It may come as a surprise that such a day even exists (it did to me) but today, October 1st, is Support out ‘Zines Day.
The short fiction market has been in a state of decline for years, if not decades. I could go on and on as to what might be to blame for this but there is really only one solution. People like yourself, like me, need to bite the bullet and subscribe to that magazine or online magazine that we read every day. Maybe you love the fantastic fiction that you find over at Fantasy Magazine. Go make a donation! Perhaps you wait on baited breath for the latest Fantasy and Science Fiction but still haven’t made the commitment of a subscription. Maybe it’s time.
Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Realms of Fantasy, Clarkesworld… the list goes on and on. Each and every one of these magazines exists because someone like you loves robot prostitutes and dystopian governments and angry leprechauns and bug eyed aliens so much that they are willing to work for peanuts to bring imaginative fiction to you every day, week or month. But they have operating costs. They have to pay for art and stories and web hosting.
Next time you read a story that makes you forget about the problems in your life. Makes the sluggish economy and your boss and your screaming kids and your snippy spouse all disappear for just a few minutes. Think about giving back.
The point is that you are here on this site because you love fiction, specifically speculative fiction. If you don’t support these wonderful publications, who will?
You’ve got a thing going about these robot prostitutes, I think. 🙂
I agree with your message, though.
Every self-respecting author has a robotic prostitute in their stories… You should know that, Gary. 🙂