SFX
Cover of issue 308, January 2019
EditorDarren Scott
Former editorsMatt Bielby
Dave Golder
David Bradley
Richard Edwards
CategoriesScience fiction magazine
FrequencyEvery four weeks
Circulation25,835 (January 2013 – January 2014, including digital)[1]
Founded1995
CompanyFuture plc
CountryUnited Kingdom
Based inBath, Somerset
LanguageEnglish
Websitesfx.co.uk
ISSN1749-6969
OCLC813632043

SFX is a British magazine covering the topics of science fiction and fantasy. Its name is a reference to the abbreviated form of "special effects".[2]

Description

SFX magazine is published every four weeks by Future plc[3][4] and was founded in 1995.[3] The magazine covers topics in the genres of popular science fiction, fantasy, and horror, within the media of films,[5] television,[6] video games, comics, and literature.[7] According to the magazine's website, the SF stands for "science fiction", but the X doesn't stand for anything in particular.[3] Given the magazine's cinematic content, SFX may stand for 'Special Effects'.

Matt Bielby was the editor for the first 11 issues. He was followed by Dave Golder[8] who left the magazine in 2005 but later returned as its online editor. Golder was replaced by David Bradley, who edited for over nine years before being promoted to Group Editor-in-Chief, handing over the issue editor role to Richard Edwards, who had been deputy editor. In 2019, Edwards left and was replaced by Darren Scott. Other members of staff include deputy editor Ian Berriman who ran the reviews section for many years, and, until January 2019, features editor Nick Setchfield.

The magazine featured a column written by David Langford from issue one to issue 274. Additional contributors have included Simon Pegg, Mark Millar, Paul Cornell, Jayne Nelson, and Bonnie Burton. SFX also publishes regular special editions.

In April 2013, the 35th European Science Fiction Convention in Kiev named SFX Best Magazine in its Hall Of Fame award category.[9]

The magazine's website sfx.co.uk used to feature news, reviews, competitions, reader blogs, and a reader forum. In November 2014, the website was closed and the URL redirected to the website GamesRadar which is now the online home of Future's sci-fi content, featuring TV and film features alongside videogames.[10]

SFX Awards

The SFX Awards celebrate the previous year's achievements in science fiction and are voted on by the readers of the SFX magazine.[11] The first SFX Awards took place in 1997.

The winners were announced at the SFX Weekender (a sci-fi Festival in North Wales) and in the magazine.[12][13] In 2013, the event continued under the name SciFi Weekender, without SFX's sponsorship.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Future claims success as T3 tops digital ABCs with more than 22,000 monthly downloads". Press Gazette. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  2. ^ "The Best Film Magazines, Journals, and Filmmaking Trade Publications". Art Departmental. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  3. ^ a b c "the leading science fiction, fantasy and horror magazine". SFX. 2006-09-22. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
  4. ^ John Plunkett (5 January 2010). "Future to launch 'coffee table' superhero magazine". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-02-06. Quarterly title to capitalise on popularity of comics, videogames and movies such as Iron Man and Batman: the Dark Knight
  5. ^ "Serenity named top sci-fi movie". BBC News. 2 April 2007. Retrieved 2011-02-06. Space thriller Serenity has beaten Star Wars to the title of best sci-fi movie in an SFX magazine poll of 3,000 fans.
  6. ^ "Doctor Who is sci-fi favourite". BBC News. 27 December 2002. Retrieved 2011-02-06. Time-travelling hero Doctor Who has been named as the greatest science fiction character of all time.
  7. ^ "Fantasy writer Gemmell dies at 57". BBC News. 28 July 2006. Retrieved 2011-02-06. Fantasy novelist David Gemmell, best known for stories such as Legend and Waylander, has died at the age of 57. ... He had a real sense of how excitement builds in a story - his books were real page-turners, Dave Bradley, SFX magazine
  8. ^ "Buffy fans slay Sky One". BBC News. 16 January 2002. Retrieved 2011-02-06. We've seen the series and in some scenes we thought, how are they going to show that? -- SFX magazine editor Dave Golder
  9. ^ "Eurocon 2013 Post Release". European Science Fiction Convention. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-07. Best Magazine: SFX (UK)
  10. ^ "Games Radar Ping From The Editor". Future plc.
  11. ^ Dave Golder (2010-09-22). "SFX Awards Vote Now". Sfx.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
  12. ^ "SFX Weekender Charity Auction Announced". Sfx.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
  13. ^ "SFX Sci-Fi Awards 2012". Sfx.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
  14. ^ Freeman, Matt (19 March 2013). "The Sci-Fi Weekender 2013: Judges, Jokers and Jedi Or There and Back Again: A Geek's Journey By Peter Ray Allison". BSFA.

External links

Future plc
Authority control databases
Categories