Now that Locus Magazine has published its recommended reading list for 2010, I can once again dig into my spreadsheets and take a look at how this year’s data reflects on the state of short stories. I’ve been monitoring the list’s short fiction category for a few years now and have always found the results interesting.
Some Quick Facts:
- Number of short stories on the list: 68, up from 61
- Number of publications represented: 27, down from 29
- Number of publications with 2 or more stories on the list: 14 (52%), up from 12 (41%)
- Number of stories from online magazines: 36 (52.9%), up from 18 (27.9%)
- Number of online magazines represented: 9 (33.3%), up from 6 (20.7%)
- Number of stories from print magazines: 12 (17.6%), down from 16 (26.2%)
- Number of print magazines represented: 4 (14.8%), down from 6 (20.7%)
- Number of stories from anthologies/collections/chapbooks: 20 (29.4%), down from 28 (45.9%)
- Number of anthologies/collections/chapbooks represented: 14 (51.8%), down from 17 (58.6%)
- Online magazines represented: Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, Subterranean, Tor.com, Fantasy, Apex, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and Shareable.
- Print magazines represented: Asimov’s, F&SF, Black Gate, and Albedo One
- Anthology/Collections/Chapbooks represented: Is Anybody Out There?, Sprawl, Zombies vs. Unicorns, Swords & Dark Magic, What I Didn’t See and Other Stories, Sourdough and Other Stories, Stories, Gateways, Wings of Fire, Full Moon City, The Beastly Bride, Temporary Culture, The Man with Knives, Songs of Love and Death, and Masked.
- There is a two-way tie for publications with the most recommended short stories. One online magazine (Clarkesworld) and one print magazine (Asimov’s). These two magazines were two of four tied for first last year.
Final Standings:
7 – Asimov’s (+2)
7 – Clarkesworld (+2)
6 – Lightspeed (new)
5 – Tor.com (+4)
5 – Fantasy Magazine (+2)
4 – Strange Horizons (-1)
3 – Subterranean (+1)
3 – Apex (+3)
3 – F&SF (-1)
3 – Is Anybody Out There?
3 – Sprawl
2 – Zombies vs. Unicorns
2 – Wings of Fire
2 – Shareable
1 – 13 other markets
Observations:
- This is the first year that there have been more stories selected from online venues than from books or print magazines.
- Although the number of stories on the list increased by 111%, growth within the categories was not proportional. Online magazines increased their total by 212%, but anthologies/collections/chapbooks and print magazines respectively declined to 71% and 75% of last year’s figures.
- Anthologies/Collections/Chapbooks spent the last four years at the top. This is their first decline since 2005.
- Overall, print magazines continue to decline as a presence on the list. Three years ago, Asimov’s (alone) represented 25% of the entire list. That’s more than all of this (or last) year’s print magazines combined.
- Notable publications absent in the short story category: Analog, Realms of Fantasy, and Interzone.
- 38 stories are by women, giving them the majority. 20 of those stories were in online magazines. 12 stories were in print magazines. 18 in anthology/collection/chapbooks. (30 for men, 16 online magazines, 12 print magazines, 2 in a/c/c).
For the Visual People:
