HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Lightspeed'' is an American
online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity, and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed as "on lin ...
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
and
science fiction magazine A science fiction magazine is a publication that offers primarily science fiction, either in a hard-copy periodical format or on the Internet. Science fiction magazines traditionally featured speculative fiction in short story, novelette, nov ...
edited and published by
John Joseph Adams John Joseph Adams (born July 31, 1976) is an American science fiction and fantasy editor, critic, and publisher. Career Editor Adams worked as Assistant Editor at ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' from May 2001 to December 2009. In ...
. The first issue was published in June 2010 and it has maintained a regular monthly schedule since. The magazine published four original stories and four reprints in every issue, in addition to interviews with the authors and other nonfiction. All of the content published in each issue is available for purchase as an ebook and for free on the magazine's website. ''Lightspeed'' also made selected stories available as a free podcast, produced by
Audie Award The Audie Awards (, rhymes with "gaudy"; abbreviated from ''audiobook''), or simply the Audies, are awards for achievement in spoken word, particularly audiobook narration and audiodrama performance, published in the United States of America. They ...
–winning editor Stefan Rudnicki.


History

''Lightspeed'' was founded and run as a science fiction magazine by publisher Sean Wallace of Prime Books with John Joseph Adams as editor. Wallace also published ''Lightspeed''s sister publication '' Fantasy Magazine''; Adams came on as editor of ''Fantasy Magazine'' with the March 2011 issue. During this period the magazine was headquartered in
Gaithersburg, Maryland Gaithersburg ( ) is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. At the time of the 2020 United States census, Gaithersburg had a population of 69,657, making it the third-largest incorporated city and the ninth-most populous communit ...
. ''Lightspeed'' became an SFWA-qualifying market in July 2011. In November 2011 Adams purchased ''Lightspeed'' and ''Fantasy Magazine'' from Wallace. With the January 2012 issue, the first published under Adams's ownership, the content of both magazines was combined under the ''Lightspeed'' masthead, and ''Fantasy Magazine'' was discontinued as an entity. The ''Fantasy Magazine'' staff was also absorbed into ''Lightspeed''. In September 2013, ''Lightspeed'' announced their first Special Issue, titled "Women Destroy Science Fiction", an anthology entirely written and edited by women. This issue was funded via
Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...
, earning $53,136 with an original goal of $5,000. The additional funds allowed ''Lightspeed'' to publish further volumes, entitled "Women Destroy Fantasy" and "Women Destroy Horror."


Awards and recognition

''Lightspeed'' was a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine in 2011, 2012, and 2013, and won in 2014 and 2015. In 2011 its podcast was awarded a Parsec award for Maggie Clark's "Saying the Names." In 2010, two ''Lightspeed'' stories were finalists for the
Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), a nonprofit association of pr ...
for Best Short Story: Adam-Troy Castro's " Arvies" and Vylar Kaftan's " I'm Alive, I Love You, I'll See You in Reno" and in 2011 "Amaryllis" by Carrie Vaughn was a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Short story. In 2011, Adam-Troy Castro's " Her Husband's Hands" and Tom Crosshill's "Mama, We are Zhenya, Your Son" were finalists for the Best Short Story Nebula, while Jake Kerr's "The Old Equations" was nominated for Best Novella. In 2012,
Maria Dahvana Headley Maria Dahvana Headley (born June 21, 1977) is an American novelist, memoirist, editor, translator, poet, and playwright. She is a ''New York Times''-bestselling author as well as editor. Her work includes ''Magonia'', a young-adult space-fanta ...
's "Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream" and Ken Liu's "The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species" were both finalists for the Best Short Story Nebula. In 2014, Ken Liu's "The Litigation Master and the Monkey King" and Christopher Barzak's "Paranormal Romance" were both finalists for the Best Novelette Nebula. In 2014, Matthew Kressel's "The Sounds of Old Earth" and Sylvia Spruck Wrigley's "Alive, Alive Oh" were both finalists for the Best Short Story Nebula. Some stories were nominated for the
Theodore Sturgeon Award The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award is an annual literary award presented by the Theodore Sturgeon Literary Trust and the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best short science fiction story ...
: Yoon Ha Lee's "Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain" in 2011, Jake Kerr's "The Old Equations" in 2012, and Ken Liu's "The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species" in 2013. Several stories published in the magazine have been reprinted in anthologies devoted to recognizing excellence in the genre: * ''The Year's Best Science Fiction'', edited by
Gardner Dozois Gardner Raymond Dozois ( ; July 23, 1947 – May 27, 2018) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the founding editor of '' The Year's Best Science Fiction'' anthologies (1984–2018) and was editor of '' Asimov's Science Fict ...
, "Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain" by Yoon Ha Lee, "In-Fall" by Ted Kosmatka, and "Amaryllis" by Carrie Vaughn * ''The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy'' edited by Rich Horton, "Arvies" by Adam-Troy Castro, "No Time Like the Present" by
Carol Emshwiller Carol Emshwiller (April 12, 1921 – February 2, 2019) was an American writer of avant-garde short stories and science fiction who won prizes for her work including the Nebula Award to the Philip K. Dick Award. Ursula K. Le Guin has called her ...
, "Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain" by Yoon Ha Lee, and "Standard Loneliness Package" by Charles Yu * ''The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year'' edited by
Jonathan Strahan Jonathan Strahan (born 1964, Belfast, Northern Ireland) is an editor and publisher of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. His family moved to Perth, Western Australia in 1968, and he graduated from the University of Western Australia with a ...
, "The Zeppelin Conductors' Society Annual Gentlemen's Ball" by Genevieve Valentine * ''Year's Best SF 16'', edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer, "How to Become a Mars Overlord" by Catherynne M. Valente, and "The Cassandra Project" by Jack McDevitt


References


External links

* {{CurrentAmericanSFMagazines Monthly magazines published in the United States Science fiction magazines published in the United States Online magazines published in the United States Fantasy fiction magazines Hugo Award–winning works Magazines established in 2010 Science fiction webzines 2010 establishments in Maryland Magazines published in Maryland Gaithersburg, Maryland