Tangent edited by David A. Truesdale is the only magazine that reviews exclusively short fiction in the sf and fantasy field. Tangent also regularly runs astute criticism of short horror by Lillian Csernica, an unfailingly incendiary column about science fiction and fantasy by Paul Riddell, interviews, and genre news. Highly recommended for anyone interested in short stories. 5779 Norfleet, Raytown, MO 64133.
Video Watchdog edited by Tim Lucas is dedicated to meticulously detailing alternate versions of videos from their original commercial release and other video/laser disc versions. It's fascinating even without having seen the actual movie. Nice layouts with good reproduction of b&w movie stills. Lucas covers everything.
Horror edited by John B. Rosenman and Joe Morey is the equivalent of science fiction's Locus, although the magazine is meant to be a quarterly but has not yet stuck to that schedule. It contains interviews, market reports, reviews of magazines and books, and nonfiction articles. A must for the horror professional and readers interested in the field. Dark Regions Press, P.O. Box 6301, Concord, CA 94524.
Darkecho edited by Paula Guran is a free weekly online newsletter for the horror field. It has been a pioneer in this area, and is in its fourth year of publication. It covers news of the field in detail, but with a personal touch; eg. describing her experiences at BookExpoAmerica with an eye toward its importance to horror readers/publishers/writers. Darkecho also publishes reviews, market reports, and news of the field. This is sent via email and some of the material can also be found at her website. (Guran's Darkecho website is part of the OMNI Internet site for which I work). For information: Darkecho@aol.com. Guran has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award in the Special Award-non-professional category for her work on Darkecho--newsletter and website.
Hellnotes edited by David B. Silva, is a new weekly horror newsletter with interviews, news of the field, upcoming releases, and market reports. David B. Silva, Hellnotes, 27780 Donkey Mine Road, Oak Run, CA 96069. For information: dbsilva@shasta.com.
Scavenger's Newsletter edited by Janet Fox is a monthly marketing newsletter for sf/fantasy/mystery/horror writers and artists interested in the small press. This is the oldest of the monthly newsletters. 519 Ellinwood, Osage City, KS 66523-1329.
Severed Head: The Journal of the Australian Horror Writers edited by Aaron Stern is an invaluable source of information: news, market reports, articles, etc. on the state of horror in Australia and in general. There was a fascinating piece on the Ballard/Cronenberg movie Crash. Published quarterly and is available free to Australia Horror Writers members, for swap with other publications, and by subscription. For information write PO Box 7347, St. Kilda's Road, Melbourne, Victoria Australia 3004. E-mail:asterns@deakin.edu. As most small press magazines do not come out on a regular schedule, and most fail after an average of about four issues, I advise readers to buy single issues where possible rather than subscribe. The difference between professional and non-professional magazines? Only in non pro magazines do you read an editorial criticising rival magazines. Editors can complain all they want in private about how their magazine has not been nominated for this or that award and how a rival magazine isn't doing a very good job, etc. Can it. Save it for your friends if you want to be taken seriously.
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, with a new editor, Gordon Van Gelder, was responsible for some excellent short dark fiction during 1997. I don't know how much of the material was left in inventory by former editor Kristine Kathryn Rusch (who had a good eye for horror). An immediate result can be seen in Van Gelder's hirings of an excellent group of reviewers to alternate: Elizabeth Hand, Douglas E. Winter, Robert K.J. Killheffer, and others. (Van Gelder is Terri Windling and my in-house editor for our annual The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror series)
Interzone edited by David Pringle is the major science fiction monthly in the U.K. During 1997 the magazine published some sf/horror, and occasionally even just "horror" on its own. IZ showcases new talent and is always literate. IZ also publishes several regular review columns by John Clute, Paul McAuley, Gwyneth Jones, and other notables in the field. Interzone published first or early stories by Americans Richard Kadrey, Michael Blumlein, and Scott Bradfield. It is worthy of your support. 217 Preston Drive, Brighton BN1 6FL, UK.
Cemetery Dance edited by Richard Chizmar seems to be succeeding in getting back on its quarterly schedule. Some very good fiction and the usual fine columns by Charles L. Grant and Bob Morrish. A new column by Poppy Z. Brite. CD Publications, P.O. Box 943, Abington, MD 21009.
The Third Alternative edited by Andy Cox has instituted the excellent policy of commissioning one artist illustrate an entire issue, giving each issue a lovely continuity. This magazine is looking better and better with a strong, simple, readable design and format, excellent art, and really good short fiction. Issue 11 had a profile of Geoff Ryman and an interview with Chris Kenworthy. Issue 12 discusses the horror of Ian McEwan. Both issues are excellent. TA Press, 5 Martins Lane, Witcham, Ely, Cambs CB6 2LB, United Kingdom.
