I have mixed feelings announcing my latest short story, “Victim Impact Statement, freshly published in On Spec. I’m super pleased with the story and the excellent home it found, but I’m deeply saddened by the closing of this unique independent magazine.
This is the final issue for On Spec, which has been publishing fantastic fiction in Canada for 35 years. The magazine was well known for its editorial excellence and the support it gave to new and established authors of speculative literature. The magazine was gorgeous, thick, and filled with highly readable fiction. Its closing is a real loss.
“Victim Impact Statement” is my first story in On Spec, about a parole officer who imposes special sentencing on a human trafficker convicted in a future justice system. Here’s an excerpt:
There wasn’t much left in the perp’s circle of care—clothes, money, a few people he considered extensions of himself: a son, a sister, an uncle, a dog. And, of course, his body. There was enough to work with.
The story is in great company in On Spec Issue #134, with twenty other speculative stories, plus poems and cartoons and fabulous art. Why not buy a digital copy for the fiction lover on your list? Copies of the final issue will soon be available from Weightless Books.
Though On Spec Magazine is closing, you can still buy digital copies of recent issues on the On Spec Ko-fi Shop for pay-what-you-can prices. And you can find copies of older issues on the On Spec Weightless Books page.
It’s sad that another great Canadian fiction magazine is closing shop. On a happier note, Shadowpaw Press plans to kickstart an annual On Spec anthology to keep the legacy going. It’s not the same, but that is great news.
If you also write short fiction, check out my Canadian LitMag List and make a resolution to submit something in the new year.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Catherine Austen 