My friend and Clarion classmate Damien G. Walter has been agitating for a movement in support of speculative fiction’s short story markets, and it has culminated with Oct. 1 being designated Support Our ‘Zines Day. He is urging all of us to find ways today — monetary contribution, private communication, public oratory — to express our appreciation for the ‘zines we love.
Foremost in my affections is Strange Horizons, for reasons I’ve written about before. Another online magazine I frequently enjoy is Clakesworld Magazine. As far as places on the internet to read neat stuff goes, it really doesn’t get better than these two.
On the print publication side, Weird Tales is one of those magazines that I not only enjoy for its content, I also enjoy the way that reading it in public makes me feel cool. It’s just has that much character to it, holding it makes you feel like part of something. So, Weird Tales gets a thumbs up from me.
Electric Velocipede I haven’t ever read a copy of yet, but it seems to be buying stories from every one of my awesome friends, clearly reflecting a daring and laudable editorial philosophy. I’ll be buying this one myself soon.
Apex is publishing a fair amount of stuff I like lately, as is Fantasy Magazine. Back amongst the living is Realms of Fantasy, and while it remains to be seen what its new incarnation will be like (I found it pretty inconsistent before), it published one of my favorite individual stories I read in the last year. Sybil’s Garage is another one of those strong-on-character ‘zines that combine content and presentation into a really exciting package.
Finally, let us not forget America’s Big Three — getting smaller by the day and as in need of support as ever — Asimov’s, Analog, and Fantasy & Science Fiction. Asimov’s just bought a story from me, and getting a story into the other two, especially F&SF, is a career goal. People criticize them for being slow to react to a new media landscape, and there is perhaps some truth to that. But I’d like them to stick around, and think we will all be poorer for it if they go.
So, that’s a lot of links, reflecting a lot of different creative visions. I encourage you to go, sample, see what strikes your fancy. And if something strikes it especially hard, subscribe/donate/write an encouraging letter. Spend a little time and energy giving one of these publications a nudge forward into the future.