The world of fantasy VKontakte. Magazine "World of Science Fiction": all issues. best books, movies, games
"TechnoMir"
Russia
150 to 192 pages
magazine, poster, 1 double layer DVD
"World of Fantasy"- a monthly magazine about fantasy and science fiction in all their manifestations. It has been published in Russia since September 2003 and is the largest thematic science fiction magazine in the former USSR.
"World of Fantasy" talks about the latest novelties of the book market, publishes reviews of the works of science fiction authors, makes an overview of the film and DVD market, as well as computer and board games, comics and music albums with a fantastic plot. Articles are published about fictional universes, famous science fiction writers, mythology and futurology. The issue comes with a DVD with a fantastic film and magazine materials (trailers, etc.).
"MF" was awarded a number of awards in the field of fantasy, including the European Science Fiction Society as the "Best Magazine in Europe", the "Wanderer" and "Internet Roscon" awards for the Mirf.ru website.
Story
The magazine was founded by the TekhnoMir publishing house in 2003. The idea of creating a magazine belonged to Nikolai Pegasov and Denis Davydov: Pegasov suggested publishing a fantasy magazine, and Davydov suggested expanding the subject to science fiction in general. The creators considered various options for the name, the working name was "Portal". The editorial staff consisted mainly of journalists who had experience in gaming and other cultural and entertainment magazines. Well-known critics in the fandom became regular authors.
The first issue of the magazine was published in September 2003, on the cover there was an inscription "Gambling Presents", which disappeared in subsequent issues. The design of the magazine was created by artists Alexander Remizov and Sergey Kovalev.
The founder of the magazine, Nikolay Pegasov, in an interview emphasized that the magazine tries to combine both entertainment and popular science components, and also tries to help readers navigate new editions:
When a modern science fiction reader comes, for example, to a bookstore, he sees thousands of titles of new books on the shelves, because about a hundred new titles of literary fiction come out in our country every month. And it is very difficult to navigate in this diversity.
The book, text, literature in the reality of the "World of Fiction" do not exist by themselves. But as sums of relations with their derivatives. A book review here smoothly grows into a story about a film based on it, and since we are talking about a film, why not talk about a computer game ... Moreover, the writer X will gladly share his opinion about this game (in the photo on the left he plays it!), and about the film, and about himself, and about the works of his colleagues.
"MF" fundamentally adheres to a scientific point of view. According to the editors, if the journal publishes material on dubious or scientifically outdated theories, "urban legends", then the legendary character is directly indicated, and misconceptions and myths are exposed or explained by natural causes. Although the magazine writes extensively about fantasy and mysticism, all of their supernatural elements are treated as creative fiction.
No cheap sensations, no "oh, our special correspondent saw a flying saucer over Moscow yesterday." If they offer me fifty pictures of a UFO, I say thank you, we can draw it ourselves.
Sections
The main sections of the magazine have not undergone major changes since the first issue.
book row
This section publishes reviews of new science fiction books published in Russia. Articles about classics and genres of science fiction, interviews with writers and publishers, master classes from famous writers, round tables and polemical notes about science fiction ("Tribune", "On the Topic of the Day") are published. There are regular columns dedicated to comics, manga, non-fiction and contemporary intellectual prose.
videodrome
Reviews of science fiction films, reports on the shooting of new films, articles about the classics of science fiction cinema ("History of Cinema", "Retrospective"), about science fiction television series, about filmmaking technologies ("Magic of Cinema"). There is a regular section dedicated to anime.
game club
Reviews of computer and console games related to science fiction. A special section is dedicated to board games.
Music Center
The section appeared in 2009, before that it was part of the "Disks of the Number" section, where audiobooks were also reviewed. Reviews of sci-fi-related music albums are published here: concept albums and rock operas with a sci-fi story, soundtracks, etc. There are no restrictions on the genre of music, but metal (especially power, symphonic, folk) and electronic music predominate due to the subject matter (synthpop, ambient, new age). Articles about genres of music, history of musical instruments are published.
Gates of the worlds
A section devoted to the analysis of fantastic universes, fictional creatures (heading "Bestiary"), biographies of famous characters ("Portrait of a Hero", "Elephant vs. Whale"). Hit parades of the most striking heroes and scenes from works (“Honor Board”), comparisons of fantastic images with real prototypes (“Reality of fantasy”) are published. It also publishes articles about science fiction artists, galleries of their work and interviews with them.
Time Machine
A popular science section that publishes articles on the prospects of science and technology ("Back to the Future"), about history ("Forward to the Past", "Evolution"), about weapons and combat arms, real and fantastic ("Arsenal"), reasoning about fantastic assumptions (“If only…”). As the creators of the magazine note, this section, among other things, helps young authors and fans of science fiction in the study of "materiel".
entertainment zone
This section publishes:
Fantastic stories. The magazine publishes stories by experienced science fiction writers or winning stories from online competitions; stories sent by ordinary readers are not published. In 2009-2010, the stories were not published at all.
