SF Site

{{Short description|Online science fiction magazine}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox magazine | title = SF Site | logo = | logo_size =  | image_file =  | image_size =  | image_alt = | image_caption = | editor = Rodger Turner | editor_title =  | previous_editor = | staff_writer = | photographer = | category = Science fiction, fantasy | frequency = Bimonthly (until 2013) | format = Online magazine | circulation = 200K visitors per month | publisher = | paid_circulation = | unpaid_circulation = | circulation_year = | total_circulation = | founder = {{unbulleted list|John O'Neill|Rodger Turner}} | founded = | firstdate = {{Start date and age|1997|06}} | finaldate =  | finalnumber = | company = | country = Canada | based = Ottawa, Ontario | language = English | website = {{link with archives |http://www.sfsite.com |sfsite.com |20230405203624 |date-format=MDY}} | issn = | eissn = | oclc = }}

'''''SF Site''''' was an online science fiction and fantasy magazine edited by Rodger Turner. Launched in 1997, it primarily published book reviews and won the Locus Award for Best Website in 2002. ''SF Site'' also provided web hosting services for science fiction magazines such as ''Analog'', ''Asimov's'', ''F&SF'' and ''Interzone''. It was one of the oldest extant science fiction websites at the time of its shutdown in 2025.

==History==

Established in June 1997 by John O'Neill and Rodger Turner,<ref name=SFE>{{cite encyclopedia |editor1-last=Clute |editor1-first=John |editor1-link=John Clute |editor2-last=Langford |editor2-first=David |last1=Kincaid |first1=Paul |author1-link=Paul Kincaid |last2=Langford |first2=David |author2-link=David Langford |date=December 8, 2025 |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction |title=SF Site |url=http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/sf_site |edition=4th |access-date=February 3, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260203215937/https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/sf_site |archive-date=February 3, 2026 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''SF Site'' was an online magazine of science fiction and fantasy.<ref name="Breckon2014-05-13">{{cite journal |last=Breckon |first=Michelle |date=2014-05-13 |title=The SF Site: The Home Page for Science Fiction and Fantasy |journal=Reference Reviews |publisher=Emerald Group Publishing |issn=0950-4125 |volume=28 |issue=4 |page=32 |id={{ProQuest|1558804452}} |doi=10.1108/RR-02-2014-0040}}</ref> It was based in Ottawa, Canada, but included contributors from around the world, and had 200,000 unique visitors per month in 2001.<ref name="Houle2001-01-15"/> It primarily published reviews of science fiction books; it also reviewed films, television, and features interviews with authors and fiction excerpts.<ref name=SFE/> Contributors included Steven H Silver, Richard Lupoff, Rick Norwood, Victoria Strauss, Mark London Williams, and Rick Klaw.

Through its web hosting services, ''SF Site'' was responsible for bringing four major science fiction magazines{{snd}} ''Analog'', ''Asimov's'', ''F&SF'' and ''Interzone''{{snd}} to the Internet.<ref name="Houle2001-01-15"/> It also hosted science fiction and fantasy authors such as Steven Erikson and a fan-run website for Guy Gavriel Kay.<ref name="Houle2001-01-15"/> It hosted a science fiction discussion forum and RSS feed.

In December 2013, ''SF Site'' suspended production of regular twice-monthly updates, due to declining advertising revenue.<ref name=LocusOnline>{{cite web|url=http://www.locusmag.com/News/2013/12/sf-site-suspends-regular-updates/|title=SF Site Suspends Regular Updates |work=Locus Magazine|date=December 17, 2013 |access-date=February 27, 2014}}</ref> Its news blog was placed on hiatus in 2018.<ref name=locus-2018/> ''SF Site'' became defunct after Turner's death in 2025, at which time it was one of the oldest extant science fiction websites.<ref name=SFE/>

==Reception== In 2000 editor Gardner Dozois, writing in ''The Mammoth Book of Best New SF'', described ''SF Site'' as one of the most important genre-related websites on the internet.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dozois |first=Gardner |author-link=Gardner Dozois |year=2000 |title=The Mammoth Book of Best New SF |volume=13 |publisher=Robinson |page=16 |isbn=978-1841191683}}</ref> Zachary Houle wrote in the ''Ottawa Citizen'' in 2001, "Over four short years, [''SF Site''] has become a big player in broadening the appeal of speculative fiction—the SF referred to in its name" and said, "the site is also highly regarded by the major publishing houses, which generously lift quotes from the site's reviews for book-cover blurbs".<ref name="Houle2001-01-15">{{cite news |last=Houle |first=Zachary |date=2001-01-15 |title=Sci-Fi Powerhouse |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85183104/the-ottawa-citizen/ B8], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85183137/the-ottawa-citizen/ B9], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85183167/the-ottawa-citizen/ B10]. Retrieved December 16, 2021. Archived pp. [https://web.archive.org/web/20210912111538/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85183104/the-ottawa-citizen/ B8], [https://web.archive.org/web/20210912111709/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85183137/the-ottawa-citizen/ B9], [https://web.archive.org/web/20210912111855/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85183167/the-ottawa-citizen/ B10] on September 12, 2021 |newspaper=Ottawa Citizen}}</ref>

''SF Site'' won the 2002 Locus Award for Best Website,<ref name=LocusAwards>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfadb.com/Locus_Awards_2002|title=2002 Locus Awards|work=Science Fiction Awards Database|publisher=Locus|access-date=December 15, 2021}}</ref> and was a nominee for the 2002 Hugo Award in the same category.<ref name=SFADB/> It was also nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Non-Professional Work in 2004 and 2006.<ref name=SFADB/>

==References== {{reflist|30em|refs= <ref name=SFADB>{{cite web |url=http://www.sfadb.com/Rodger_Turner |title=Rodger Turner Awards |work=Science Fiction Awards Database |publisher=Locus Science Fiction Foundation |access-date=December 15, 2021}}</ref> <ref name=locus-2018>{{cite magazine |url=https://locusmag.com/2018/06/publishing-news/ |title=Publishing News |date=June 17, 2018 |access-date=February 25, 2022 |magazine=Locus Magazine}}</ref> }}

==External links== *{{Official site|http://www.sfsite.com/}} {{dead Link|date=February 2026}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:SF Site}} Category:Magazines established in 1996 Category:Science fiction webzines Category:Online magazines published in Canada Category:1996 establishments in Canada