Reviews (9)

Missing the old magic...
I have a collection of Dragon issues that date back to the double digits. It has always been my premiere monthly publication to provide a plethora of new ideas, engaging fiction, and beautiful art to inspire me in my hobby, Dungeons & Dragons. When a CD-Rom collection of the first 200 issues was released, I bought it to make up for all the issues I'd missed in print. As has been said previously, the magazine has always had its ups and downs, but I stayed a loyal purchaser.

Then the magazine was taken up by Paizo Publishing; now the magic is gone. I have old issues which I would have bought for the amazing cover art alone. Those covers told stories, they were rich in depth and artistry. These days, the covers feature the same slick styled, cartoonish art over and over again. Never any scenes, simply flashy action poses of characters.

Inside the covers I find more dissapointment. The articles don't pack the same punch. My imagination isn't fired. My usual reaction is "Oh boy, more crunchy bits to insert into an a campaign already cluttered with feats, prestige classes, and new, outrageous races." Hardly anyone takes what already exists and tries to put a new spin on it, to breathe originality into what's already there.

Granted, I still peek at new issues every month. I really *want* to buy Dragon again; I miss it. However, I have yet to find an issue that makes me feel that old magic inside, like the old days. Until then, I'll simply put them back on the store shelf...and wait another month.

Good, but not always great.
For a long while, Dragon was my inspiration, my muse when it came to campaigns and fiction, but because of certain complications, (the demise of Wizards of the Coast, an aging gaming system, etc...) I can't justify continuing my subscription. If you are new to Dungeons and Dragons, I still suggest you get at least one copy of this magazine, but there is only so much new content you can push out in so many year, and I have a feeling that Dragon is reaching its limit.

The once great RPG mag
Dragon Magazine used to be **THE** role-playing game magazine to read. It was the place to read about Dungeons and Dragons, but it didn't limit itself to D&D either. Dragon would publish material about several role playing games, from Traveler, Top Secret, Car Wars, GURPS, Boot Hill, Gamma World, and Star Frontiers to games like War Hammer. Of course, then TSR went weird and (I assume) ordered the magazine to only report on the games that TSR itself published.

I give it four stars because of its once great past. Back then, it deserved at least five stars, maybe six+.

It was great back then, routinely printing material from people like Ed Greenwood, Gary Gygax, Roger Moore, Len Lakofka, Arthur Collins, and Katharine Kerr, and later folks like David Cook, Skip Williams and Jeff Grubb. Greenwood's articles on the Nine Hells (from issues #75 and #76) and Roger Moore's articles on the Astral Plane (issue #67) and Gladsheim (issue #90) are classics. But the great things that were published were:

* Game modules (too numerous to just cite one as the great example)
* Character classes (the Psionicist from issue #78, The Duelist from issue #73)
* "From the Sorcerer's Scroll" articles by Gygax
* The beginnings of the Forgotten Realms mythos with Elminster from Greenwood.
* The great cartoons from Dave Trampier (Wormy), Phil Foglio (What's New), and Larry Elmore (SnarfQuest), as well as from others.

And lets not forget that it used to publish some good fiction every now and again as well. Fiction was never its forte, but it did publish it regularly.

Kim Mohan and Roger Moore were the greatest editors of the publication and their versions of the magazine routinely published good articles.

Now, it is just a shadow of its former glory. For a while there, right after the Wizards of the Coast takeover, things looked good again and good stuff was again being published. But somewhere along the way it lost it's way again... it went through more than a few editors of little talent. However, now it is back to the bad old game of being the house organ for Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro and pushing stuff that isn't very good.

But then, there were other gaming magazines back then ("White Dwarf" anybody?) that kept Dragon striving to remain relevant. When the competitors died, a part of Dragon died as well. Of course, it didn't help that the magazine niche of the role-playing market, was a smaller niche in an already small niche. So, I am sure that hindered getting good stuff over the long term from good writers... as soon as somebody became a little successful in the greater Fantasy and/or Role Playing world... they, quite naturally, ran off toward the larger rewards elsewhere.

I would recommend that people buy the "Dragon Magazine Archive" on CD and read the older articles rather than subscribing to the magazine as it exists today. It kept up my subscription for a while because it seemed to get good, but then after over a year of routine "same-old, same-old" again... I gave up.