"The Comic Zone" is a humorous comic from the permanent artist of the magazine, Alexander Remizov.
In addition, interesting letters from readers and answers from editors are published in the Entertainment Zone, contests and quizzes are held.
For some time in the "MF" there was a small section "The amount of technology", dedicated to modern technology, gadgets. Subsequently, it was abolished, articles about gadgets are occasionally published as part of The Time Machine.
Since 2011, one or two articles from any section, marked as "Special Material" or "Theme of the Issue", are placed at the beginning of the journal, before the Book Series.
Grading system
Reviews in the "MF" are supplemented by assessments on a 10-point system. A score of 10 is given extremely rarely (as a rule, only to the classics of the genre), and marks below 4 are also rarely given (as a rule, such works are reviewed in the humorous “Gustav column”, where no marks are given). In the history of the magazine, an "11" rating was once given - it was received by the film "Avatar" by James Cameron; and several times a score of "0" - some films by Uwe Boll and the cartoon "Our Masha and the Magic Nut".
In addition to the numerical assessment, there is a "World of Fiction Recommends" plate, which is placed on the most successful, from the point of view of the editors, works. Sometimes ratings are given certain aspects works, for example, plot, language (for books), graphics (for games), or in a special box, are briefly marked "Successful" and "Unsuccessful" sides.
100 best books, movies, games
In 2008, World of Fiction published a series of articles naming the 100 "major" books, films, and video games in various genres of fantasy at the time. For each genre, about a dozen of the most significant works were named, and a "standard" - the best work of the genre. The editors did not limit the number of books of one writer included in the list, so two books by Herbert Wells, Robert Heinlein, the Strugatsky brothers, Kir Bulychev, Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury got into the hundred. Add to list best books included not only individual works, but also series, cycles and even entire author's universes. So, among the best science fiction cycles were named "World of Half a Day" by the Strugatsky brothers and "Flat World" by Terry Pratchett, united only by the scene of action.
Similarly, among the best fantasy films, the magazine named The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, the best sci-fi - the Terminator and Star Wars series, and the best fantasy cartoon - two parts of the Ghost in the Shell anime. Non-series films were also taken into account - for example, Blade Runner was named the best cyberpunk film. Listed best games"Standards" were singled out in a special category, among them are the Baldur's Gate, Fallout, Starcraft and Silent Hill series.
The magazine also released an abbreviated list of the top 25 TV series and best board games. Among the best series, in addition to gaming, such as Star Trek, Babylon 5, Doctor Who, The X-Files, was mentioned a large number of anime such as Macross and Evangelion. Among the best board games, the magazine named Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer, Munchkin, Berserk.
Chief Editors
Disk
The magazine is accompanied by a DVD with additional materials. Put on the disk:
- one full-length fantasy film or cartoon;
- Literary Supplement: Stories by Young Authors, Usually Winners of Online Competitions
- fan art: drawings, amateur films, music;
- in past years, the CD also included electronic versions of some fanzines, such as Legion.
Spreading
Apart from retail chains and subscriptions, "MF" is distributed through an online store owned by the publishing house with the Cyrillic domain "Magazinzhurnalov.rf", along with "Igromania", "Navigator of the game world" and "Hacker". The electronic version of "MF" is sold in the online store "Igromania Digital".
"World of Fantasy" on the Internet
Mirf.ru
Mirf.ru is the official website of the World of Science Fiction magazine, which was awarded the Internet Roscon award in 2011. The site contains some of the previously published materials of the magazine, and also publishes news about events in the world of science fiction.
Articles of the journal are duplicated on the site six months after the release of the issues. Articles posted on the site are equipped with the possibility of user comments. The site also hosts continuous voting in the charts of the best science fiction books and films of the month.
Mirf Forum
The World of Fiction forum has existed since 2005, before that it was part of the forum of the magazine “
At the moment, the best and most popular magazine about science fiction in Russia.
MirF successfully occupied a niche for the "normal reader". Whereas FANtastica was busy with teenagers no older than 16, fans of anime and Warhammer, and "Noon, 21st Century" - serious people over forty, "World of Fantasy" manages to maintain a balance and remain interesting in one thing, in which -something else. And even for those who, like me, other magazines are not very suitable due to either teenage “pop” or, on the contrary, elitist partying.
MirF publishes very successful articles about classics of the “second plan”, which other publications hardly remember: Andre Norton, Robert Asprin, Paul Anderson, and others. And in my opinion, this is the only magazine that has paid attention to the fantastic component in music - until now, bands singing about fantasy (Ayreon, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody) were not interested in the press.