Midnight Graffiti edited by Jessie Horsting returns in time for a winter/spring 1997 issue. The erratically published magazine always looks good and this issue is no exception with an H.R. Giger cover and visually attractive and readable interior layouts. Excellent reviews, news section, and an exceptional interview with Neil Gaiman. Only the fiction falls short--three stories, one unreadable experimentation, one a reprint, and one entertaining but minor story by David Schow. 22469 Domingo Road, Woodland Hills, CA 91364.
All Hallows: The Journal of the Ghost Story Society edited by Christopher and Barbara Roden is a must for anyone interested in the ghost story. It is published thrice-yearly in February, June, and October for members of the Ghost Story Society.The journal contains news, essays, reviews, and fiction relating to the ghost story. Highly recommended. Membership to the society is $23.00 payable to The Ghost Story Society, PO Box 1360, Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada VOK 1AO. For more information contact the editors via e-mail: ashtree@mail.netshop.net.
Ghosts & Scholars edited by Rosemary Pardoe is the publication for news and criticism of M.R. Jamesian type horror and dark fantasy. #23 was an exceptionally good issue with excellent fiction choices. US agent is Richard Fawcett, 61 Teecomwas Drive, Uncasville, CT 06382.
Peeping Tom edited by Stuart Hughes usually has an excellent selection of original and reprinted (although rarely credited) horror fiction.Yew Tree House, 15 Nottingham Road, Ashby de la Zouche Leceistershire LE65 1DJ, UK.
Space & Time edited by Gordon Linzer, came out with its 30th anniversary issue, and an excellent one it was. The magazine has progressively gotten better and more professional looking over the years, and provides readers with a good variety of sf, fantasy, and horror. Twice yearly. 138 W. 70th Street 4B, New York, NY 10023-4468.
Wetbones edited by Paula Guran is the new incarnation of the short-lived (one issue) Bones, that debuted last November. Two issues came out in 1997. It's got excellent b&w illustrations and a good mix of dark fiction. Also, columns by John Shirley and Phil Nutman, film, music, and book reviews. Darkecho, PO Box 5410, Akron, OH 44334.
Pirate Writings edited by Edward J. McFadden publishes a mix of fantasy, horror, sf stories and poetry. The magazine regularly publishes interviews and reviews and a column on the weird and unexplainable. The format is readable and the layout attractive. Most of the art is bad. Pirate Writings Publishing, PO Box 329, Brightwaters,NY 11718-0329.
On Spec edited by the Copper Pig Writers' Society is one of Canada's premier sf/fantsy magazines. The winter and spring issues did not have much that was dark. Although there was one very good reprint. The summer issue didn't have much that was all that dark but did have an excellent essay by writer Robert Sawyer about submitting professional-looking manuscripts. POBox 4727, Edmonton, AB Canada T6E 5G6.
Back Brain Recluse edited by Chris Reed is one of a handful of mixed genre magazines that publishes excellent stories of all types. Some of its design is beautiful and some of it's terrible. Two stories in the current issue are, in fact, so over-designed as to make them unreadable, doing a grave injustice to the contributors and the readers. BBR can be ordered through the New SF Alliance. For a free catalog send an sae to NSFA, c/o Chris Reed, PO Box 625, Sheffield S1 3GY, UK. Or online http://www.syspace.co.uk/bbr/nsfa-cat.html
The Silver Web edited by Ann Kennedy is a semi-annual that mixes sf, fantasy, and horror fiction and is always beautifully and carefully designed. Issue #14 has an extraordinarily revealing and tortured interview with artist Rodger Gerberding by Poppy Z. Brite and another good one with Jonathan Carroll. Smart, opinionated reviews by Cliff Burns and as usual, good fiction. Two issues are $12 payable to BuzzCity Press, PO 38190, Tallahassee, FL 32315.
Weirdbook 30/Whispers Final Issue combines two of the most important small press magazines of the 70s and 80s into one final magazine. Weirdbook edited by W. Paul Ganley has published "weird" fiction in the tradition of the old Weird Tales and this issue contains stories by the modern purveyors of such work--Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Darrel Schweitzer, and Brian McNaughton, among others. Ganley, in ill health, intends to "terminate his publishing activities in an orderly fashion" before he can no longer do so. Whispers edited by Stuart David Schiff was started in 1973 and specialized in dark fantasy.. In this last issue Schiff presents the best of the 20 or so stories left in his inventory, including what may be the last story sold by Joseph Payne Brennan before he died and stories by the late Avram Davidson, and by Hugh Cave, David Drake, Chet Williamson, and (relative) newcomer Ken Wisman. Both magazines have been important to the world of horror and dark fantasy and will be sorely missed.
Copyright (C) 1997 by Omni Publications International, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.