Aboriginal Science Fiction

That crazy alien publisher is back in business

• Aboriginal Science Fiction
  Tales of the Human Kind
• Issue Nos. 47 & 48
• $5.95 U.S. and Canada
• Spring 1996

ulp fiction magazines created a readership for science fiction back in the 1930s. Readers searching for a good yarn today need look no further than Aboriginal Science Fiction magazine, which has resumed publishing after a two-year hiatus.

The substance of Aboriginal is strong short stories, each with a full-page illustration. In addition, the magazine has two science columns, two book-review columns, editor's notes, a column from "Our Alien Publisher," capsule biographies and photos of the contributors, letters and classified ads...and don't forget the poetry. The current issue showcases a range of talented authors, including Robert Reed and guest columnist David Brin, and artists such as Robert Pasternak and Larry Blamire.

Why is the magazine called Aboriginal? Two reasons: First, when Editor Charles Ryan was looking for a name, he noticed that almost all of the successful science fiction and fantasy magazines had names that start with "A," and he didn't want to buck the trend. The second reason relates to the "Our Alien Publisher" column. The premise is that there is an alien studying Earth and humanity who sends these stories to its superiors as samples of human culture. Thus readers are the aborigines, the natives of Earth. In its column, the Alien Publisher observes human virtues and faults from an outsider's perspective.

In the current issue, reflecting on the fact that it has been on Earth for nine years, the Alien Publisher remarks, "I have lasted longer than most human marriages, careers, and prison sentences. My observations of these creatures have convinced me, in fact, that a four-year self-destruct mechanism is hardwired into everything they do, with the possible exception of Police Academy movies."

All of this adds up to a magazine that has garnered three Hugo Award nominations, though sadly the current incarnation is not as polished as the original. In the past, the magazine had full-color illustrations throughout and was a showcase of speculative art as well as fiction. Now on newsprint and in black and white, the illustrations and photos tend to be muddy. Also Abo now publishes quarterly instead of bimonthly (although each issue is larger).

Because Ryan is committed to launching new writers, the fiction quality can be choppy. But taking a risk on a new writer contributes to keeping the field fresh, and a number of established authors (such as Patricia Anthony) got their start in Aboriginal. The current issue has thoughtful time-travel stories, wacky superhero-type stories, space exploration stories, and a story by a cat. The review columns are interesting and informative, in particular David Brin's "Whose Millennium?" about millennial fever, and Darrell Schweitzer's "Wow! Fantasy Writers with Literary Ambition!" which dissects "the fallen art form" of fantasy before plunging into reviews of books by Michael Swanwick, Emma Bull, and Peter Beagle.

My allowance was well-spent. I hope I won't have to wait two years for the next issue. -- Blaise

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