This looks pretty cool: Escape Artists, the folks behind Escape Pod, Pseudopod and Podcastle are launching a new magazine called Mothership Zeta. Their first issue is now live, and it has an exciting table of contents!
The magazine is run by Mur Lafferty, Sunil Patel, and Karen Bovenmyer, with a focus on fun stories:
Mothership Zeta is looking for science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories that are fun. The robot who fights a dinosaur, not the robot who explores its lack of humanity and deactivates itself. The nagini who goes on an adventure, not the nagini who is tortured and drowns herself. The blonde woman who kills monsters, not the blonde woman who gets ripped apart by monsters. Fun doesn’t necessarily mean “funny,” and stories can have conflict and darker elements, but we want stories that leave the reader satisfied, usually in a positive way. Bittersweet is okay, tragic is not. (Unless you’re Cabin in the Woods. A killer unicorn buys you some credit.)
We hope to publish fiction reflecting the full range of settings and tropes found in speculative fiction. We’d particularly like to see more stories set outside America, and stories that feature characters who represent a range of backgrounds and ethnicities.
Here’s what the first issue has to offer:
- Fiction: “The Customer is Always Right” by Anna Salonen
- Fiction: “Q&A: An AI Love Story” by Fade Manley
- Nonfiction: “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Dwarf Planets” by Pamela L. Gay
- Fiction: “Panic Twice, Spin” by Malon Edwards
- Nonfiction: “Video Game Review: Why We Love Playing Flight Rising” by Karen Bovenmyer, Kri Dontje, and Mur Lafferty
- Reprint: “Imma Gonna Finish You Off” by Marina J. Lostetter
- Fiction: “Sleeping with Spirits” by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam
- Nonfiction: “The Story Doctor Is (In)” by James Patrick Kelly
- Nonfiction: “Series Review: Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody, Egyptologist” by Karen Bovenmyer
- Fiction: “Bargain” by Sarah Gailey
- Fiction: “Places” by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
- Nonfiction: “Favorite 2014-2015 Graphic Novels: Nimona, Finder: Third World, Ms. Marvel, Volume 1: No Normal, Trees and the upcoming Star Wars, Volume 1: Skywalker Strikes and Lady Killer” by Adam Gallardo
- Fiction: “Tales of a Fourth Grade Shoggoth” by Kevin Wetmore
- Nonfiction: “Movie Review: Turbo Kid: Why this BMX Blood Sparkle Unicorn Apocalypse will Blow your Mind” by Rachael Acks
- Nonfiction: “Book Review: Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl” by Karen Bovenmyer
- Nonfiction: “Book Review: M. R. Carey’s The Girl with All the Gifts” by Karen Bovenmyer
- Fiction: “The Insect Forest” by Paul DesCombaz
The magazine is currently closed to submissions, but is expected to open up again in 2016. You can purchase Issue #1 direct from Escape Artists via Payhip (epub & mobi), at Amazon or at Smashwords.
Fiction: “The Customer is Always Right” by Anna Salonen
Fiction: “Q&A: An AI Love Story” by Fade Manley
Nonfiction: “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Dwarf Planets” by Pamela L. Gay
Fiction: “Panic Twice, Spin” by Malon Edwards
Nonfiction: “Video Game Review: Why We Love Playing Flight Rising” by Karen Bovenmyer, Kri Dontje, and Mur Lafferty
Reprint: “Imma Gonna Finish You Off” by Marina J. Lostetter
Fiction: “Sleeping with Spirits” by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam
Nonfiction: “The Story Doctor Is (In)” by James Patrick Kelly
Nonfiction: “Series Review: Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody, Egyptologist” by Karen Bovenmyer
Fiction: “Bargain” by Sarah Gailey
Fiction: “Places” by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Nonfiction: “Favorite 2014-2015 Graphic Novels: Nimona, Finder: Third World, Ms. Marvel, Volume 1: No Normal, Trees and the upcoming Star Wars, Volume 1: Skywalker Strikes and Lady Killer” by Adam Gallardo
Fiction: “Tales of a Fourth Grade Shoggoth” by Kevin Wetmore
Nonfiction: “Movie Review: Turbo Kid: Why this BMX Blood Sparkle Unicorn Apocalypse will Blow your Mind” by Rachael Acks
Nonfiction: “Book Review: Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl” by Karen Bovenmyer
Nonfiction: “Book Review: M. R. Carey’s The Girl with All the Gifts” by Karen Bovenmyer
Fiction
Fiction: “The Customer is Always Right” by Anna Salonen
Fiction: “Q&A: An AI Love Story” by Fade Manley
Nonfiction: “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Dwarf Planets” by Pamela L. Gay
Fiction: “Panic Twice, Spin” by Malon Edwards
Nonfiction: “Video Game Review: Why We Love Playing Flight Rising” by Karen Bovenmyer, Kri Dontje, and Mur Lafferty
Reprint: “Imma Gonna Finish You Off” by Marina J. Lostetter
Fiction: “Sleeping with Spirits” by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam
Nonfiction: “The Story Doctor Is (In)” by James Patrick Kelly
Nonfiction: “Series Review: Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody, Egyptologist” by Karen Bovenmyer
Fiction: “Bargain” by Sarah Gailey
Fiction: “Places” by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Nonfiction: “Favorite 2014-2015 Graphic Novels: Nimona, Finder: Third World, Ms. Marvel, Volume 1: No Normal, Trees and the upcoming Star Wars, Volume 1: Skywalker Strikes and Lady Killer” by Adam Gallardo
Fiction: “Tales of a Fourth Grade Shoggoth” by Kevin Wetmore
Nonfiction: “Movie Review: Turbo Kid: Why this BMX Blood Sparkle Unicorn Apocalypse will Blow your Mind” by Rachael Acks
Nonfiction: “Book Review: Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl” by Karen Bovenmyer
Nonfiction: “Book Review: M. R. Carey’s The Girl with All the Gifts” by Karen Bovenmyer
Fiction
Fiction: “The Customer is Always Right” by Anna Salonen
Fiction: “Q&A: An AI Love Story” by Fade Manley
Nonfiction: “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Dwarf Planets” by Pamela L. Gay
Fiction: “Panic Twice, Spin” by Malon Edwards
Nonfiction: “Video Game Review: Why We Love Playing Flight Rising” by Karen Bovenmyer, Kri Dontje, and Mur Lafferty
Reprint: “Imma Gonna Finish You Off” by Marina J. Lostetter
Fiction: “Sleeping with Spirits” by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam
Nonfiction: “The Story Doctor Is (In)” by James Patrick Kelly
Nonfiction: “Series Review: Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody, Egyptologist” by Karen Bovenmyer
Fiction: “Bargain” by Sarah Gailey
Fiction: “Places” by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Nonfiction: “Favorite 2014-2015 Graphic Novels: Nimona, Finder: Third World, Ms. Marvel, Volume 1: No Normal, Trees and the upcoming Star Wars, Volume 1: Skywalker Strikes and Lady Killer” by Adam Gallardo
Fiction: “Tales of a Fourth Grade Shoggoth” by Kevin Wetmore
Nonfiction: “Movie Review: Turbo Kid: Why this BMX Blood Sparkle Unicorn Apocalypse will Blow your Mind” by Rachael Acks
Nonfiction: “Book Review: Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl” by Karen Bovenmyer
Nonfiction: “Book Review: M. R. Carey’s The Girl with All the Gifts” by Karen Bovenmyer
Fiction