I miss the great days of Dragon. In the words of John Lennon "the dream is over".

Will never buy again from Paizo!
Being a hardcode DnD fan, I spent hundreds of dollars on Dungeons and Dragons stuff monthly. I decided to subscribe for Dragon magazine. After I paid with my card and waited for 3 months without seeing a single magazine I started sending emails to all email addresses listed on Paizo's web site. Three weeks latesr their "customer service" finally contacted me to inform me that they will send a check back to me to refund me the remaining balance of my account. I have never before seen such a terrible customer service ever. I decided that I will not put even more money into Paizo's pockets. Goodbye Dragon!

Fantastic!
Dragon Magazine has never disappointed me. I love getting each and every issue. Every D&D fan should subscribe or at least borrow a copy from a friend to read. Highly worth it! ... Read more

Abstract

Presents short stories, interviews, novelets, book and film reviews and criticism of works of science fiction and fanstasy
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Reviews (7)

A monthly magazine of short stories? How can you go wrong?
I'm a big fan of fantasy and science fiction short stories, picking up various "Best of" anthologies every year. In those anthologies, it always tells where each story came from, so I was always aware of the various magazines that are around. I never really went looking for them, however. Then, one day I was at my local science fiction book store and saw the magazine shelf and decided I should check one out. Being more of a fantasy fan then a science fiction fan, I decided to try out Fantasy & Science Fiction. Am I ever glad I did. Ever since that fateful day in January, I have been buying it every month.

NOTE: I buy it at the store rather then getting a subscription because I not only want to support the magazine, but I also want to support my local store. Being in Canada, there isn't a lot of savings with the subscription, though there is some. I would definitely suggest getting a subscription unless you are in similar circumstances.

Fantasy & Science Fiction has been publishing continually since 1949. Each issue is full of stories and interesting columns from some of the big names in the genre today. Recent stories by Joe Haldeman, Peter S. Beagle and David Gerrold were all excellent, and even the stories by less experienced writers are usually quite good. As with any anthology or other group of stories, there may be the occasional clunker in there. Overall, though, the hit rate is very high. There do seem to be some almost regular contributors, such as Matt Hughes and Ray Vukcevich, but thankfully their work is usually good. There are always a mix of science fiction and fantasy, and each sub-genre is represented pretty well too. There's urban fantasy, some high fantasy (though usually nothing like Lord of the Rings), modern science-fiction, far future, and many more. Stories vary from novellas to short stories, and everything in between. There are usually 7-10 stories per issue.

There are sometimes theme issues as well, such as the July, 2004 issue that was the "All American issue." Each story took place in the United States, but even within that theme, the stories were quite varied. "The Battle of York" was an example of how history can be perverted when records are fragmented. It's a story being told in the 29th century that takes bits and pieces of American history and twists them into a myth of George Washington, George Custer, Dwight Eisenhower, and the giant turned to stone that became the Statue of Liberty. It also contains a civil war tale and a modern-day story of science and terror.

Each issue also has some departments. There is "Books to Look For" by Charles de Lint, where he gives you the scoop on some books that you may have missed. There's also another column on books from various authors who muse either on books they want to suggest or just about books in general. There's also a films column by either Lucius Shepard or Kathi Maio. Usually these columns give interesting analyses of current genre films, sometimes commenting on the state of the industry today. They are always well-written, even when they are talking about something you may not be interested in.

The layout of the magazine is great. It's bound rather then stapled, so it fits nicely on your bookshelf. Unfortunately, that means that it won't lay flat like other magazines, so you'll have to hold it. The stories and columns are spread around, interrupted with the occasional cartoon or other artwork. Each story is introduced by the editor, Gordon Van Gelder, giving a little bit of information about the author usually including when the last story by that author had been published in the magazine. He also occasionally writes an editorial that kicks off the issue.

The benefit of short fiction is that it doesn't take very long to read, even if it's something that's not grabbing you. I have not skipped anything in any of the issues that I've read, and I've always been at least mildly entertained by even the lesser stories. It's definitely a way to stay on top of current trends in the genre. If you like short fiction, you owe it to yourself to check this magazine out.

