Leading Edge
Encyclopedia
Leading Edge, formerly The Leading Edge Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy, is a semi-professional speculative fiction
magazine founded in 1981 and published at Brigham Young University
in Provo, Utah
. The magazine is known for its high quality fiction and has published stories by authors such as Dave Wolverton
, M. Shayne Bell
, Dan Wells
, and Orson Scott Card
, articles by Algis Budrys
, as well as poetry and articles by noted poet and literary critic Michael R. Collings
. Several former Leading Edge staff members (such as Brandon Sanderson
) have become speculative fiction authors in their own right. Other notable former staff members include Anne Sowards, senior editor at Roc and Ace Books, and literary agent Michael Carr.
The magazine has also featured award-winning artwork, including the 2002 Chesley Award-winning cover artwork by James C. Christensen
for issue 41.
It is published twice yearly and has an open submission policy. One of its goals is to aid new writers by providing substantially more detailed feedback than is common in the SF publishing industry.
(BYU) began with a one-day symposium on science fiction held on January 20, 1976. Four years later, Orson Scott Card
gave a speech at the university about morality in writing, which showed some of the students and faculty that a serious, academic forum for discussion of science fiction writing was a possibility at BYU, but there weren't enough students interested in trying to make things work at that time.
This changed in February 1982 when Ben Bova
was invited to speak at a university forum event. The department in charge assigned Marion Smith, the professor whose name is now part of the title of the Life, the Universe, & Everything
symposium, to take care of Bova while he wasn't speaking. He and a handful of his writing students (including M. Shayne Bell
) got together and held a discussion with Bova. This inspired those students to try to create something like that the following year, when they invited Card back to be the first guest of honor. The magazine was started by those same students, all members of a 1980 creative writing class at BYU.
By the late 80s and early 90s, a new crop of young writers and editors had taken the helm at The Leading Edge, many of whom would go on to professional success. These included several Writers of the Future winners such as Russell Asplund, Grant Avery Morgan, and Lee Allred, future editor at Ace Books, Anne Sowards, writer and literary agent Michael Carr, and fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson.
Since its beginnings, Leading Edge has published approximately twice a year (sometimes more, sometimes less), with one issue coming out in fall and one coming out in spring.
In 2000, Leading Edge found itself the center of a plagiarism
controversy when a story it published turned out to have been plagiarized by a prison inmate submitting it as his own work. Geoffrey A. Landis
' 1994 novella
"The Singular Habits of Wasps", originally published in the April 1994 issue of Analog
, was submitted by this other author, purchased by Leading Edge, and published in issue 39. A correction notice was published in issue 40 indicating the actual author of the story.
, Leading Edge has published 61 issues.
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...
magazine founded in 1981 and published at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
in Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
. The magazine is known for its high quality fiction and has published stories by authors such as Dave Wolverton
Dave Wolverton
Dave Wolverton is a science fiction author who also goes under the pseudonym David Farland for his fantasy works. He currently lives in St. George, Utah with his wife and five children.-Career:...
, M. Shayne Bell
M. Shayne Bell
M. Shayne Bell is an American science fiction writer.He debuted with the story "Jacob's Ladder" in 1986 in the Writers of the Future book and contest, in which it won first prize for the second quarter of 1986. He has written only one novel, Nicoji, in 1991, but has remained active at shorter...
, Dan Wells
Dan Wells (author)
Dan Wells is an American horror fiction author. A Utah native, he currently resides in Orem, Utah.-Early life:Wells wrote his first novel, Choose Your Own Adventure, when he was in second grade. He followed up with several novellas, a serial and a series of comic books when he was in high school....
, and Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
, articles by Algis Budrys
Algis Budrys
Algis Budrys was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names "Frank Mason", "Alger Rome", "John A. Sentry", "William Scarff", and "Paul Janvier."-Biography:...
, as well as poetry and articles by noted poet and literary critic Michael R. Collings
Michael R. Collings
Michael Robert Collings is an author, poet, literary critic, and bibliographer, and a former professor of creative writing and literature at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He was Poet in Residence at Pepperdine's Seaver College from 1997-2000...
. Several former Leading Edge staff members (such as Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson is an American fantasy author. A Nebraska native, he currently resides in American Fork, Utah. He earned his Master's degree in Creative Writing in 2005 from Brigham Young University, where he was on the staff of Leading Edge, a semi-professional speculative fiction magazine...
) have become speculative fiction authors in their own right. Other notable former staff members include Anne Sowards, senior editor at Roc and Ace Books, and literary agent Michael Carr.
The magazine has also featured award-winning artwork, including the 2002 Chesley Award-winning cover artwork by James C. Christensen
James C. Christensen
James C. Christensen is an American artist. His main body of work, mostly paintings, is heavily influenced by fantasy themes. Even his small body of religious work shows heavy fantasy influence. Christensen says his inspirations are myths, fables, fantasies, and tales of imagination.Christensen...
for issue 41.
It is published twice yearly and has an open submission policy. One of its goals is to aid new writers by providing substantially more detailed feedback than is common in the SF publishing industry.
History
The roots of Leading Edge and other science fiction efforts at Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU) began with a one-day symposium on science fiction held on January 20, 1976. Four years later, Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
gave a speech at the university about morality in writing, which showed some of the students and faculty that a serious, academic forum for discussion of science fiction writing was a possibility at BYU, but there weren't enough students interested in trying to make things work at that time.
This changed in February 1982 when Ben Bova
Ben Bova
Benjamin William Bova is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970's.-Personal life:...
was invited to speak at a university forum event. The department in charge assigned Marion Smith, the professor whose name is now part of the title of the Life, the Universe, & Everything
Life, the Universe, & Everything
Life, the Universe, & Everything: The Marion K. "Doc" Smith Symposium on Science Fiction and Fantasy is an academic conference held annually since 1982 at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. It is one of the largest and longest-running academic science fiction conferences...
symposium, to take care of Bova while he wasn't speaking. He and a handful of his writing students (including M. Shayne Bell
M. Shayne Bell
M. Shayne Bell is an American science fiction writer.He debuted with the story "Jacob's Ladder" in 1986 in the Writers of the Future book and contest, in which it won first prize for the second quarter of 1986. He has written only one novel, Nicoji, in 1991, but has remained active at shorter...
) got together and held a discussion with Bova. This inspired those students to try to create something like that the following year, when they invited Card back to be the first guest of honor. The magazine was started by those same students, all members of a 1980 creative writing class at BYU.
By the late 80s and early 90s, a new crop of young writers and editors had taken the helm at The Leading Edge, many of whom would go on to professional success. These included several Writers of the Future winners such as Russell Asplund, Grant Avery Morgan, and Lee Allred, future editor at Ace Books, Anne Sowards, writer and literary agent Michael Carr, and fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson.
Since its beginnings, Leading Edge has published approximately twice a year (sometimes more, sometimes less), with one issue coming out in fall and one coming out in spring.
In 2000, Leading Edge found itself the center of a plagiarism
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
controversy when a story it published turned out to have been plagiarized by a prison inmate submitting it as his own work. 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...
' 1994 novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
"The Singular Habits of Wasps", originally published in the April 1994 issue of Analog
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
, was submitted by this other author, purchased by Leading Edge, and published in issue 39. A correction notice was published in issue 40 indicating the actual author of the story.
, Leading Edge has published 61 issues.
See also
- InscapeInscape (journal)Inscape is the creative writing journal for Brigham Young UniversityAs quoted in every issue of Inscape, it is "the inward quality of objects as they are perceived by the joined introspection of a poet, who in turn embodies them in unique poetic forms."...
, a semiannual creative writing journal at BYU which publishes student submissions