5 Cents per Word for Speculative Fiction

Feel like writing good speculative fiction? This is for you, then. Founded in September 2000, Strange Horizons is a weekly web-based magazine of and about speculative fiction. The term “speculative fiction” refers to what is more commonly known as sci-fi, but which properly embraces science fiction, fantasy, magic realism, slipstream, and a host of sub-genres. They want: Stories that have some literary depth but aren’t boring. Styles that are unusual yet readable. Structures that balance inventiveness with traditional narrative. Characters we can care about. Settings and cultures that we don’t see all the time in speculative fiction. Stories that address political issues in complex and sensitive ways. They don’t want: Heavy-handed or preachy or simplistic approaches. Horror (especially stories in which the main goal is to evoke feelings of fear, terror, or revulsion in the reader). Stories that explain a scientific or technological phenomenon in great detail. Plots we see all the time. Stories with twist endings. As with any magazine, the best way to figure out what they like is to read some of the fiction they published. So, it’s strongly recommended to visit their website. No simultaneous submissions or unsolicited reprints. Wait until they accept or reject each [...]