Alphecca

Weekend Off!

The weather is beautiful and I have a rare weekend off. So I'm throwing open the windows and having a sip of wine and curling up with my cats. Okay, that's way more than you wanted to know but what I really like to do on days like this is try to catch-up with the pulps. Pulps are those precious-few magazines left (mostly digest size) that still print sci-fi and mystery stories. Here's a photo from a post of mine from almost two years ago:

Magazines such as Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock in the mystery field, and F&SF, Asimov's, and Analog in the sci-fi field represent the only remaining outlets for aspiring writers in these genres. They all print excellent short fiction and are a great deal for the money. All of them are struggling. In their hayday some of them had circulations of over 100,000 but now most of them are lucky to sell 50 thousand copies a month. Where else can you find a book-sized collection of first-rate fiction for only about $4.00 an issue, less if you subscribe, arriving in your mailbox 10 times a year?

All of them welcome submissions (no agent needed!) and all have other features as well. I invite you to visit their websites:

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

Asimov's Science Fiction

Analog Science Fiction & Fact

Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine

Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine

DNA Publications

Personally, I like the feel and pace of leisurely reading a book or especially a magazine. I urge you to pick one of these up at the local magazine shop (if they carry them) or at major chains such as Barnes & Noble which do distribute them. Support genre writers!

One other thing... Some (especially ex-smokers) might blanch at the cigarette pack in the picture. T.F.B. I smoke. I like to smoke. I will not apologize for smoking. Indeed, after eating a big, delicious, steaming chunk of lasagna, there's nothing like kicking-back with a cigarette. The only other blogger besides myself that is crazy sophisticated enough to smoke (or at least admit to it) is Acidman.

You know, I hate marching lock-step with all the goody-two-shoes of the world. I like to go my own libertarian way. And just as Kim du Toit sponsors National Ammo Day, I was thinking I'd do something for the radical smokers among us. If there can be a National Smoke-out Day then why not a National Smoke-in Day? Maybe I'll do that on my birthday this October (24th) and encourage folks to buy 'em and smoke 'em...

As for my taste in vodka, give me Smirnoff or give me death... And no sissy mixers please, just on the rocks with a slice of lemon.

Folks, you will be getting great reading by some of the very best authors in these fields delivered every month. They don't get much pay because these magazines can't afford to pay much. But they provide a much needed outlet for short fiction. Please visit the websites above and consider subscribing. Do you really want to only read stuff from a computer screen consuming who knows how many watts of power or would you rather lie-back on your sofa and relax with a friendly magazine of exciting fiction? Don't lie to me...

Please support the few remaining pulp magazines. I'm doing it this weekend.