We are so pleased to announce that “The Necessity of a Shepherd” by Quinn J. Graham, is a finalist in the Fiction category for the stories published in 2023.  Congratulations to Quinn and the other finalists!

Alberta Magazine Awards Finalists Announced

Lorina Stephens draws our attention to a book that promises to be among the lot they will eventually call “award-winning”, at least if Lorina has anything to say about it.

See her review of Geoff Ryman’s new work, simply titled “Him“.  

You will understand why.

Canada has lost a legend in the literature community, and especially in the short fiction community. Alice Munro has passed away.

Those of us who champion short stories, and read upwards of 500 submitted stories to bring our readers a selection of the very best,  can understand the challenge . One must  write something that tells a complete and compelling tale with vibrant characters and intriguing plot, leaving the reader satisfied in “6,000 words or less” .

It’s not easy.

Alice Munro won numerous awards for her work, and deserved the acclaim. Short fiction shows a unique mastery of the language, and Alice Munro was such a master.  She will be missed.

Our subscribers and friends in Edmonton may know that our home base of operations is Variant Edition Graphic Novels and Comics.  VE’s home is about to change, and we are going with them!

As of May 15, after everything has been packed, moved and then unpacked and re-shelved, our new home and Variant’s will be 10086-164th Street NW  T5P 4Y3 in Edmonton.  All mail and deliveries should be directed there.

Please continue to give them your support. It’s been a stressful year so far.

You can have a look at the review of Issue #127 by SFCrowsnest’s reviewer Eamonn Murphy here. 

Writers, you can take advantage of some very good instructional talent by signing up for Can*Con’s new Level Up Your Writing workshops.

We can now proudly announce that On Spec is a finalist for this year’s Aurora Awards in the Best Related Work category. . You can see the Ballot here.

You can become a member of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (CSFFA), which will entitle you to get the Voting package of all works on the ballot, and then cast your vote for your favourites.

According to a meme going around, (IYKYK) April 25th is a “perfect” date.

Well, why not make this date perfect for On Spec by buying a subscription, or a single issue, or making a donation to help keep us publishing?

If cash is short right now, you can still give us a huge boost by simply telling  your friends and followers on social media just how great On Spec is for fans of short fiction, and short genre fiction. And until the end of the month, you can tell them to send us a note via the Contact Us page and we will send them a complimentary back issue to read.

You can be our “perfect” date!

There is still time to sign up to this, and you won’t even need to get out of your pyjamas to attend! Just pour yourself a coffee and be part of the experience.

It will be worth it!

It’s always interesting when we see how different reviewers respond to the stories we publish. Here is R. Graeme Cameron’s take on issue #127.