We have told you before that the On Spec name will continue in another form. Ed Willett’s Shadowpaw Press announces the about- to-start Kickstarter for the new anthology of Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy. The book will feature a great selection of SF&F, along with new work by some of On Spec’s best-known writers.
In the meantime, help to support our writers and artists (shout-out to the great James Beveridge for a fabulous cover!) by making a donation as soon as the Kickstarter opens.
When I was preparing the final issue, I thought this would be an opportunity to reflect on the vast number of people who had been involved with On Spec over our 35 years. It took me a while to go through every issue and find the names of staff, advisors, writers, artists and friends who have made such a great contribution. We published the list at the end of Issue #134. And you can find a link to it here.
It’s pretty darn big.
So Long and Thanks For All The Fish- Issue #134 Postscript
You will find the poem “My Skin Is Slipping” by Toronto poet Thaddeus Cramer in our current issue, and it is worth a read. Thaddeus sent us an updated bio note that missed our deadline for the designer, so you can see it below, and check out his poem in the issue, along with other work.
Thaddeus Cramer(he/him) is a Toronto-based queer, neurodivergent writer and the founder of Lavender Horizons Events through which he has published three poetry zines: Cerulean Nights, i swear i’m fine, really: a collection of poems on disability & burnout, and Lavender Fields. His work has also been featured in many publications, including: VICE, Hard Drive, Feelszine, SAPP, and the Ringo award-winning comics anthology: Transphoria. He is currently working on two novels. He can be found on social media @prothadgonist his website, Thaddeuscramer.com.
As we get closer to the end of 2025, we are pleased to give you the newest review from Tangent online. Feel free to share on your social media!
The absolutely final issue of On Spec Magazine is now ready for you to read. Copies will be sent to our subscribers and Patreon donors today, and new readers can buy theirs on our Ko-fi page. Copies will soon be available to readers who prefer to order from Weightless books.
In this issue, you’ll get twenty-one new works of short fiction, three poems, a new cartoon and ‘Bot, author and artist interviews, along with articles written by former editors, plus an introduction by Ed Willett of Shadowpaw books, where he talks about his vision for On Spec 2026, a new Canadian anthology of short speculative fiction. All the content in this issue was produced by Canadian creators. The wonderful cover and interior art comes from Janice Blaine.
This is perfect for a last minute holiday gift for that hard-to-buy-for reader in your family. Just use our Contact page and send us the details for the recipient, and we can make sure they get their copy. We can accept PayPal and e-transfer payments for your order.
At this time, the editors and staff of On Spec want to wish you all a happy, healthy, and above-all peaceful holiday season as you celebrate with your families and friends. We have enjoyed bringing you thirty-five years of amazing new works of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Happy Reading!!!!!
We are always happy to promote our writers, and a positive review of a story is great for the ego. Congrats to Jed Looker for the recent review by Alex Brown, of his delightful tale from issue #133, “The Superposition of Ramen”.
The review is included in the following link from Reactor Magazine. You may find some other stories that pique your interest.
The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy community is deeply saddened by the news that author Jean-Louis Trudel has passed away. At the time, we’re told he was at a writing residency in Lithuania.
Jean-Louis was an award-winning writer in short and long fiction, French and English, as well as being a respected academic. On Spec published his work in English over the years. His story “Stella Nova” was in our Spring 1994 issue. “The Call of Freezing Souls” was in On Spec #105. More recently his story “The Many Smiles Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics” appeared in On Spec #121.
The Copper Pig Writers’ Society and On Spec send our deepest condolences to Jean-Louis’ family and many friends. His loss is profound.
Since the CBC news story about us gained some traction, we have received several kind emails, and also some sad emails, concerning the loss of a venerable Canadian genre publication. Even had a few of the “gee, I’ve never heard of you until now” emails.
We appreciate all the support from our readers and writers. If this was your very first inkling of the existence of On Spec, you are most welcome to check our Ko-fi page or visit Weightless Books to find and download back issues with some pretty awesome fiction, art and poetry. The revenues will help the Copper Pig Writers’ Society with future projects. Several of you have already found us, and we hope that you will enjoy the stories and poems.
Meanwhile, production on issue #134 is underway, and we look forward to a December release of the last issue. There’s a beautiful cover by Calgary artists Janice Blaine, along with twenty new works of short fiction, and five poems. Heck of a deal.
Just thought we would share the following.
Flame Arrow Publishing is looking for new Canadian Speculative Fiction short novels and novellas, with a deadline of November 30. So if you have something ready to submit, this is your opportunity.
A while back, I was interviewed by a freelance journalist named Tim Ford, and his story has appeared on the CBC Arts website. You may have seen it on your local CBC page.
I provided Tim with some early photographs, including a photo from the official On Spec “launchpad” party, featuring our first Art Director, Tim Hammell, and my then five year old daughter Danica LeBlanc. There’s also a photo of our long-time Poetry editor, Barry Hammond, sitting at a science fiction convention display table with Business Manager Cath Jackel. We had so much fun at those conventions over the years, meeting our writers and readers, and showing off the fabulous artists on the covers of our little magazine.
I’ve already seen comments from people saying they’ve never heard of On Spec, and all we can say is that it’s been a “word of mouth” process for years. Granting agencies are generous in providing money for physical production, but there is seldom anything to pay for the kind of advertising and promotion that might bring us to the attention of the masses. Similarly, bookstore sales were iffy at best, and placing copies in a store was no guarantee they’d be picked up by a curious reader. Conventions were our way of being visible to and engaging with potential readers of our genre. And most of the time, the volunteer editors and staff were paying their own travel and meal costs to be there. It adds up.
So if you are new to On Spec, there is still a chance to purchase and download a number of our back issues that have been available in digital format. The stories don’t get stale with age, and many can be read over and over again, with something new revealed in each reading. Funds will go towards future projects by our publisher, the Copper Pig Writers’ Society. You can subscribe to this blog to be kept apprised of new developments.
Meanwhile, enjoy your reading! The final issue will be a big one.
