Helix SF
Encyclopedia
Helix SF was a quarterly American
speculative fiction
online magazine
edited by William Sanders
and Lawrence Watt-Evans
. The poetry editor was Bud Webster
.
Sanders began the magazine as "a place where writers could publish things that none of the regular markets wanted to touch" without any attempt "to be a commercial publication." The venture was supported entirely by reader donations, though Sanders emphasized in his first editorial that the intention was to make Helix SF "a professional-quality online magazine." The magazine was not open to general submissions.
Each issue of Helix SF featured 7 stories, 4 to 6 poems, several regular columns, and editorials by both the editors. The magazine was nominated for the 2008 Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine
, the short story
"Captive Girl" by Jennifer Pelland, published in the Fall 2006 issue, was nominated for the 2007 Nebula Award
, and the poem "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Hole" by Lawrence Schimel
, published in the Winter 2007 issue, took the 3rd place Rhysling Award in the short poem category for 2007. The short story
"The Button Bin" by Mike Allen
, published in the Fall 2007 issue, was nominated for the 2008 Nebula Award
. The poem "Search" by Geoffrey A. Landis
, published in the Fall 2008 issue, won the long form Rhysling Award in 2009.
In the Fall, 2008 issue, Sanders announced "This will be the final issue of Helix." Sanders stated that "Perhaps the biggest one is the ongoing failure to develop a broad support base. Not that we've ever hurt for money — we've always been able to pay the writers, if not pro rates, at least considerably better than the average free webzine - but as things have turned out, the support has come mainly from a small number of amazingly generous donors, rather than over a wide range of the readership." On January 1, 2009, the Helix archives were removed from the web and replaced with an explanation for the magazine's demise and links to several of the stories at other locations. Helix's entire domain is now unavailable as the domain registration was not renewed.
Other authors published include Bruce Boston
, Adam-Troy Castro
, Melanie Fletcher, Esther Friesner
, Janis Ian
, Jay Lake
, Vera Nazarian
, Michael H. Payne
, Peg Robinson, Jane Yolen
, and Steven H Silver
.
Some of the works originally published in Helix are available for free at Transcriptase.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
speculative fiction
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
online magazine
Online magazine
An online magazine shares some features with a blog and also with online newspapers, but can usually be distinguished by its approach to editorial control...
edited by William Sanders
William Sanders (writer)
William Sanders is an American science fiction writer, primarily of short fiction, and was the senior editor of the now defunct online science fiction magazine Helix SF....
and Lawrence Watt-Evans
Lawrence Watt-Evans
Lawrence Watt-Evans is one of the pseudonyms of American science fiction and fantasy author Lawrence Watt Evans...
. The poetry editor was Bud Webster
Bud Webster
Clarence Howard "Bud" Webster is a science fiction and fantasy writer who is also known for his essays on both the history of science fiction and sf/fantasy anthologies as well. He is perhaps best known for the Bubba Pritchert series, which have won two Analytical Laboratory readers' awards from...
.
Sanders began the magazine as "a place where writers could publish things that none of the regular markets wanted to touch" without any attempt "to be a commercial publication." The venture was supported entirely by reader donations, though Sanders emphasized in his first editorial that the intention was to make Helix SF "a professional-quality online magazine." The magazine was not open to general submissions.
Each issue of Helix SF featured 7 stories, 4 to 6 poems, several regular columns, and editorials by both the editors. The magazine was nominated for the 2008 Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine
Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
, the short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
"Captive Girl" by Jennifer Pelland, published in the Fall 2006 issue, was nominated for the 2007 Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
, and the poem "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Hole" by Lawrence Schimel
Lawrence Schimel
Lawrence Schimel is an American science fiction and fantasy writer, translator, and anthologist whose work frequently deals with gay and lesbian themes, and with Jewish themes. He was born in New York, and received his B.A. in Literature from Yale University. Schimel is a member of the National...
, published in the Winter 2007 issue, took the 3rd place Rhysling Award in the short poem category for 2007. The short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
"The Button Bin" by Mike Allen
Mike Allen (poet)
Mike Allen is an American editor and writer of speculative fiction and poetry. He currently lives in Roanoke, Virginia.His short story "," published in the October 2007 issue of Helix SF, was a finalist for the 2008 Nebula Award for Best Short Story.The Philadelphia Inquirer has described Allen as...
, published in the Fall 2007 issue, was nominated for the 2008 Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
. The poem "Search" by Geoffrey A. Landis
Geoffrey A. Landis
Geoffrey A. Landis is an American scientist, working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on planetary exploration, interstellar propulsion, solar power and photovoltaics...
, published in the Fall 2008 issue, won the long form Rhysling Award in 2009.
In the Fall, 2008 issue, Sanders announced "This will be the final issue of Helix." Sanders stated that "Perhaps the biggest one is the ongoing failure to develop a broad support base. Not that we've ever hurt for money — we've always been able to pay the writers, if not pro rates, at least considerably better than the average free webzine - but as things have turned out, the support has come mainly from a small number of amazingly generous donors, rather than over a wide range of the readership." On January 1, 2009, the Helix archives were removed from the web and replaced with an explanation for the magazine's demise and links to several of the stories at other locations. Helix's entire domain is now unavailable as the domain registration was not renewed.
Other authors published include Bruce Boston
Bruce Boston
Bruce Boston is an American speculative fiction writer and poet who was born in Chicago and grew up in Southern California. He received a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, 1965, and an M.A., 1967...
, Adam-Troy Castro
Adam-Troy Castro
Adam-Troy Castro is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror writer living in Miami, FL. He has more than eighty stories to his credit and has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Stoker. These stories include four Spider-Man novels, including the Sinister Six trilogy,...
, Melanie Fletcher, Esther Friesner
Esther Friesner
Esther Mona Friesner-Stutzman, née Friesner is an American science fiction and fantasy author best known for her humorous pieces.- Life :...
, Janis Ian
Janis Ian
Janis Ian is an American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author. Ian first entered the folk music scene while still a teenager in the mid-sixties; most active musically in that decade and the 1970s, she has continued recording into the 21st century...
, Jay Lake
Jay Lake
Joseph E. Lake, Jr. is a science fiction and fantasy writer. In 2003 he was a quarterly first place winner in the Writers of the Future contest. In 2004 he won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction. He lives in Portland, Oregon and currently works as a product manager...
, Vera Nazarian
Vera Nazarian
Vera Nazarian is an Armenian-Russian American writer of fantasy, science fiction and other "wonder fiction" including Mythpunk, an artist, and the publisher of Norilana Books...
, Michael H. Payne
Michael H. Payne
Michael H. Payne is an American science fiction and fantasy writer, cartoonist, and reviewer. He holds an M.A. in Classics from the University of California, Irvine, and has hosted the Darkling Eclectica, a radio program originally on Saturday mornings, now on Sunday afternoons, on KUCI for more...
, Peg Robinson, Jane Yolen
Jane Yolen
Jane Hyatt Yolen is an American author and editor of almost 300 books. These include folklore, fantasy, science fiction, and children's books...
, and Steven H Silver
Steven H Silver
Steven H Silver is an American science fiction fan and bibliographer, publisher, and editor. He has been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer ten times and Best Fanzine three times without winning....
.
Some of the works originally published in Helix are available for free at Transcriptase.