The Rise of the Cyberzines: The Story of the Science-Fiction Magazines from 1991 to 2020: The History of the Science-Fiction Magazines Volume V

Shortlisted for the Locus Science Fiction Foundation Non-Fiction Award 2023 The Rise of the Cyberzines concludes Mike Ashley’s five-volume series, which has tracked the evolution of the science-fiction magazine from its earliest days in the 1920s to its current explosion via the internet. This series has traced the ways in which the science-fiction magazine has reacted to the times and often led the way in breaking down barriers, for example in encouraging a greater contribution by women writers and stimulating science fiction globally. Magazines have continued to build upon past revolutions such as the ’new wave’ and ’cyberpunk’, producing a blend of high-tech science fiction and expansive speculative fiction that has broadened the understanding of science and its impact on society. This final volume, which covers the years 1991-2020, shows how the online magazine has superseded the print magazine and has continued to break down barriers, especially for the LGBTQ community and for writers of colour.

Mike Ashley has specialised in the history of science fiction and fantasy for over fifty years. He is the author and editor of over 130 books that in total have sold more than a million copies worldwide. He received the Science Fiction Research Association’s Pilgrim Award in 2002 for Lifetime Achievement in the field of science-fiction scholarship.