For many, many years I was a loyal customer of Paizo Publishing, publisher of my favorite magazine, Star Wars Insider. But alas, the publishing rights for Insider were transferred to IDG Entertainment and I fell out of touch with Paizo. Or so I thought…
Recently I received a complementary issue of another magazine published by Paizo, Amazing Stories (Issue 605 of Volume 73, Number 3). I was given an interesting deal: if I liked the magazine I could subscribe for one year at a cheap price. At first, I scoffed at the cover of Amazing Stories. There, resplendent in their New Hope finery were Mark Hammill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Peter Mayhew, also known as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa, and Chewbacca. Of course Pazio would try to lure me in with a Star Wars cover-but I knew better! While Star Wars was on the minds of avid fans due to hype around the original trilogy release, I knew it was not the only topic of discussion in the magazine, and to be quite honest from the outset nothing looked worth reading in this issue, so I resigned to read the Star Wars article and toss the magazine.
Basically I discovered I was wrong about this title. Amazing Stories is a diverse magazine that covers all things entertainment-and I mean ALL! The premise of this magazine does not limit the category of science fiction to space dramas like Star Wars or invasions of little green men. As the Editor-in-Chief states in his editorial: "There's another way in which labels fail us, and that's in excluding great works because they don't obviously fit any of them." He stated that it is not the category, but the story that was most important. To that end, Amazing Stories includes traditional science fiction pieces as well as fantasy, superheroes, horror, and more!
The article about the upcoming Hallmark Channel's retelling of Frankenstein intrigued me so much I now want to see movie. I also enjoyed the article Back To the Future? which discussed Hollywood's trend of remaking movies. The article featured opinions on which remakes were successful, why some movies should never be remade, and which movies are dying for a remake.
The article about science fiction writer Frederik Pohl was informative and well written. I also enjoyed the previews and reviews of movies, DVDs, comics and more. Each review was written with conviction - you could tell that the writer was passionate about his/her view of the subject. It was also nice to read about Green Lantern and the latest incarnation of the power-ringed superhero/galaxy cop.
A mazing Stories was not just articles about up and coming entertainment properties, it is hoping to influence them as well. The magazine includes short stories by well-known and novice writers that present progressive and innovative storytelling that seperates Amazing Stories from most mainstream mags. Here are three out of the four of the short stories that stood out:
What was just as amazing as Amazing Stories was the fact that this title is not a new magazine. In fact, Amazing Stories went into publication in 1926! Paizo Publishing has simply refurbished the magazine for the 21st century with a new look. As the publishing firm states, Amazing Stories has been re-imagined.
Amazing Stories was a truly remarkable reading experience. Paizo Publishing once again has retained a loyal customer! I have taken the offer for a year's worth of the magazine and look forward toward one amazing year of entertaining adventures!
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