Spike Magazine
Encyclopedia
Spike Magazine is an internet
cultural journal which began in 1996, founded by its editor Chris Mitchell in Brighton
, England
. Updated monthly, its motto is "picking the brains of popular culture", though it has an intellectual
inclination.
and politics
), music reviews, interviews, and the ongoing "blog
" journal Splinters
Spike has had contributors from around the world over the years making for very varied outlooks. The general tone however tends towards the counter-cultural, controversial and left-wing, with a frequent championing of lesser-known writers. Nonetheless, Spike has managed to obtain interviews with a variety of big-name authors over the years, including J. G. Ballard
, Will Self
, Jeff Noon
, Iain Banks
, Hubert Selby Jr, Gitta Sereny
, P. J. O'Rourke
, Quentin Crisp
, Nick Hornby
, and Julie Burchill
.
It contains separate sections devoted to news on Ballard, Noon, Self and Irvine Welsh
.
Some of the main writers over the years have been Chris Mitchell himself, Stephen Mitchelmore, Ben Granger, Ismo Santala (the former three also having been regular contributors to the Splinters blog), Chris Hall, Gary Marshall, Eric Saeger, Ian Hocking, Robin Askew, Nick Clapson, Jayne Margetts, Craig Johnson, Katrina Gulliver, Nathan Cain, Nick Clapson, Dan Coxon and Adam Baron.
In October 2010, a free 600 page PDF anthology of the best of Spike Magazine was made available to download from the site.
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
cultural journal which began in 1996, founded by its editor Chris Mitchell in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Updated monthly, its motto is "picking the brains of popular culture", though it has an intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
inclination.
Description
The focus of the magazine is mainly literary, and it features an extensive and eclectic back catalogue of book reviews, all available from the site's front page. It also includes features on a variety of subjects (including cinemaFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
), music reviews, interviews, and the ongoing "blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
" journal Splinters
Spike has had contributors from around the world over the years making for very varied outlooks. The general tone however tends towards the counter-cultural, controversial and left-wing, with a frequent championing of lesser-known writers. Nonetheless, Spike has managed to obtain interviews with a variety of big-name authors over the years, including J. G. Ballard
J. G. Ballard
James Graham Ballard was an English novelist, short story writer, and prominent member of the New Wave movement in science fiction...
, Will Self
Will Self
William Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
, Jeff Noon
Jeff Noon
Jeff Noon is a novelist, short story writer and playwright whose works make extensive use of word play and fantasy. Noon's speculative fiction books have ties to the works of writers such as Lewis Carroll and Jorge Luis Borges...
, Iain Banks
Iain Banks
Iain Banks is a Scottish writer. He writes mainstream fiction under the name Iain Banks, and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, including the initial of his adopted middle name Menzies...
, Hubert Selby Jr, Gitta Sereny
Gitta Sereny
Gitta Sereny is an Austrian-born biographer, historian and investigative journalist whose writing focuses mainly on the Holocaust and child abuse. She is the stepdaughter of the economist Ludwig von Mises....
, P. J. O'Rourke
P. J. O'Rourke
Patrick Jake "P. J." O'Rourke is an American political satirist, journalist, writer, and author. O'Rourke is the H. L. Mencken Research Fellow at the Cato Institute and is a regular correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, The American Spectator, and The Weekly Standard, and frequent panelist on...
, Quentin Crisp
Quentin Crisp
Quentin Crisp , was an English writer and raconteur. He became a gay icon in the 1970s after publication of his memoir, The Naked Civil Servant.- Early life :...
, Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby is an English novelist, essayist and screenwriter. He is best known for the novels High Fidelity, About a Boy, and for the football memoir Fever Pitch. His work frequently touches upon music, sport, and the aimless and obsessive natures of his protagonists.-Life and career:Hornby was...
, and Julie Burchill
Julie Burchill
Julie Burchill is an English writer and journalist. Beginning as a writer for the New Musical Express at the age of 17, she has written for newspapers such as The Sunday Times and The Guardian. She is a self-declared "militant feminist". She has several times been involved in legal action...
.
It contains separate sections devoted to news on Ballard, Noon, Self and Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh is a contemporary Scottish novelist, best known for his novel Trainspotting. His work is characterised by raw Scottish dialect, and brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life...
.
Some of the main writers over the years have been Chris Mitchell himself, Stephen Mitchelmore, Ben Granger, Ismo Santala (the former three also having been regular contributors to the Splinters blog), Chris Hall, Gary Marshall, Eric Saeger, Ian Hocking, Robin Askew, Nick Clapson, Jayne Margetts, Craig Johnson, Katrina Gulliver, Nathan Cain, Nick Clapson, Dan Coxon and Adam Baron.
External links
In October 2010, a free 600 page PDF anthology of the best of Spike Magazine was made available to download from the site.