Best short story, genre-fiction magazine subscriptions

August 21, 2018 12:30 PM

I want to read short stories to help me develop my own writing prowess. Which magazines would you recommend? Bonus points for Kindle-based subscriptions. My preferred genres (though I'm interested in anything well-written): sci-fi, fantasy, horror, war (beginning with WW1), "weird" fiction/cosmic horror. Anything which you think would be useful for a burgeoning writer would be welcome.
posted by miltthetank to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

Best answer: Hello from another developing writer! I've had a kindle subscription to Apex for a couple of months now, and haven't been disappointed yet. I don't read a lot of short fiction since novels are more my thing, so I've only got the one sub for right now.
posted by bridgebury at 12:39 PM on August 21, 2018

Best answer: I love scifi and fantasy literary magazines! Of the "big ones," here are some of my favourites: I believe that they all have Kindle subscription options. Most also have podcasts with full recordings of feature stories.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies: secondary world fantasy
Uncanny: science fiction and fantasy, often with a poetic bent
Lightspeed: science fiction and fantasy
Clarkesworld: science fiction and fantasy, seems to publish more translated sff
Nightmare: horror and weird fiction

My very favourite magazine is Strange Horizons. There's no Kindle subscription, that I know of, but everything is available free online, and there is an incredibly well-read podcast.
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 1:47 PM on August 21, 2018 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Fireside is theoretically an all-genre publisher, but I discovered them via spec-fic writers like Amal El-Mohtar.

It tends to be decidedly cozier than your preferences, though.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 2:40 PM on August 21, 2018

Shimmer is great but unfortunately closing.
posted by colorblock sock at 3:59 PM on August 21, 2018

Uncanny Magazine is funding its 5th year right now through Kickstarter, it's got 3 days left (funded, but the next stretch goal is producing a TV pilot which could be pretty cool).
posted by quaking fajita at 6:39 AM on August 22, 2018