''On Spec'' is a
digest-sized,
perfect-bound,
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
quarterly
magazine
A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
publishing stories and poetry in
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
,
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 allied genres broadly grouped under the "
speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term, umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from Realism (arts), realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or ...
" umbrella.
History and profile
Based in Edmonton, Alberta, ''On Spec'' was founded in 1989 by a small group of Edmonton writers who joined together to form The Copper Pig Writers Society. At the time, there was no paying market for English speculative fiction in Canada (though paying markets in French did exist). ''On Spec'' is Canada's longest-running, and according to author
Robert J. Sawyer, most successful, English-language magazine in the field.
Much more like a traditional small literary magazine than the mass-market-styled American science fiction digests such as ''
Analog'' and ''
Asimov's
''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine edited by Sheila Williams and published by Dell Magazines, which is owned by Penny Press. It was launched as a quarterly by Davis Publications in 1977, after obtaining Isaac A ...
'', ''On Spec'' was founded to address the frustration that English-speaking Canadian SF writers faced having to "Americanize" their stories for the existing US markets.
Awards
* 1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018
Aurora AwardBest Work in English: Other.
* 2020, 202
Aurora AwardBest Related Work.
See also
*
Science fiction magazine
*
Fantasy fiction magazine
*
Horror fiction magazine
*
List of Canadian magazines
*
Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine
References
External links
On Spec Magazine Official WebsiteAlberta Magazine Publishers AssociationOn Spec Magazine's PatreonFriends of On Spec Facebook groupOn Spec Twitter feed
1989 establishments in Alberta
Magazines established in 1989
Magazines published in Alberta
Mass media in Edmonton
Quarterly magazines published in Canada
Science fiction digests
Science fiction magazines established in the 1980s
Science fiction magazines published in Canada
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