Customer Reviews

Asimov's Science Fiction

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I've read Asimov's for years, and when I saw it available for the Kindle, I returned to my favorite source of short fiction. What an appropriate setting for a science fiction magazine.

I knew that in going to the digital version, I would loose the wonderful artwork that frequently graces the pages of Asimov's. What I didn't expect was the poor formatting of the content. The text runs continuous through each edition, with no page breaks. The end of each article has a link to take you back to the table of contents, but otherwise, one line down brings you to the next item in the magazine. I'd appreciate page breaks at the end of each article or story -- something to bring some mental closure before being jolted immediately into the next.

This is a very good magazine. But, as another reviewer has said, there is no advantage taken of any of the Kindle's features here. There are no links to a Table of Contents, and, there is no way to navigate the issue easily.

This might seem like a minor annoyance. But, if you don't create a "note" immediately to the first page, you will need to page back, page back, page back, etc. to get back to the first page. It becomes a pretty big hassle navigating if you don't create a note on page one immediately, before reading any further. There is a "Contents" page on page one, with links... But, you need to craft your own link to it.

That's just how periodicals are on Kindle; if the publisher takes no care to format the issue, it is essentially a flat core dump of text.

It is a pity that the publisher of Asimov's didn't put at least a tiny bit of effort into formatting this to be user-friendly.

You do pay a premium for a format that is greener; and it must cost less for them to produce. Yet, you don't get anything in the Kindle edition (as of this writing anyway) that takes advantage of the fact that this is a digital medium.

I want to give this full marks, but this is not a great effort on formatting for us!

But, you do get the convenience of portability. Just remember though -- it is not a magazine that puts any thought into the medium...

I just wonder why the print version on this magazine is $3 less per year than the kindle version?
Seems a bit odd to me. Doesn't the Kindle eliminate the need to print and mail this?
Once it is lowered in price, I am all over it.

The November 1, 2009 issue of Asimov's Magazine (received September 2nd) has now been vastly improved with it's new formatting designed to take advantage of the Kindle. Past commenters have correctly complained about the difficulty of moving from story to story. This is no longer a problem. As is the case with most Kindle newspapers, there is a "View Sections List" at the bottom of the screen, which provides access to a Novella (1 story), Novelettes (5 stories), Short Stories (4 stories), Poetry (6 stories), and Departments (7 stories). The beginning of each story also provides the word length of the story, which is really helpful for the reader to know if he or she has time to read the story. This particular issue is crammed with more than 100,000 words of fiction - a super bargain for $3. I am so thankful that this terrific little magazine now takes full advantage of everything Kindle has to offer. If you like Science Fiction, you'll find some of the very best writers each month at Asimov's!

I've been reading a lot of the reviews here, and they tend to focus on the Kindle-unfriendliness of the Asimov's. Well, they listened, did a major redesign, and it's now a real joy to read on my brand-new Kindle. Top short stories well presented!

It would be disingenuous to claim that Asimov's initial Kindle format was bug-free. Sure there were a few. For me, the biggest issue was not being able to get a real sense of the length of the story before I
started it. That's now been fixed - with the addition of word counts at the head of each story. The revised and improved format is truly excellent. Navigation is fast and easy. Categorization is intuitive. The all-important cover art is clear and simple to locate. The slate background makes the physical act of reading pleasant and relaxing. And, of course, the content remains unparalleled. Quite simply the finest SF magazine on the market. Read. Discover. Imagine. Cherish.

I have read this magazine for over 24 years. It has an emphasis on thoughtful science fiction, never sinking to sci fi The Son of the Two Headed Fly. It concentrates on presenting scenarios that could happen and twists from things today which make you wonder, what if?
To be able to carry numerous issues to read and reread whenever I get a moment is something I will truly enjoy.

With the newest issue, which I received last night on my Kindle, the formatting has been updated and greatly improved. There is now a great and wonderful menu for the whole issue. Really looking forward to reading it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've never been exposed to this publication before getting my Kindle, but based on other positive reviews I decided to download the free 2-week trial and was very pleased with the content. There is a great variety of interesting stories in this magazine, and no shortage of content. For the low monthly cost, this seems like a steal for Kindle-owners. Based on the 1 issue that I've read nearly cover to cover, I plan to subscribe to this magazine. This is a no-brainer for anyone who enjoys Science Fiction.

I love Asimov's magazine - I've read it since I was a teen and have had print subscriptions off-and-on over the years. I currently have a print subscription. However, I wanted to try the Kindle edition, since the magazine is not heavy on illustrations.

I was hoping that the 2008 review from C. Schramke "Corines1r" was out of date. The problem described there (accessing TOC) has been resolved, but formatting remains an problem. In the first story (April/May2011 edition) about every third line had at least two words run together, with no spacing between them, likethis. It makes reading a chore. I did not finish the story or the edition (which I had already read in print, anyway.)

Also, the Kindle edition is not as "current" as a print subscription. I ordered a subscription on April 1 but the edition delivered was not the June edition, which had arrived in my mailbox earlier that week. (The June issue is currently for sale on Amazon.) One of the perqs of subscribing to magazines has always been that you get them before they hit the newsstand; not so with a Kindle edition.

Finally, this magazine is NOT available on the iPhone or iPad Kindle application, although it is available for the Android application. Given that it can be read on an Android device, I don't believe that Dell (the publisher) is deliberately discounting mobile or alternative devices. I think it is a subtle acknowledgement that Amazon sees Apple as a major competitor.