Dave Roy

You can't go wrong with this magazine.
There's such an incredible choice of fiction contained within the pages of each issue of F&SF that there must be at least one or two stories each month that would satisfy every reader. It's got fantasy and science fiction, obviously, but it's got horror and occasionally publishes borderline slipstream stories. It's stocked with quality fiction, from the likes of Joe Haldeman, James Patrick Kelly, Robert Reed, and Kate Wilhelm. If you're a subscriber, you know of the quality of which I speak; if you're not, then subscribe and see what you've been missing.

So, there is a compendium of quality fiction, and yet F&SF's circulation is in decline, which is something that I find extremely sad. The three main professional SF magazines (Asimov's, Analog, F&SF) are all losing subscribers--the fact is that too many people do not even know that these magazines exist anymore. Tell people about them, buy a subscription for your nephew who loves role-playing games, or your daughter, or whomever. If you have a website, start some free advertising. Write reviews. Tell people about these magazines, for goodness sake. If we all tell people about these magazines, and get more subscribers, then they can certainly live for many, many more years.

They certainly deserve to.

Some SF, Some Fantasy, Some other stuff I'd skip
F&SF, published on its own rather than as part of a larger stable of magazines, isn't easily pigeonholed. As its title describes itself, it's a magazine of Fantasty and Science Fiction. The fantasy is usually quite good, tending more toward humorous light fantasy than heroic sword-and-sorcery but some of the latter also shows up. Straight science fiction more suited to Analog can also find its way to F&SF, as will social SF or literary attempts that one might expect from Asimov's.

Some pieces are harder to categorize. There is usually one horror piece per issue, and why this is still the case is beyond me. The editors have done several surveys of the subscriber base and every result has loudly complained about "the horror! the horror!" yet still it slouches on. Mainstream authors are more likely to appear in F&SF than the other SF digests; Joyce Carol Oates is a regular contributor. Some of these mainstream pieces have little fantasy or SF element to them, which is what makes people call F&SF "quirky."

One nice thing about F&SF was that they used to sell lifetime subscriptions. I don't know if they'll still do it, but the cost used to be ten times the annual rate. I've been reading F&SF for almost 20 years, and the format hasn't changed much, despite the new editor and publisher taking over from the Furmans. If you used to read it, you won't be surprised if you come back to it.

The New Yorker of the Fantasy/SciFi Genre
What sets F&SF Mag apart from the other digest-sized magazines that deliver speculative fiction is that F&SF chooses, almost every month, to transcend the genres it represents instead of remaining within the definitions and boxes that limit the other magazines. There don't seem to be any hard and fast rules concerning the stories that appear in this magazine except that they be really well written, and compellingly readable. The stories run all over the fertile woodland of Fantasy and Science Fiction and every month hold many surprises. There really hasn't been a magazine this satisfying since the old Twilight Zone magazine. In the end, it isn't about hard science or speculation about what might happen (in a scientific way). This is a magazine about stories for people who love to read them.

Compulsory reading for fans of the genres.
Ohhh, F&SF, whatever would we do without you? Don't you ever change! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

BEWARE THE PAIZO PUBLISHING
I come from Europe. I learned that if you subscribe to Dungeon from Paizo, you take an extra adventure. Well, I have subscribed myself in August 2003, they charged my credit card $100 (thats what they charge the Europian readers) and they have send me nothing. I want to notice that I have subscribed to Paizo and not to Amazon.com. I have send many emails to them, but they don't reply at all. Then I have learned that they have done this to many other people around the world. So, I have lost my money, but at least I want to tell all of you to be careful, if you subscribe to Paizo's magazines.

Sorry, Dungeon
In the past, during second edition AD&D's publication or during the first year of third edition D&D, I would have given this product a solid five stars, never questioning if that was the right amount of stars or if it was too high. However, within the last year or so, Dungeon was sold by WoTC and bought by a company that appears determined to prevent the magazine from being useful. They have combined it with Polyhedron magazine which is either blatently useless to me, as a DM for third edition D&D, or appears to be a Dragon-lite.

They decided to go to a monthly publication, and once I would have celebrated over this; however, with their new publication schedule it appears that on their old bimonthly schedule they actually produced more adventures (and longer ones) than their combined two-month output nowadays. I bought one magazine, in the last year, which contained only one adventure. I was then informed inside the magazine that those who subscribed had gotten two adventures. Thanks for making sure those of us who choose to support our local gaming and comic book stores get punished, Dungeon.

