Fantasy Newsletter
Product brand
UnclaimedA highly regarded fantasy fanzine and later semiprozine that reviewed and discussed science-fiction and fantasy books.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Fantasy Newsletter was an influential English-language fantasy fanzine founded by Paul C. Allen, with its first issue appearing in June 1978. It developed during a period when specialist fan publications played an important role in connecting readers, writers, publishers, booksellers, and critics in the science-fiction and fantasy communities. Rather than concentrating only on literary fiction, the publication covered a broad range of fantastic literature and related media, including book reviews, film criticism, commentary for writers, and material about small-press releases. Allen published the newsletter through October 1981. In that year, publication passed to Robert A. Collins, who was director of the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts at Florida Atlantic University. The transition was made without an interruption in the publication's run, allowing the title to continue building on its existing readership and editorial identity. Contributors associated with the newsletter included established authors and critics such as Fritz Leiber and Gene Wolfe, while film reviews were supplied by Bill Warren. At the beginning of 1984, Fantasy Newsletter was combined with Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review and renamed Fantasy Review. This change marked an expansion beyond the traditional fanzine model. The renamed publication became a semiprozine with substantial bookstore sales and was described as offering exceptionally broad coverage of science-fiction and fantasy books. Its practical value lay in helping readers discover forthcoming releases, including works from smaller presses that could otherwise receive limited attention. The publication was recognized within genre fandom. It won both the Balrog Award and the World Fantasy Award, and in 1984 it was a finalist for the Hugo Award in the semiprozine category. Contemporary critical commentary emphasized its editorial quality, range of reviews, writer-oriented columns, film coverage, and usefulness as a guide for readers searching for new and small-press titles. Fantasy Review ended with issue 103, dated July/August 1987. Its review function continued in another form through Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review Annual, which remained in publication into the 1990s. The brand is therefore best understood as a defunct specialist periodical whose influence extended beyond its original newsletter format through successor review publications and its role in the development of genre-book criticism.
History
Fantasy Newsletter emerged in June 1978 as a specialist publication for readers interested in fantasy and related fantastic fiction. It was founded by Paul C. Allen, who continued to publish it until October 1981. The periodical belonged to the genre-fanzine tradition, but its scope was broader than a purely personal or club-oriented newsletter. It reviewed books, discussed developments in science fiction and fantasy publishing, included material intended for writers, and covered films and other aspects of genre culture. The publication's editorial range was reflected in its contributors. Fritz Leiber and Gene Wolfe were among the writers associated with its pages, while Bill Warren contributed film criticism. This combination of author commentary, reviewing, and media coverage helped distinguish the title from a narrow release list. Its readers could use it both as a source of criticism and as a practical guide to forthcoming or recently published fiction. In October 1981, publication moved from Allen to Robert A. Collins. Collins was director of the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts at Florida Atlantic University. The change took place without a hiatus, preserving continuity while bringing the newsletter into an institutional and professional network centered on the study and discussion of fantastic literature. A major structural change came at the beginning of 1984, when Fantasy Newsletter was merged with Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review. The resulting publication adopted the name Fantasy Review. It operated as a semiprozine and achieved substantial bookstore sales, expanding its reach beyond the specialist fanzine market. The combined title was noted for the breadth of its coverage and was characterized as one of the most comprehensive contemporary sources for science-fiction and fantasy book information. Its attention to small presses was particularly useful to readers trying to identify less widely distributed releases. The title received significant recognition from the genre community. It won a Balrog Award and a World Fantasy Award, and it was a finalist for the 1984 Hugo Award in the semiprozine category. Critical assessments praised its editing, variety, book reviews, film reviews, and practical usefulness to readers. One review specifically valued the publication as a tool for discovering what was coming to bookstores and for following small-press activity. Fantasy Review ceased with issue 103, dated July/August 1987. The review operation did not disappear entirely: its review section continued through Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review Annual well into the 1990s. Fantasy Newsletter's historical importance therefore rests not only on its own issues but also on the editorial continuity that connected the original fanzine to a broader semiprofessional review publication and its later annual successor.
- 1990
Review work continues in annual form
[1]The review section continued through Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review Annual into the 1990s; the exact final year is not specified in the reference material.
- 1987
Final issue
[1]Fantasy Review ended with issue 103, dated July/August 1987.
- 1984
Merger and renaming
[1]Fantasy Newsletter was combined with Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review and renamed Fantasy Review.
- 1984
Hugo Award finalist
[1]The publication became a finalist for the Hugo Award in the semiprozine category.
- 1981
Change of publisher
[1]Robert A. Collins took over publication in October after Allen's tenure, with no interruption in the run.
- 1978
First issue published
[1]Paul C. Allen published the first issue of Fantasy Newsletter in June.
Products and positioning
A specialist fantasy and science-fiction review publication serving dedicated readers, writers, booksellers, and fans, with particular value as a guide to new and small-press releases.
Fantasy fanzine · 1978
Fantasy Newsletter
The original periodical, launched in 1978, combined fantasy and science-fiction book reviews with writer-oriented columns, film criticism, and coverage of genre publishing. Its editorial range and attention to small-press books made it a practical discovery tool for dedicated readers.
Semiprozine · 1984
Fantasy Review
The successor title created in 1984 by combining Fantasy Newsletter with Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review. It had substantial bookstore sales and offered broad coverage of science-fiction and fantasy books before ending with issue 103 in 1987.
Annual review publication
Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review Annual
A later continuation of the review section associated with Fantasy Review. It carried the publication's reviewing function forward in annual form into the 1990s, although the available reference does not specify its exact final publication date.
Brand decisions
1984
Merge and relaunch as Fantasy ReviewGeneration changeBackground
The original newsletter had developed a broad review remit, and it was combined with Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review at the beginning of 1984.
Action taken
The combined publication was given the new title Fantasy Review and operated as a semiprozine with substantial bookstore sales.
Aftermath
The renamed title became a wide-ranging source of science-fiction and fantasy book coverage until it folded in 1987. Its review section later continued in annual form.
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