindle Edition'' in 2012, and a second anthology, '' IGMS: Big Book of SF Novelettes,'' published by Hatrack River as an e-book in 2013, with further reprints of stories that have appeared in the magazine.Jamie Todd Rubin
A New Reprint Anthology from InterGalactic Medicine Show (with a story by me!)
December 26, 2013

Staff

, Publisher and Executive Editor * Scott Roberts, Editor (July 2016 – June 2019) * Cyndie Swindlehurst, Managing Editor * Scott J. Allen, Web Designer * Sara Ellis, Assistant Editor * Chris Bellamy, Assistant Editor & Art Director * Lauren M. Harris, Assistant Editor (started in 2015) * John Ellis, Assistant Editor * Lawrence M. Schoen, Reprint Editor

Former staff

* Kathleen A. Bellamy, Managing Editor * Edmund R. Schubert, Editor (June 2006-June 2016) *

, Assistant Editor (departed at the end of 2014)

References

External links

*
Side-Show Freaks
Editor Edmund R. Schubert's IGMS blog featuring essays by authors whose work appears on the IGMS site *''Tangent'
reviews of stories in IGMS
{{DEFAULTSORT:Intergalactic Medicine Show Biannual magazines published in the United States Bimonthly magazines published in the United States Online magazines published in the United States Quarterly magazines published in the United States Defunct science fiction magazines published in the United States Fantasy fiction magazines Magazines established in 2005 Magazines disestablished in 2019 Science fiction webzines