Tales of the Unanticipated
Encyclopedia
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
, yet transcend parochial notions of genre fiction
Genre fiction
Genre fiction, also known as popular fiction, is a term for fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre....
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History
The first issue of Tales of the Unanticipated was launched in August 1986. Over the years, notable authors who contributed fiction, articles and/or poetry have included Kate WilhelmKate Wilhelm
Kate Wilhelm is an American writer whose works include science fiction, mystery, and fantasy.- Career :Wilhelm was born in Toledo, Ohio....
, Eleanor Arnason
Eleanor Arnason
Eleanor Atwood Arnason is an American author of science fiction novels and short stories.Arnason is the daughter of H. Harvard Arnason, who became the director of the Walker Art Center in 1951, and Elizabeth Yard Arnason, a social worker by profession who has spent her childhood in China...
, Damon Knight
Damon Knight
Damon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, critic and fan. His forte was short stories and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.-Biography:...
, Bruce Bethke
Bruce Bethke
Bruce Bethke is an American author, best known for his 1983 short story "Cyberpunk" which led to the widespread use of the term, and his novel, Headcrash....
, John Sladek
John Sladek
John Thomas Sladek was an American science fiction author, known for his satirical and surreal novels.- Life and work :...
, Stephen Dedman
Stephen Dedman
Stephen Dedman is an Australian author of dark fantasy and science fiction stories and novels.-Biography:...
, and Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
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Writers who had their very first published short stories premiere in TOTU include Peg Kerr
Peg Kerr
Peg Kerr is a US fantasy author.She was born in a suburb of Chicago and moved to Minnesota to attend St. Olaf College. She received an M.A. in English Literature in 1990, specializing in speculative fiction...
, Jason Sanford
Jason Sanford
Jason Sanford is an American science fiction author best known for his short story writing. His fiction has been published in Interzone, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Year's Best SF 14, and other magazines and anthologies...
, and Kij Johnson
Kij Johnson
Kij Johnson is an American writer of fantasy. She has worked extensively in publishing: managing editor for Tor Books and Wizards of the Coast/TSR, collections editor for Dark Horse Comics, and content manager working on the Microsoft Reader...
, and others who had important early appearances of their work in the magazine include Lyda Morehouse
Lyda Morehouse
Lyda Morehouse is a science fiction and fantasy author. Her first four books, the LINK Angel series , blend cyberpunk technology with unconventional religious themes. She is the winner of multiple national awards, including the Philip K...
. The short story "Koan" was eventually made into the short film The Gnostic starring Francesco Quinn
Francesco Quinn
Francesco Daniele Quinn was an Italian-born actor. The third son of Oscar winner Anthony Quinn and Jolanda Addorlori , Francesco is perhaps best known for his breakout role as Rhah in Oliver Stone’s Academy Award-winning Platoon...
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TOTU also has had many interviews over the years with top speculative fiction authors, such as Gaiman, Knight, Wilhelm, Sladek, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
-Biography:She was born in Berkeley, California. She attended Berkeley schools through high school followed by three years at San Francisco State College .In November 1969 she married Donald Simpson and divorced in February 1982...
, Larry Niven
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven / ˈlæri ˈnɪvən/ is an American science fiction author. His best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics...
, Fritz Leiber
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber, Jr. was an American writer of fantasy, horror and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theatre and films, playwright, expert chess player and a champion fencer. Possibly his greatest chess accomplishment was winning clear first in the 1958 Santa Monica Open.. With...
, Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson is an American science fiction writer known for his award-winning Mars trilogy. His work delves into ecological and sociological themes regularly, and many of his novels appear to be the direct result of his own scientific fascinations, such as the fifteen years of research...
, and George Alec Effinger
George Alec Effinger
George Alec Effinger was an American science fiction author, born in 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio.-Writing career:...
and Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
. The editors are notable for paying notice to many authors of speculative fiction who are not always marketed as “genre writers,” interviewing Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
, Jonathan Carroll
Jonathan Carroll
Jonathan Samuel Carroll is an American author primarily known for novels, which can be characterized as magic realist, slipstream or modern fantasy...
, and Karen Joy Fowler
Karen Joy Fowler
Karen Joy Fowler is an American author of science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction. Her work often centers on the nineteenth century, the lives of women, and alienation....
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Operations
TOTU is an anomaly in the speculative fiction magazine market in that traditionally nearly all magazines have submissions, particularly the unsolicited submissions in what is known as the slush pileSlush pile
In publishing, the slush pile is the set of unsolicited query letters or manuscripts sent either directly to the publisher or literary agent by authors, or to the publisher by an agent not known to the publisher....
, screened by lower-level readers and editors first. As of 2009, all submissions to TOTU have been read and evaluated by editor-in-chief Eric Heideman before being passed on to other editors or readers for evaluation.
See also
- Science fiction magazineScience fiction magazineA science fiction magazine is a publication that offers primarily science fiction, either in a hard copy periodical format or on the Internet....
- Fantasy fiction magazine
- Horror fiction magazineHorror fiction magazineA horror fiction magazine is a magazine that publishes primarily horror fiction with the main purpose of scaring or frightening the reader. Horror magazines can be in print, on the internet, or both.-Defunct magazines:*The Arkham Collector...