Technology Review, MIT’s science magazine for consumers, has announced the launch of a fiction magazine, TRSF. The magazine will have stories with ties to the parent magazine and will include works by authors including Joe Haldeman, Pat Cadigan, Vandana Singh, Ma Boyong, Gwyneth Jones, and Cory Doctorow. It is edited by Stephen Cass.
Editor Sheryl Tempchin says that Zahir, a quarterly magazine of speculative fiction founded in 2003, has ceased publication. Between 2003 and 2009, Zahir published twenty issues, with another eight issues published on-line after print production ceased. The magazines archives will stay available on-line despite the closure.
The SFWA Board has voted to extend the probationary period for Dorchester Books until January 31 with a vote of 6-0 with two abstentions. The board determined that with the probationary period coming to an end with the close of 2011, holiday, family, and other end-of-year obligations kept them from reviewing the situation in a complete manner and voted to extend the period. Dorchester was placed on probation in December, 2010.
After a change in their printer, David Hartwell at the New York Review of Science Fiction is considering ceasing production of a print magazine, investigating the option of publishing a pdf issue of the magazine. He will continue to publish print issues through July 2012. NYRSF will not be accepting subscriptions past July until a decision on the magazine’s future has been made. Whatever choice is made, Hartwell is clear that the magazine will continue.
John Joseph Adams, who recently became the publisher of Lightspeed and Fantasy in addition to their editor has announced the two magazines will merge. The combined magazine will double the fiction content, including four science fiction and four fantasy in each issue, although the amount of non-fiction content will be decreased. The price of the magazine will be increasing by about $1 per issue.
SFWA has announced the lifting of the probation period for Night Shade Books. Night Shade was placed on probation on July 8, 2010 after irregularities surfaced in Night Shade’s contractual fulfillment and rights. Night Shade has worked closely with SFWA during the intervening period to ensure that the infractions were rectified. Fiction contracted during that probationary term is acceptable for qualification for SFWA membership.
Terry Martin has announced that British series anthology Murky Depths would cease publication with the publication of issue 18. The first issue of Murky Depths appeared in 2007. Murky Depths had provided a mix of prose and comics in a glossy format.
William and Kim Gilchrist of Damnation Books LLC have announced the cancellation of Realms of Fantasy magazine. The Gilchrists bought the magazine last year after Warren Lapine cancelled the magazine after purchasing it from Sovereign Media. The Gilchrists are looking for a buyer, but the magazine, still edited by its founding editor, Shawna McCarthy, may have published its final issue.
Steve Davidson, who was recently awarded the lapses Amazing Stories trademark, has announced the formation of an advisory board which consists of four former editors of the magazine: Barry Malzberg, Patrick L. Price, Ted White, and Joseph Wrzos. Davidson has also commissioned a cover for the first electronic issue, from artist Frank Wu.
The beta text of the third edition of the Science Fiction Encyclopedia, edited by John Clute and David Langford has gone live. The editors note that additional entries will continue to be added and the current version is not final. The on-line version is sponsored by Gollancz.