On Spec
 OnSpec Magazine Winter 2006 | |
| Categories | science fiction, fantasy |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Quarterly |
| Publisher | Diane Walton, Managing Editor |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Country | Canada |
| Based in | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Website | onspecmag |
On Spec is a digest-sized, perfect-bound, Canadian quarterly literary magazine publishing stories and poetry in science fiction, fantasy, and allied genres broadly grouped under the speculative fiction umbrella.
History and profile
Based in Edmonton, Alberta,[1] On Spec was founded in 1989 by a small group of Edmonton writers who joined together to form The Copper Pig Writers Society.[2] At the time, there was no paying market for English speculative fiction in Canada (though paying markets in French did exist). On Spec is Canada's longest-running, and according to author Robert J. Sawyer, most successful, English-language magazine in the field.[3]
Much more like a traditional small literary magazine than the mass-market-styled American science fiction digests such as Analog and Asimov's, On Spec was founded to address the frustration that English-speaking Canadian SF writers faced having to "Americanize" their stories for the existing US markets.[4]
Awards
As of 2026, On Spec has won the Aurora Award for Best Related Work 9 times (1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2012, 2014, 2015) and has been a finalist an additional 17 times (1994, 1998-2002, 2006, 2008-2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020-2026).[5] It was also nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine in 2026.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ "On Spec magazine loses funding, reaches out to readers". Masthead. August 18, 2014. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ↑ "Andy Cox's Magazine Spotlight". dowse. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ↑ "Science Fiction" Archived December 16, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The Canadian Encyclopedia
- ↑ "About on Spec / Contact Us". July 8, 2013. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ↑
- "2015 Aurora Awards Winners". Locus. November 23, 2015. Archived from the original on December 11, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- "2018 Aurora Awards Winners". Locus. October 8, 2018. Archived from the original on December 2, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- "2020 Aurora Awards Winners". Locus. August 17, 2020. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- "2021 Aurora Awards Winners". Locus. October 18, 2021. Archived from the original on January 11, 2026. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- "2022 Aurora Awards Winners". Locus Online. August 15, 2022. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
- "2014 Aurora Awards Winners". Locus. October 8, 2014. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- "2023 Aurora Awards and CSFFA Hall of Fame Inductees". Locus Online. August 21, 2023. Archived from the original on March 7, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
- "2024 Aurora Awards Winners". Locus Online. August 12, 2024. Archived from the original on July 24, 2025. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
- "2025 Aurora Awards Ballot". Locus. April 16, 2025. Archived from the original on July 20, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- Strangman, Alice (August 10, 2026). "2026 Aurora Awards Winners". Locus. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- "Aurora Awards Winners By Category". sfadb. Archived from the original on April 21, 2026. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Hugo, Lodestar & Astounding Awards Finalists". Locus. April 21, 2026. Archived from the original on April 22, 2026. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
External links
