We like it when the reviewers like our stories, especially when they use words like  “unexpected gem”. We want our readers to expect the unexpected, after all. So have a look at a new review from Tangent Online! 

R. Graeme Cameron gives us his comprehensive review of our newest issue  at the Amazing Stories Clubhouse.

Here’s a quick way to buy a copy! 

This is an announcement mainly for our subscribers currently waiting for their new issue of On Spec. We’ve had a bit of a hiccup and the print version of the issue is not yet available.

If you are a current subscriber and would like a digital copy of the issue to read in the meanwhile, just send us a note on our CONTACT page, and we will gladly provide a link for you to download the issue to read.

The Editors

The land on which On Spec is produced is Treaty 6 territory and a traditional meeting ground and home for many Indigenous Peoples, including Cree, Saulteaux, Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Métis, and Nakota Sioux peoples.

Truth and Reconciliation should be on our minds more than just one day a year, and we need to listen to the stories and understand the multi-generational effects of the atrocities committed in residential schools.

We also need to pay attention to the creators who use their art to share these stories in a variety of ways.

If you are a fan of speculative fiction, but haven’t yet discovered the works of Canada’s Indigenous SFF authors, now is as good a time as any. Seek out the books of Eden Robinson, Cherie Dimaline, Waubgeshig Rice, Richard Van Camp, Wab Kinew, Chelsea Vowel, Adriana Chartrand, Jessica Johns, David A. Robertson, Richard Wagamese, Lee Maracle, Aaron Paquette, Catherine Knutsson, and many others.

The editors of On Spec  look forward to seeing more works of Indigenous Futurism on our pages in times to come.

There are many stories yet to be told.

Just a couple more days until we draw for the free subscription to On Spec! All you need to do to enter is visit our Ko-fi Store and buy a copy of either issue #128 or issue #129.  Your email address will be added to the draw.

It’s already begun, but never too late for interested writers to sign up for the Flights of Foundry 2024 virtual writing festival that’s on until late Sunday night. There is round the clock programming plus a Discord group for socializing with other writers and presenters. Panels such as Latinx Speculative Futurism, Ask the Editor, How to Avoid Burnout, Handling Contracts, Writing Accessible Stories, games etc, , The Roles of “Strength” and “Femininity” in SFF Fiction, and so many more.  More than  two hundred sessions on the schedule.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend while you enjoy your coffee, check it out. It’s advertised as being free, although a nominal donation is encouraged to help cover costs.

We’re pleased to announce the new issue. Due to some delays, it’s only available in digital form at the moment, but it’s easily available from our usual sources. We will announce when print copies are ready.

Authors in this issue: Julie Czerneda, Alex Langer, Kristal Stittle, Catherine MacLeod, Cat Isidore, Jonathan Gensler, Fiona Moore, Rachel Unger, R. Haven, Marie Brennan and Colleen Anderson. 

Poetry by Lorraine Schein, Emmylou Kotzé, and Peter Norman.

Cover “Captains of Black and Brass” by James Beveridge.

Non-Fiction by Roberta Laurie and Diane L. Walton , along with interior cartoon and ‘Bot image from Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk.

After a four year hiatus, Canada’s prestigious Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic will soon open for new submissions. Our readers already appreciate short fiction in the genre, and it’s a safe bet that many of them also have an interest in the fabulous works of Canadian SF & F that are being published in novel form. By following the Sunburst, you can find some amazing titles selected by the distinguished juries every year.

On Spec is happy to see the return of the Sunburst!

Our new issue #129 will soon be available. If you aren’t yet a subscriber, you can enter to win a two-year subscription! Just go to our Ko-fi page and purchase a copy of issue #128. If you buy one before the end of September, we will enter your name in a draw for a FREE two-year subscription to On Spec!  It’s just that easy.

If you are already a subscriber, tell your friends, and share this on your social media. We always appreciate your support.

We are thrilled to report that one of our nominees for this year’s award for fiction in an Alberta magazine has made it to the list of finalists!  Quinn J. Graham’s story “The Necessity of a Shepherd” (On Spec VOL 33 No 2 Issue#124) will be in a group of strong contenders for this juried prize, and the winner will be announced at the AMPA annual conference Awards Banquet in Calgary on September on Thursday, September 26.