Potential Genre Name Change Poll
Added 2024-04-24 17:45:34 +0000 UTCWe are mulling a potential change and would like your thoughts. Reasoning is below the question. Nothing has been decided yet and we have not made these thoughts public. We wanted our most dedicated and supportive audience to weigh in.
Should we change one of our four genre labels from "dystopia" to "cyberpunk"?
Why we are considering this:
1) The definition of Cyberpunk contains dystopia as one of its two main elements
2) Cyberpunk dystopias are what our editors want to specifically receive in our slush pile for dystopia
3) Dystopia is our most misunderstood genre. People often submit fantasy, post-apocalyptic, and general COVID stories under this moniker. We consider ourselves expressly a science fiction journal.
4) Our specifically Dystopian scholar and editor is no longer working with us on the journal (to free up time to work on her own projects).
Potential drawbacks:
1) Cyberpunk may be seen as too narrow a genre, resulting in lower submission volume, and lower author and reader interest.
2) Changing our journal genre label across all databases that host our info could be a lengthy task
Comments
The folks in my discussion group often equate dystopia with things like Handmaid's Tale, so a clarification in the guidelines might help. But, I'd kind of like to get "cyber PUNK" tattooed on my forehead, so I'd also feel good about submitting to a pub with cyberpunk specifically in its guidelines.
Myna Chang
2024-04-24 23:40:15 +0000 UTCMaybe you could just define the dystopian genre you want. You seem to like Huxleyan and that addition might help.
Pete Carter
2024-04-24 22:00:16 +0000 UTCYou could also do a themed cyberpunk issue and JUST get cyberpunk subs for a bit. I think it'd be pretty interesting to see how folks might fold your other three genres-- dystopia, transhumanism, and anarchy--into a cyberpunk framework. I'd buy that. :)
Aeryn Rudel
2024-04-24 19:38:15 +0000 UTCThat's a great point. We could simply clarify our guidelines under dystopia and potentially achieve something similar. Interested to hear additional thoughts from yourself and others on this
Radon Journal
2024-04-24 19:34:10 +0000 UTCI personally think cyberpunk is too narrow a genre to make it one of your main four, especially since it already encompasses dystopia. I'd rather see a "what we're looking for" statement in your guidelines that calls out cyberpunk and/or any other subgenres you'd specifically like to see more of. Just my .02.
Aeryn Rudel
2024-04-24 17:51:11 +0000 UTC
