Unlike the instant coffee that space station crew members would probably drink, this zine idea has been a percolating for several years. We small few, the motley crew of dilettantes at Spiral Tower Press, have had a lot of fun with Whetstone: Amateur Magazine of Sword and Sorcery and Witch House: Amateur Magazine of Cosmic Horror and have been inspired by the writers we've inspired. So, we're at it again.
I had always intended to complete the trinity of the "pulp genres of the unreal" with a third science fiction zine of comparable scope and aim to Whetstone and Witch House. Moreover, I want to "do it right," but there is only so much time in the day. If we were going to publish a third zine, some help will be needed.
Currently Whetstone is on a bi-annual publication schedule (there are Fall and Spring issues). We've maintained that schedule successfully. Witch House publishes once per year, during the summer, when the academic year's responsibilities are lightest (many who work on Spiral Tower Press projects are academics, teachers, and students). But our labor is stretched thin. The truth is, we currently do not have the resources to publish Way Station in the way we want to, as a professionally produced yet free pdf that reads like a print zine.
Still, we no longer want to keep this idea under wraps.
So, consider today the "soft opening" of Way Station: Amateur Magazine of Space Opera.
Our seal was illustrated by Jessica Robinson; the crisp graphic elements were added by Nonpolygon.
Over the next few months we will gauge interest in this enterprise, put our feelers out, hopefully locate and enlist generous editors and readers. Perhaps Way Station will be a rocket that never takes off. But why not give it a try?
Here is the first draft of our description. It includes our mission statement and our compressed definition of space opera.
WAY STATION is an amateur magazine that seeks to discover, inspire, and publish emerging authors who are enthusiastic about the tradition of "space opera." Space opera is a pulp genre of science fiction, known for grand, epic adventures, interstellar empires, and complex character relationships. Set against a vast cosmic backdrop, space operas explore themes of heroism, warfare, political intrigue, and occasionally elements of cosmic horror, as seen in the Aliens movies or fictional universes such as Warhammer 40k. Classic authors include Isaac Asimov (Foundation series), E.E. 'Doc' Smith (Lensman series), and Frank Herbert (Dune series). These works captivate readers with thrilling journeys through the numberless stars, weaving human drama into the sublime vastness of the cosmos. Published by Spiral Tower Press.
Onward!
JRC