I have thought of signing up for the online issues, but I would like some feedback from subscribers on what it is like, how big, what type of stories, is it always the same authors, et cetera.
Any information out there?
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
quote:I would like some feedback from subscribers on what it is like
Unfortunately, you can't subscribe yet; Edmund Schubert, the editor, is trying to fix that, I think.
As for what it's like: I've been rather satisfied with it. It has a good mix of fantasy and science fiction stories, tending, I think, more towards soft touch science rather than Hard or Mundane, and contemporary fantasy rather than epic or sword and sorcery.
There are also occasional horror pieces.
While there is usually one big name author per issue (last issue was Peter Beagle, this one is Tim Pratt), most of the authors are relatively unknown-- which is not to say untalented. James Maxey, Eric James Stone, and Ken Scholes have all made appearances in the mag.
Issues (will) feature 4-5 short stories; an audio-book short story from OSC; an interview of some sort; some younger-reader fare from Dave Lubar; and generally they've included some work tied into OSC's canon. Issues are bi-monthly, and cost $2.50 which can be paid through Paypal, or via a credit card (I think).
Posted by Amka (Member # 690) on :
I've enjoyed the magazine quite a lot too. Definitely worth the price.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
I third the "worth it" opinion. At first I thought it might have a slightly less professional polish than Asimov's or Analog, but I was wrong. I have been subscribing to both of those ink & paper publications for the last few months (prior to that I'd pick one or the other up perhaps quarterly) and I've noticed they both contain stories that seem to be written by precocious adolescents (not that there's anything wrong with that, but stories that don't have that feeling are better, you know?). So I think IGMS is holding its own.
On the topic of adolescent writers, "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown is really, really awful. At least the first four or five chapters I've gotten through. Sorry, I just had to tell somebody.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
quote:At least the first four or five chapters I've gotten through. Sorry, I just had to tell somebody.
Stop reading now. It doesn't get better.
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
quote:Originally posted by lem: I have thought of signing up for the online issues, but I would like some feedback from subscribers on what it is like, how big, what type of stories, is it always the same authors, et cetera.
Any information out there?
It's generally worth it, but I do have to say that I'm pretty disappointed with this past issue. The only stories that clicked for me at all were "The End-of-the-World Pool" and "Over There", but while "Over There" was interesting, it was also really depressing and unlikable.
I suppose that part of the problem was that issue 11 was one of my favorites so far, and this recent one just kinda pales in comparison to it.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
quote:The only stories that clicked for me at all were "The End-of-the-World Pool"