SF-Xperience (SFX)

Member Name: Emerald

Product:	SFX
Date:	05/04/01 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Up to date, intelligently written

Disadvantages: Sometimes hard to find

SFX is a monthly magazine published by Future Publishing in Bath, UK. One of the big plus points of this is that it has a British bias, a refreshing change for us this side of the water. Alongside the usual Buffy and Star Trek articles it's not afraid to feature Dr Who or Blakes 7.

SFX is the Science Fiction magazine for grown-ups. Well, more grown up than some other magazines. Intelligently written articles and reviews make you feel it's OK to be a sci-fi fan. It's not necessary to sit in your bedroom making Vulcan ears out of the liquid latex that came with your "Make a Star Wars Chess Set" kit. SFX says you can stand up and be proud, or at least not have to go out with a blanket over your head.

Along with the news and reviews are special features like the "Couch Potato". This personal favourite of mine sits several people on a sofa (a mixture of SFX journo's and possibly some genre celebs) and forces them, Mystery Science Theatre style, to endure a night's really bad sci-fi. The comments can be hysterically funny and stops the mag taking itself too seriously.

There are also the usual competitions and giveaways that all mags offer, but it's the quality of SFX that really sets it apart from the rest. As mentioned in other opinions on this site it can be difficult to find in the shops, but I've noticed it's becoming more widespread with both WH Smiths and even Tescos now stocking it. Perhaps the real problem is that the mag is so popular that if you don't get each edition in the first week of release, it's all sold out!

If you're a Sci-Fi fan looking for up to date news, exclusive interviews, in depth but not "anorakky" articles and, at the same time, a bit of a laugh, then SFX should be your first choice.

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