Science Fiction and Fantasy
There was a time when the idea of a world-wide system linking people and computers might have been straight out of the pages of the latest science fiction magazine. No surprise then, that science fiction and fantasy fans, writers, editors, artists, and more have taken to the Internet in large numbers from the time of the early bulletin board discussion groups to the instant messaging, blogs, and chat rooms of today. Whether you're new to science fiction and fantasy and want to know more, have a favorite writer you'd like to know more about, are looking for information on actors, movies, and TV shows, or would like to meet people who share the same interests in science fiction and fantasy as you do, the Internet is the perfect place to find out what you need to know.
Expand All Guide SectionsFantasy and Science Fiction History and News
Over the years, a whole culture has grown up around people's love of and appreciation for fantasy ... read more »
Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazines and Books
For science fiction and fantasy writers, magazines, whether in print or online, are a place to try out their craziest ideas, play with new styles, and perfect their craft. The plots and ideas of science fiction and fantasy movies and TV shows are almost always taken from books and stories. A good thing then that the Internet is home not only to Web versions of print magazines, but also to Web-only publications, and a large number of review sites covering all the latest on- and offline publications.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Fan fiction is a consequence of the fan-oriented nature of fantasy and science fiction. Fanfic, as it's known, had its start in the 1970s, when Star Trek fans who were disappointed with the cancellation of the original series started writing their own episodes, printing them up, and trading with other fans. The idea spread until today you can find fanfic devoted to almost any popular TV series, book, or movie, from Harry Potter to Star Gate SG-1, and even Days of Our Lives. Be warned, though, that a good percentage of fanfic is devoted to portraying favorite characters doing things they couldn't do in their official version. That means lots of sex and extreme acts of violence. Parents will want to check out any fan fiction sites their children might be drawn to. "Fan Fiction - A User's Guide", is a good introduction to fanfic, and includes a handy glossary of terms.
- Many books these days are available in downloadable editions known as e-books. Some e-books need special software or a viewer to read. Many you can read right inside your browser. Electric Story has a wide selection of e-books available, some of them for free.
- If you don't have enough time to read these days, and many don't, an Internet alternative is the podcast, a downloadable recording of authors and others reading stories, conducting interviews, and commenting on science fiction and fantasy. There are many Web sites where podcasts are available, and a good place to find fantasy and science fiction is The Escape Pod.
Dulcinea's Picks
For science fiction and fantasy magazines on the Internet ...
Asimov's Science Fiction
is the Web site for the best-selling science fiction magazine in print. There's a discussion forum, history of the magazine, links, blogs, columns, and sometimes a story from the latest issue.
Analog Science Fiction & Fact
is the magazine for readers of hard science fiction, sf that deals most closely with scientific ideas. Their Web site has links, submission guidelines, a discussion forum, table of contents for the latest issue, and a feature whereby authors discuss the science content of stories they've recently had published in Analog.
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
is the third of the major print science fiction and fantasy magazines with an Internet equivalent. The Web site has reprints of award-winning stories, on-line only stories and articles, and guidelines for how to submit stories to the magazine.
Fantasy Magazine
features edgy fantasy stories, many from up-and-coming young writers. The Web site has reviews and stories, free to read, from the latest issue.
Strange Horizons
is a weekly online magazine with fiction, poetry, reviews and columns, on all aspects of fantasy and science fiction. There's also an art gallery and a reader's forum. Strange Horizons is supported by reader donations.
Realms of Fantasy
is one of the widest-read magazines in print devoted to fantasy in all its forms. The Web site contains excerpts from stories in the magazine, interviews with authors, and a lively forum.
RevolutionSF
is an online magazine whose motto is "Tough Love For Sc-Fi." You can find fiction, reviews, commentary, writing contests, blogs, and discussions, all presented with attitude on a nicely laid-out Web site.
SF Crow's Nest
is another of the most popular science fiction and fantasy magazines on the Internet, with monthly fiction, articles, reviews, and more. Run out of the United Kingdom, SF Crow's Nest is especially good for news and reviews on the latest British fantasy and science fiction.
Tangent Online
is a review site with the incredible goal of reviewing every short story published in every magazine and anthology devoted to fantasy and science fiction. Want to know what was good in everything from Asimov's to Weird Tales? You'll find it here.
For book reviews on the Internet ...
The SF Site
is one of the most popular science fiction and fantasy-oriented Web sites on the Internet. Updated twice monthly with a full range of book reviews, there are also reviews of movies and TV shows, guides to classic fantasy and sf, news, and an archive of all the reviews that have ever appeared on the site.
SFRevu
divides its book reviews between the United States and the United Kingdom. There are also reviews of graphic novels, movies, and reports from science fiction conventions around the world.
Fantasybookspot
is a lively, regularly updated collection of reviews by reviewers who are obviously big fans of what they are reading. The reviews are mainly of fantasy novels, but the occasional science fiction story also turns up on their list. Interviews, polls, and a book club round out the features of this Web site.
The Internet Review of Science Fiction
takes a more critical, academic approach to its reviews of fantasy and science fiction. It's a good place to check out if you're looking for reviews, articles, and commentary that dig a little deeper below the surface of fantasy and science fiction stories. Some content on the site requires a paid subscription to read.
Sci-Fi TV
Science fiction has been on the screen since television was first born. Classic shows like The ... read more »
Fantasy and Science Fiction Films
Science fiction and fantasy in movies have a huge following. Every summer blockbuster season seems ... read more »
Science Fiction and Fantasy Art
As soon as science fiction and fantasy began to be published, books needed cover art and stories ... read more »
Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy
Just because the content you produce will be imaginative and often unreal doesn't mean you don't ... read more »
Author Web sites
On their Web sites and blogs, writers use the opportunity to talk about subjects beyond what they ... read more »
Sci-Fi Fandom
Since the Internet began, fantasy and science fiction fans have used e-mail lists, bulletin boards, ... read more »
Science Fiction Conventions
While you may see some fans dressed up in costumes, the average science fiction or fantasy ... read more »
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