SF and Fantasy Magazines         I am always astonished by the number of sf and fantasy readers who know little or nothing about the magazines in the field. I’ve read them since I was a teenager. I’ve seen them grow, change, shrink, fail, revive and I’ve seen new ones pop up. The ones listed here are just a sampling of my favorites. There are many more. If I’m missing one that you think deserves mention, please let me know.         I’ve always felt that short fiction is an especially challenging form. I also feel that the stories in the magazines are often the trail-breakers, pointing the direction in which the novels will follow. The magazines are a great place to discover new writers. Not all go on to be novelists, but as long as they keep turning out great short work, I don’t mind.         In addition to fresh fiction every month, the magazines offer poetry, book reviews, essays, convention listings and other interesting features.         If you aspire to be a writer of sf and/or fantasy, then I definitely think you should subscribe to several magazines, not just to get the feel of what is currently being written, but also to support your chosen genre!         I’ve included websites here. They are a wonderful chance to sample the magazines. I still prefer the paper versions. They’ve sustained me through many a long wait at the dentist or doctor’s office, and are definitely more thought-provoking than the gossip magazines I usually encounter in waiting rooms. Asimov’s Science Fiction Stories from Asimov's have won 41 Hugos and 24 Nebula Awards, and our editors have received 18 Hugo Awards for Best Editor. Asimov's was also the 2001 recipient of the Locus Award for Best Magazine. LINK: http://www.asimovs.com/ (also available in e-format) Magazine of Fantasy and SF The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, founded in 1949, is the award-winning SF magazine which is the original publisher of SF classics like Stephen King's Dark Tower, Daniel Keyes's Flowers for Algernon, and Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz LINK: http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/ Analog Science Fiction and Fact Analog is often considered the magazine where science fiction grew up. LINK: http://www.analogsf.com/0505/issue_05.shtml Talebones is a semi-pro magazine featuring science fiction and dark fantasy from established and up-and-coming writers. LINK: http://www.talebones.com/         These last two magazines are in a different category. Rather than offering fiction, they offer news and events of interest of the SF or fantasy writer. They feature many reviews, news of conventions, best seller lists, articles and interviews. Locus The magazine of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Field. LINK: http://www.locusmag.com/ SF Chronicle Science Fiction’s only professional news and trade journal. LINK: http://www.dnapublications.com/sfc/         And finally, there is the Bulletin, from SFWA. In addition to articles and news of the field, the Bulletin often has market updates, an essential aid to the would-be writer. The Bulletin is a quarterly magazine produced by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). LINK: http://www.sfwa.org/bulletin/