I know that I am not the only dissatisfied customer as so many of their mail messages for a few months were from people who had the same complaints I do. They appear not to care about these complaints which were raised repeatedly. I have basically given up on this product, though I will occasionally give it a buy to determine if I should go back to picking it up regularly.

What is truly strange is that Dragon, alternatively, appears to have become a much better product within the last year. If you have the money to spare, I'd recommend picking up Dragon magazine rather than Dungeon.

Not Sure If Adventures Are Play Tested Before Publication
I used to get Dungeon mag, but found that many published adventures was either too easy or too advanced for suggested player charecter levels. Of course it is not hard to figure out what levels is more apprpriate for the adventure, but the publishers should require the material that they published to be play tested first and maybe pre-generated characters that was used for play testing (some games allow for alot of magic and magic items while others do not and that also determines the levels needed to play an adventure). I give 3 stars as this downfall can be worked around, but it is not worthy of me giving a full 5 stars to because of what I said above.

For every DM
Dungeon magazine is full of all kinds of usefull information and module ideas. Even if you don't end up using one of the published adventures word for word, it is still a useful resource for ideas. You can find all kinds of innovative traps and encounters within the pages that will challenge whatever level players you may toss them at. I highly recommend it!

Very Very Kewl
I am not a big fan of pre published adventures, however I have always picked up a copy once in awhile incase I have DM's block. Now I have especially gotten them because of the Polyhedron Mag on the flipside of Dungeon. Which have been really really kewl. To date my favorate have been a Pulp Heroes rules, the preview of D20 Modern Shadow Chasers, and Mecha Crusade. Basically Polyhedron every two months brings you a new d20 setting or mini-game of some sort, most of which have been fairly good. It really gives more bang for your Dungeon buck, because you can use the new rules for ideas for your D&D game, or a new campaign entirely. Kewl stuff. The adventures in Dungeon are top notch, and especially with the new 3rd Edition adventures all have been pretty good. To be honest, I personally would rather have a subscription to Dungeon, than Dragon magizine... but you can't do wrong with both! ... Read more

Abstract

A magazine for developments in the field of science fiction. Includes inteviews with writers, actores in the science fiction field.
... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fantastic SF Magazine
This magazine is fantastic. It's a shame it can't be found in Australia any more. I love the pictures and articles, on every SF show known to SF fans. Maybe it's time to ship some more out to the SF starved fans here in Oz. A quality magazine like Starlog is hard to find.

Passionate about all things Science Fiction
This is the only magazine that I've maintained my subscription to for more than a decade. If you are passionate about science fiction you will love this magazine. It covers all topics related to Science Fiction. Obviously this includes movies and television, but in every issue there are regular features that cover what is new in science fiction books, animes, games and comics.

While I enjoy their coverage of the newest big-budget, blockbuster movies, I also appreciate that they understand that there are many fans with less mainstream tastes. Starlog regularly has articles devoted to long forgotten or "cult" science fiction tv and movies of the past. Heck, even most of the advertisements are science fiction oriented.

If you want to know what is happening in the world of sci-fi this is your source. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Color Me Scarlet
This is the most entertaining movie magazine around. It's well-researched and full of detail without being the least bit dull; it's funny but not at the expense of the work being discussed; it's even sexy, without being salacious or obvious. Clearly the folks who put this magazine together love what they are doing. Even articles you think you might want to skip turn out to be fascinating. The only complaint I have is that there are not enough issues; I wish it came out weekly!

Top Flight Magazine
In print since the early 1990s, Scarlet Street can always be counted on to provide informative and sometimes controversial reading accompanied by dozens of fascinating pictures. The lay-out of the black-and-white and color pages is very attractive to the eye and the covers are always eye-catching and often witty. Though it covers a wide field, the publication's heart is still in the horror and mystery genres. Scarlet Street is the thinking man's horror mag.

