Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine # 56 (magazine review).
If you’re wondering what has happened to issue 55 of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight, don’t worry, nothing very serious except that it has been lost in a wormhole. Well, that’s the explanation from the editors. I actually think space pirates somewhere out beyond Rigel have got their multi-tentacles on it and are now awaiting ransom but in the meantime, not to be outdone, the editorial team has released number 56. No ordinary issue, it comes with a picture of a birthday cake on the cover, this to celebrate 10 years of the magazine and to justify such a momentous event, it’s packed full of fiction, 20 stories no less, with a total of 176 pages.
Pirates notwithstanding, it’s an issue to welcome and one which testifies to the success of a publishing venture. It shows what can be done when a group of people get together with enthusiasm and dedication to make dreams into reality. 56 magazines, give or take an odd one (the wormhole, remember), is a very good record for any publication and 10 years especially in difficult economic times shows that you can succeed with the right product.
As mentioned, 20 stories on offer. Enjoyable stories, all worth reading, but let’s go to the features and a piece by Edwina Harvey and Ian Nichols entitled ‘Let Me Tell You How It All Got Started’. This basically tells you how it all got started 10 years ago with a group of like-minded people dedicated to publishing a certain type of light-hearted Science Fiction. They didn’t take themselves too seriously but were serious about what they were doing! The results are there for everybody to see.
As for the fiction, we’ve got stories about alcoholics and zombies, a man who discovered his girl-friend had changed bodies, a poor chap in an asylum locked up and drugged because of his alien fantasies and an expedition to ancient Egypt. There’s a whole lot more! With deadline fast approaching this is a short review but sufficient to say, it’s a good issue and one to add to your collection. If they get out of the wormhole, there should be many issues to come. Buy it, because it’s good!
Rod MacDonald
November 2012
(pub: Andromeda Spaceways. 176 page quarterly A5 magazine. $ 4.95 (AUS) PDF copy online, hardcopy: $12.95 (AUS). Subscription six issues $ 27.00 (AUS))
check out website: www.andromedaspaceways.com
Just purchased my first issue of On Spec magazine. I hope they survive. I didn’t know they even existed until I read your review. More publicity is what is needed – more power to their elbow!
bonne chance, from John in France