Interzone (magazine)

''Interzone'' is a British fantasy and science fiction magazine. Published since 1982, ''Interzone'' is the eighth-longest-running English language science fiction magazine in history, and the longest-running British science fiction (SF) magazine. Stories published in ''Interzone'' have been finalists for the Hugo Awards and have won a Nebula Award and numerous British Science Fiction Awards.

History

''Interzone'' was initially produced by an unpaid collective of eight peopleJohn Clute, Alan Dorey, Malcolm Edwards, Colin Greenland, Graham James, Roz Kaveney, Simon Ounsley and David Pringle. According to Dorey, the group had been fans of the science fiction magazine '' New Worlds'' and wanted to create a "''New Worlds'' for the 1980s, something that would publish only great fiction and be a proper outlet for new writers."

While the magazine started as an editorial collective, soon editor David Pringle was the driving force behind ''Interzone''. In 1984 ''Interzone'' received a generous donation from Sir Clive Sinclair; the magazine later received support from the Arts Council of Great Britain, Yorkshire Arts, and the Greater London Arts Association.

''Interzone'' was first initially published quarterly, from Spring 1982 to Issue 24, Summer 1988. It was then on a bi-monthly schedule from September/October 1988 to Issue 34, March/April 1990. For over a decade, it was then published monthly until several slippages of schedule reduced it to an effectively bi-monthly magazine in 2003.

Founding editor David Pringle stepped down in early 2004 with issue 193. It was taken over by Andy Cox, who had founded TTA Press to publish his magazine ''The Third Alternative'', which was subsequently renamed '' Black Static'' and published alongside ''Interzone''. Under TTA Press, the magazine underwent a series of redesigns, notably switching from A4 to a compact perfect bound format in 2012. Gardner Dozois referred to ''Interzone'' in 2007 as the "handsomest SF magazine in the business".

In 2006, the Science Fiction Writers of America removed the magazine from its list of professional markets due to low rates and small circulation. However, within the genre field the magazine is still ranked as a professional publication. As Dozois has stated, "By the definition of SFWA, ''Interzone'' doesn't really qualify as a 'professional magazine' because of its low rates and circulation, but as it's thoroughly professional in the caliber of writers that it attracts and in the quality of the fiction it produces, just about everyone considers it to be a professional magazine anyway." It pays semi-professional rates to writers.

In January 2021, after announcing a delay of issue 290 "for various reasons (some covid-related, some not)", Andy Cox announced that he was stepping down as editor of ''Interzone'', and selling the title to PS Publishing, who planned a quarterly digital-only title edited by Ian Whates. However, the deal was later cancelled, with Andy Cox saying he was unhappy that existing subscriptions would not be honoured.

A "double issue" numbered 290/291 was published in June 2021, followed by 292/293 in July 2022, which was announced as the 100th and last to be published by TTA Press. From issue 294 onwards, the magazine will be edited by Gareth Jelley, and published by his MYY Press, aiming to restore the bimonthly schedule. An accompanying online magazine, interzone.digital, was launched at the same time as the official announcement.

Awards and recognition

''Interzone'' has been nominated 25 consecutive times for the Hugo Award for best semiprozine, winning the award in 1995. In 2005 the Worldcon committee gave David Pringle a Special Award for his work on the magazine. The magazine has also won the British Fantasy Award.

Each year, multiple stories published in ''Interzone'' are reprinted in the annual "year's best stories" anthologies, while other stories have been finalists for the Hugo and Nebula Awards. In 2010 the magazine became one of only eleven magazines to have a story win a Nebula Award. The winning story was the novelette "Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast" by Eugie Foster. In addition, 16 stories originally published in ''Interzone'' have won the British Science Fiction Award for short fiction.

''Interzone'' is the eighth longest-running English language science fiction magazine in history"Interzone Evaluated: Awards, Stories Reprinted, Issues Published"
by Colin Harvey, Suite 101, 19 July 2010, Retrieved 18 Sep 2010. and the longest-running British SF magazine.

Writers

''Interzone'' has been responsible for starting the careers of a number of important
science fiction writers, including Stephen Baxter, Greg Egan, Kim Newman, Alastair Reynolds and Charles Stross, as well as publishing works by established writers such as Brian Aldiss, J. G. Ballard, Iain M. Banks, Thomas M. Disch, William Gibson, Robert Holdstock, Gwyneth Jones, Terry Pratchett, Christopher Priest, John Sladek, Brian Stableford, Ian Watson and many others. Interzone is also known for publishing new and upcoming writers, regularly publishing the works of Tim Lees, Aliette de Bodard, Gareth L. Powell, Eugie Foster, Jason Sanford, Val Nolan, Nina Allan, and others.

''Interzone'' features regular columns by David Langford (''Ansible Link''– News & Gossip, Obituaries), Tony Lee (''Laser Fodder'' – DVD Reviews) and Nick Lowe

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