Type of site Periodical Owner Baen Books Commercial Yes | Available in English Website www.baens-universe.com | |
Created by Eric Flint, Jim Baen, and Mike Resnick | ||
Jim Baen's Universe (JBU) was a bimonthly online fantasy and science fiction magazine created by Jim Baen (founder and long-time publisher of Baen Books). It is recognized by the SFWA as a Qualifying Short Fiction Venue. JBU began soliciting materials in January 2006 and launched in June 2006. The magazine contained around 120,000 to 150,000 words per issue. It closed in 2010.
Contents
Jim Baen died of a stroke on June 11, 2006 and did not see the magazine's full success. The first and only editor-in-chief was Eric Flint, an author and anthologist. The executive editor was Mike Resnick, a science fiction author, editor and anthologist.
JBU had featured stories from a number of notable authors, including Alan Dean Foster, Gregory Benford, Esther Friesner, and Cory Doctorow. Regular columnists included Eric Flint, Mike Resnick, Barry Malzberg, and Stephen Euin Cobb.
Part of the magazine's philosophy was to nurture new authors, slots were reserved in each issue for new writers. Amateur writers were encouraged to submit their work via an online forum, referred to as "e-slush." Stories submitted to e-slush were reviewed by peers and associate editors. The theory was that this process may turn stories that were not quite publishable into publishable ones.
Editor Eric Flint announced in August 2009 that the magazine would close after its April 2010 issue due to insufficient subscriber income.
Awards and recognition
Reviews
Magazine reviewer Debbie Moorhouse, in Greatest Uncommon Denominator, says:
JBU is a massive read. Even at an accelerated pace, with a deadline looming, it took me days to read it all. This is what I want from a magazine: a variety of stories to get my teeth into and some non-fiction to leaven the mixture. The only drawback was that I couldn't take it with me to my usual reading place—it just isn't possible to snuggle up in bed with a computer.
Electronic distribution
JBU is electronic only, and is not available in print (although a hardcover "Best of" collection has been published). It is distributed without digital rights management (DRM). The first half of each story can be read for free, but only subscribers can read the second half. Individual issues can be purchased via Baen Ebooks. Subsequent to the announcement of the closing, subscriptions were modified to provide one year of access to all back issues.