Black Gate (magazine)
Black Gate launched in October 2000 with a slogan that announced its intentions plainly: "Adventures in Fantasy Literature." A glossy print magazine from New Epoch Press, it arrived on newsstands at a moment when long-form fantasy fiction had few dedicated homes. Each issue ran to more than 200 pages, packed with original short fiction up to novella length, reviews, columns, and interviews. Critics took immediate notice. Reviews in Locus and other outlets praised not just the writing but the sheer physical heft of the thing and the quality of its production. What drew contributors like Michael Moorcock, Mike Resnick, Charles de Lint, and Cory Doctorow to its pages? And what eventually pushed a celebrated print magazine onto the web permanently after just fifteen issues?
Every issue of Black Gate carried a comic strip: Knights of the Dinner Table: Java Joint, produced by Kenzer & Company. That recurring feature gave the magazine a playful, community-minded feel alongside its serious literary ambitions. The fiction skewed toward new and lesser-known voices, though notable writers appeared throughout its run. As a semi-regular feature, the editors also reprinted rare adventure stories, either from earlier decades or from more recent years they felt had been overlooked. The serialized Tumithak novels by Charles R. Tanner were one example of that recovery mission in action. Beyond fiction, each issue offered reviews of fantasy novels, graphic novels, and role-playing game products, plus columns and articles examining fantasy literature's past.
Black Gate was officially a quarterly publication, but the print run never matched that rhythm. Production problems accumulated over the years, pushing issues further apart than planned. Editor John O'Neill made a public commitment to readers and advertisers to restore the quarterly schedule, yet the magazine never achieved it. Its fifteenth issue appeared in 2011, marking the end of the print era. That final print issue had been a long time coming; the gap between publications had grown wide enough that calling it quarterly had become aspirational rather than accurate.
In 2008, Judith Berman's story "Awakening," published in Black Gate No. 10, earned a Nebula Award nomination as a finalist. The Nebula Awards are among the most prestigious honors in science fiction and fantasy writing, decided by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. That nomination placed a Black Gate story in direct competition with work from the field's established publishers. It was a public signal that the fiction appearing in those thick, sometimes-delayed issues was being read and taken seriously by the professional community.
After the fifteenth and final print issue appeared in 2011, Black Gate did not close. It shifted to an online format, continuing to produce new content under the same editorial banner. John O'Neill, who had edited the magazine since its founding in 2000, remained at the helm. Howard Andrew Jones, who joined the editorial team in 2006, served until 2025. The transition to online publishing removed the production constraints that had plagued the quarterly schedule, allowing the magazine to maintain a living presence in fantasy literature long after the last glossy issue rolled off the press.
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Common questions
When was Black Gate magazine first published?
Black Gate was first published in October 2000. It was launched by New Epoch Press with the slogan "Adventures in Fantasy Literature" and ran as a glossy print magazine until 2011.
Who were the editors of Black Gate magazine?
John O'Neill founded and edited Black Gate from 2000 and continued in that role after the print era ended. Howard Andrew Jones served as an editor from 2006 to 2025.
What notable authors contributed to Black Gate magazine?
Black Gate featured contributions from Michael Moorcock, Mike Resnick, Charles de Lint, and Cory Doctorow, among others. Much of its fiction also came from lesser-known and new authors.
Did any Black Gate magazine stories win or be nominated for major awards?
Judith Berman's story "Awakening," published in Black Gate No. 10, was a finalist for the Nebula Award in 2008. The Nebula Awards are given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
How many print issues of Black Gate magazine were published?
Black Gate published fifteen print issues in total. The fifteenth and final print issue appeared in 2011, after which the magazine moved to an online format.
Is Black Gate magazine still active after ending its print run?
Yes. Black Gate shifted to an online format after its final print issue in 2011 and continues to produce new content. The magazine never formally ceased publication.
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8 references cited across the entry
- 3SF Site Featured Review Black Gate #3, Winter 2002Rodger Turner
- 8Black GateGollancz — November 13, 2019