Where Has All the Short Fiction Gone?(nowhere)
I know many people who complain about the prevalence of epic SF/F (Science Fiction/Fantasy) series. They just want a short, punchy story, not pages of detail and side plots and a passel of secondary characters. The answer to their bitching is quite obvious: short fiction magazines. When I did shift work, I'd take a magazine in and go through a story or two during my lunch breaks. I don't have formal lunch breaks now (plus, I'm not working at oh-dark-thirty), so I'm way behind on my short fiction. There's a magazine for all tastes. Want hard SF all the time, no girl cooties, no Fantasy elements? You want Analog, which features novelists you might recognize, like David Brin, Harry Turtledove, and Kevin J. Anderson. Analog is published monthly, except for two double issues in January/February and July/August. (I pick up an occasional issue, but I'm not a regular subscriber.) Want a little SF, a little Fantasy? Check out Asimov's. Some novelist contributors you might recognize: Connie Willis, Michael Swanwick, Mike Resnick, Gene Wolfe, and Tanith Lee. There have been a number of stories in Asimov's I've loved so much, I went out and bought the author's novels. Liz Williams' far-future stories led to purchasing and loving Banner of Souls. Allen Steele's Coyote trilogy originally appeared in Asimov's, but some story elements have changed in transfer to the novel. Even so, the stories that appear in Asimov's are complete tales in themselves; epic haters need not worry. Asimov's publishes monthly, except for two double issues in April/May and October/November. Looking for some SF, some Fantasy, and some not-quite-definable? Flip through Fantasy and Science Fiction. This is possibly my favorite of the three "big" magazines, even though some of the stories have only the barest hint of speculation. Some of my favorite F&SF authors are Matthew Hughes, Charles Coleman Finlay, R. Garcia y Robinson, and Carol Emshwaller. F&SF publishes monthly, except for one double issue in October/November. Only want to read online? If you don't want to pay, click over to Strange Horizons. They publish a new SF/F story every Monday. Even though it's not pay-to-read, the quality of writing is still good. Some of my favorite stories there are Marguerite Reed's Bearing Witness, Merrie Haskell's Huntswoman, and since you girls love comics, I recommend Paul Melko's humorous superhero story Doctor Mighty and the Case of Ennui. If you do want to pay, point your mouse to Jim Baen's Universe or Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show, neither of which I've read, but both of which publish names I recognize. Baen's Universe's current (and first!) issue has the likes of Alan Dean Foster, Elizabeth Bear, and Gregory Benford. It also has two "classic" stories, one by Mark Twain and the other by Bob Shaw. Baen's Universe publishes bimonthly. InterGalactic Medicine Show includes one Orson Scott Card "Ender's World" story each issue, and publishes quarterly. So, now that you know where to go, quit griping about long fiction, and enjoy some of the short fiction offerings available.
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