A Magazine That Treads Where Others Fear To Go
Scarlet Street is a publication that covers ground most genre magazines studiously avoid. (To be fully honest I write reviews for the magazine- but I was an admirer and regular reader long before I was invited into the fold.) Many horror film magazines will mention in passing while discussing James Whale that he was gay. But that's where it ends. Not so with Scarlet Street. Publisher Richard Valley encourages his writers to look beyond that fact to how it affected his life and art. Gay subtext in horror films has been a mostly neglected subject, but not in the pages of Scarlet Street. This, however, frightens some people who wish that homosexuality would remain, as Oscar Wilde once put it, "the love that dare not speak its name." That's not all the Street has to offer, though. From revealing (but not sordid) interviews (Debbie Reynolds, Julie Harris and Kate Phillips in the latest issue alone) to insightful overviews of sub-genres (Horror Hags, Sword and Sandal) to the continuing developments in the world of Sherlock Holmes. These are just a few of the treats in store for those mystery and horror fans who are willing to look for more depth in their beloved films than they could have ever gleaned while watching them as kids. That's just what you'll get courtesy of some of the finest genre writers today- Richard Valley, Ken Hanke, Tony Dale, John Black, Farnham Scott. Robin Anderson, Mark Clark, Harry Long, Kevin Shinnick to name just a few -in no particular order and apologies to other regulars I missed. Special mention shoud be made of the regular coulmn by Fandom Founding Father Forrest J Ackerman! Besides, where else today are you going to find a magazine that'll put Bette Davis on the cover two issues in a row?

The Best There Is
This is hands-down the best of all genre magazines. Now that may not seem like a very great feat since so many of them are so terribly poor, but Scarlet Street is so far ahead of the pack in terms of content and design that it leaves the rest in the dust. It's literate, intelligent, explores movies with a depth rarely seen in magazine coverage, and isn't afraid to stretch itself beyond the boundaries of the horror/mystery genre on occasion. Its issue on "Bride of Frankenstein," "Werewolf of London," "The Picture of Dorian Gray," and the various studio horror cycles are must-reads for any fan of the genre. The magazine's design and layout is invariably a work of art in itself and the covers are frequently stunning.

Most Consistently Readable
One of the best Independent magazines on the market. Stunning layouts, interesting takes on films - all manner of 'em. Simply put, Scarlet Street does not contain your typical, but rather topical, views on horror, suspense, stars, screenwriters, musicals, et al. That the publisher has a gifted staff is quite evident; if you're gonna try for the best, you hire the best. Ken Hanke (whose biography of Tim Burton is superb) is quite possibly my favorite writer for this magazine, and his recent looks at Charlie Chan and the Aging Women of Horror Films (Horror Hags) are highly detailed and well-researched pieces. I think that my favorite issue, however, would be the one which featured several articles on THE FLY, its sequels, remakes and stars. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

IT CAME FROM OUT OF CANADA.......
This is a great magazine. Both the articles and the journalists that grace these pages are wonderful. The genre is covered vividly and thoroughly and it is clear that there is a true passion for horror in all of its various forms among the writers and staff of this magazine.
Whether you are a fan of the macabre in visual art, film, literature, etc...your wants and needs will be satiated. Do yourself a favor and pick one of these up and give it a scan, you might like what you see.

Rue Morgue
Since it's premiere issue on Halloween 1997 they have continued to bring us the best and worst of everyting! Beautiful thick glossy pages loaded with goodies regarding movies, books, news, and more they leave no part of the genre out.

Exclusives, special features, and a thorough staff are only aided by the advertisements found within. I am NOT one to even glance at ads, but I find myself checking out every single website I find in my Rue Morgue EVERY month...

Rating? Well a 5 If you don't get it, you should... if you can't find it, just subscribe !

(HorrorWench)

absolute must for horror junkies
This magazine covers every aspect of horror/suspense culture, such as comics, books, music and of course, movies. The writers of the articles have respect for the craft involved in the subject, and don't just dwell on blood and gore (but have no fear, there is plenty of that). Whoever designs the layout of this magazine does a beautiful job. Lots of glossy photos and intriguing artwork, too. Give this one a try. I'll bet you'll love it as much as I do. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

For Vampire Fans
This magazine features stories, poems, and art dealing with vampires. Issue 16, which I own, was printed on slick paper in black and white and had around 50 pages with illustrations also in black and white. The font used was rather large, so there were only three stories included, although there were also some haiku and poems. I enjoyed the stories, though, so I will probably subscribe. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Read
Iv'e been getting Sfx for atleast a year now and even though older people tend to buy it as I'm only 15 I still find it really great. It has in depth interviews with actors and actresses from all the major sci-fi shows especially my faves Buffy and Angel. It also contains a spoiler section for all the major shows and reviews all the latest sci-fi books,videos,movies,DVD's and comics. ... Read more