Sci-Fi Mags Are Fucking Killing It: The Middle Eastern Vegan Sandwich List
Sub Club List # 5
This week we are featuring Science Fiction Magazines that go above and beyond when it comes to their outreach and website aesthetic. As writers, it feels extra nice to have our writing featured beautifully since, after all, it takes so much time to write the damn thing and wait for it to be accepted. Being published by a magazine that adds original artwork, for example, feels like a warm hug after the grind of the submission process.
Sci-fi magazines are gaining popularity. They are no longer just a niche or a subgenre that gets disregarded. (I mean, sure, some people could still think that, but why bother)
In a recent Craft Work segment on The Other Ppl podcast with Brad Listi, writer John Truby, chats about his book, The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works, and says that “genre is simply a type of story. But more specifically, it's a type of plot. And these are story forms and story variations that have been developed for over 100s or even 1000s of years- they have proven to be successful. That's why I always call genre, specifically the 14 genres that determine genre today- the all-stars of the story world.” In this episode, he talks about the horror genre, but I thought it was a good statement to showcase the importance and value of genre fiction, like sci-fi.
(Also, I highly recommended listening to this episode. I don’t write horror and am scared very easily, so I rarely consume it, but I find the strategies of horror writing fascinating and have even snagged a few tips that are applicable to my own literary fiction writing. I think it's a great listen for all types of writers!)
So here are some mags that are fucking killing it.
Before we get to our sandwich recipe, in preparation for this, I googled “space sandwich” to see if I could get ideas for our featured sub of the day. It did not provide a recipe, but what I did find out was that 50 years ago, an astronaut smuggled a ”hefty” corned beef sandwich into space. He didn’t notice until 2 days later, and it had already begun to crumble. It caused a big debacle with NASA because rogue crumbles could have “lodged in the electrical system or gotten in the way of the mission,” according to politicians. (Always with the drama)
So yeah, I could have featured a big ole corned beef sandwich this week but decided to go with a Sub Club members submission instead to not bog you down with useless facts (even though I did anyway)
This Vegan sandwich with a Middle Eastern accent recipe comes from Sub Club member, LindaAnn!
“The key to a good vegan munchable is creativity (yup, same with writing) and selecting the right material.
Since this Middle Eastern sub requires no cooking, use that energy to hunt down an exotic bread: a sun-dried tomato bagel, a semolina baguette studded with golden raisins and fennel, or a table loaf laced with black olives.
Think of the bread/bagel/baguette/bun as the plot and other ingredients as the cast in your sandwich drama.
Although baba ganoush is a principal character -- deserving of a soliloquy -- shredded kale and crumbled feta cheese are walk-ons -- talented enough to ad-lib but easily swapped for romaine lettuce, sliced tomato, pine nuts, or capers.
Submitting your writing rarely comes with a side of instant gratification. That's why you'll enjoy this one-minute wonder: slice the bread, spread the baba g., summon the ensemble cast, and get back to your masterpiece. Easy peasy.
Options: hummus works as well as baba ganoush. In fact, make one of each and refrigerate for later, which will give you more time to proofread.”
Before getting into the list, we should talk a bit about Science Fiction v. Speculative Fiction. Science fiction typically focuses on technological advancements, often grounded in current scientific understanding, projecting future developments and their societal implications. Speculative fiction, on the other hand, is a broader umbrella term that encompasses a variety of genres, including science fiction, and it explores hypothetical scenarios that may or may not be rooted in known science, including alternative histories, supernatural phenomena, and fantastical elements.
For example:
"Dune" by Frank Herbert: This is a classic science fiction novel that revolves around the socio-political struggles on the desert planet Arrakis, featuring advanced technologies and alien life.
"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood: This novel imagines a dystopian future where women are oppressed in a patriarchal society.
In my experience, those seeking speculative fiction tend to have a more narrow definition, not wanting anything too fantastical in the traditional sci-fi sense. But honestly, this is one of those struggles when submitting where the two genres overlap so much, and people have differing opinions (rightly or wrongly) so your best bet is to always read what the magazine is publishing to see if your work fits.
Weekly Specials
The Dread Machine - "The Dread Machine is a magazine, publishing house, and community where writers and fans of dread-inspiring fiction can read and connect. "
Fast Facts: Simultaneous submissions accepted, no sub fees, amazing, beautiful, creepy, original artwork to accompany each published piece, very active on Discord and Patreon, where you have access to magazine insights, exclusive updates, and voting rights.
Genre: Fiction (7000), Poetry
Special Sauce: “We love emotionally-resonant pieces (which may sound odd for a magazine that publishes dread-inspiring stories and poems, but actually takes pieces that inspire dread to a whole new level). Give us a story that makes us uneasy and scared, keeps us on the edge of our chair, and then sticks the landing so well it makes us cry (from joy or sadness, your call!). When we receive a satisfying, emotionally-resonant piece that makes us care about the outcome of the story (or poem) while also inspiring dread throughout, we know we have a winner!
A little more about writing endings: Make sure the ending your story gives the reader is an ending that addresses the promises the opening of your story made about what kind of story this would be. You don't have to tie everything together neatly (endings that completely subvert expectations can be great fun!), but you should make sure your ending gives nods to those initial plot elements and character arc(s) you introduced at the beginning.
Paying attention to our submission guidelines and reading online examples of what we publish will (we hope!) make it easier for your story or poem to find a home at The Dread Machine. We've also heard from some writers that they found it easier to place a piece with our magazine after they joined our Discord community to learn more about our editorial team's personalities and preferences. Bonus: we have a lively, supportive beta-reading/critique channel!” - Monica Louzon
Catch Feels! Read:
By the Numbers: You don’t even need to visit Chill Subs to get all of the details about Dread Machine. Their guidelines are so clear and open. They also have a whole ‘Get to Know Us’ section where they break down the entire process. Things like, “WE RANK SUBMISSIONS ON A SCALE OF 1–5. Our team weighs the quality of the writing, originality of the premise, our level of investment as readers, the submission’s suitability for The Dread Machine, and more.” They explain how this came about, “We saw some talk on Twitter about how obscure the slush reading and rating process can be, and we completely agree. While we’re open about all of our protocols in our Discord server and happy to answer questions, we agreed it would be a good idea to share our practices here, where everyone can see them.” And wow. When we say, ‘Science Fiction Magazines Are Fucking Killing It’ this is a prime example. They even have a whole section tracking their metrics! Like…c’mon! With acceptance rates and everything. OK, as a company that ONLY exists because two writers were so stressed by how obscure and convoluted the whole submissions process is (and then proceeded to spend a year cataloging thousands of guidelines) this is so wonderful to see. Just go look at the numbers. You don’t even need me! Here they are.
Seriously! Look at this!
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