Save the pulps!
by Matt Hughes

During a panel discussion at Rustycon, I learned that today's fandom is full of young (i.e., thirty and under) novel readers who simply do not know that venerable sf pulp mags like F&SF, Asimov's and Analog are still publishing.

It’s weird to think that this year will see Will Smith starring in I, Robot, a movie based on Isaac Asimov’s stories, while the magazine that bears his name struggles to keep the doors open.

The mags' circulation numbers have been dropping for years, which poses a real problem for up-and-coming sf writers, because the pulps are where many writers make their bones and first get noticed by editors.  They are still prime venues for discovering great short sf fiction, for finding shorts by novelists you've read and for identifying the new talent before they produce that first novel.  More than that, they are grand old institutions of science fiction and fantasy and it would be a shame to see them go under just because not enough people know they are still there.

All three mags have websites with interactive forums where the editors and some of the authors respond to comments and queries--how often do you get to stroke (or bitch at) a favourite or not-so-favourite pro?

These days, the mags are not only available on newsstands or by subscription;  each has a downloadable e-version.

Do yourself a favour:  check them out. The sites are at:

Analog
Asimov’s
F&SF

Here endeth the rant.