P.S. two years have passed since the review was written, and the author of this review has lost the moral right to rate, because. he came to work in his favorite magazine: smile:
Rating: no
Well hello old friend. Come on, let's talk at the end. It's time to do what I've been putting off for so long. It's time for us to say goodbye.
How did it happen, you ask, because we have been together for so many years? Well, it's a long story... However, since neither you nor I are in a particular hurry today, why not indulge in memories and remember everything from the very beginning.
When did it all start? A full fifteen years ago, a couple of lifetimes ago by my standards. Those times when glossy magazines still went from hand to hand and read to the holes. One of your first numbers. I don't even really remember what it was about. But the theme itself immediately sunk into my soul. Science fiction magazine, the one and only. Every new number was a portal to new world. About how much I first learned from you - just do not count. Here, as they say, neither in a fairy tale to say, nor to describe with a pen. And when I finally got to your site, for me it became just a treasure trove. For days I just sat and read articles. And then I even plucked up the courage and even began to comment on something. I remember this moment well. An article about Elric the White Wolf by the late Silberstein. It was from her that I began to express my opinion on the Web, no one needs an opinion. But of course, for me, letters and pictures on the screen will never replace the feeling of paper in my hands. And I kept buying your numbers from local kiosks from time to time. With finances, I didn’t have much to subscribe to. Of course, not everything was good. Do you remember, say, your clumsy attempts to praise the national cinema? And 11 "Avatar"? Until now, I suppose, hiccups.
Then there was a lot. Authors and editors changed, different sections came and went. Your brother LKI died, and I mourned for him. Your forum, where passions once raged, like many like him, has become "forgotten by people and death." Time passed, the world around changed and you changed with it. About three years ago, I finally updated my site, making it much more convenient and beautiful. True, some of the old materials never moved there.
And suddenly, for a moment, I realized that you have nothing more to give me. When did this feeling first appear? About two years ago? A little bit later? Doesn't matter. You stopped opening new horizons. You have become like everyone else. I began to write more and more about current films, about comics that flooded all over and about something like that. It has become increasingly difficult to find something new and unusual in you. You can be understood, everyone needs to somehow survive, and it is much more pleasant to write about what everyone is hearing than about some little-known game. Or maybe just all these years interesting topics already exhausted? Although I don't think so. For a while I still read you for the sake of book reviews, but then I realized that our criteria for evaluating certain works began to differ dramatically. Either you have become too kind, or I have become too evil. Most likely a bit of both. Or maybe I'm just old and many things in this world have ceased to amaze and delight me.
One way or another, we came to what we have today. Six years ago I bought your issue or two at every opportunity and read them to holes. Too bad they all had to be sold out. And now, even your materials that are in the public domain, I don’t really want to read anymore. We are now going our separate ways. You took the easy road by turning to what is interesting to the majority. It's not for me to judge you. But this is not my path. I still continue my journey in the dark, trying to discover something new and unknown. I've never been able to be content with the same things forever, sorry. I've always needed something new. And, alas, you can't give me more.
So, as the song says "goodbye friend and goodbye". Maybe when we meet again. After all, everything flows and everything changes. The only constant is the fact that everything flows and everything changes...
And what else? Grade? Yes, what kind of assessment can there be ... There are things that cannot be assessed with simple numbers. Thanks for everything and all the best to you.
Rating: no
I was going to write an extensive review, but then I found that Robin Pack stated all the same in a much more concise form. So I'm just joining his review. IMHO, all other science fiction magazines currently published in Russia can only look up to Mir Fantastica, as an example of a successful periodical designed for the widest readership.
The question may arise: if my opinion completely coincides with the opinion of the previous speaker, who gave the magazine ten points, then why did I rate it only six points? And the fact is that most articles tend to be forgotten just a few days after reading. Reading the latest issue of World of Fantasy can be very interesting, but after a few weeks I can hardly remember that I even held this issue in my hands. This phenomenon is not at all a disadvantage for the magazine, because it is interesting to read (and reread!) The World of Fantasy. But, nevertheless, I cannot put him above the six (according to my evaluation criteria).
Since 2019, World of Science Fiction has been published by Hobby World and distributed through the partners of the publishing house. This page contains a regularly updated list of stores where you can buy the magazine. The price of the magazine is the same everywhere - 290 rubles for ordinary magazines and 490 rubles for special issues (excluding delivery). Numbers issued prior to 2019 are only available in store journalshop.
- The shops . The most convenient way is to buy the magazine directly from the publisher. All money will go to support the project. In total, there are more than 80 Hobby Games branded and franchise stores in Russia. You can just come and buy the magazine only in selected stores, but you can order it through the Hobby Games website with free delivery to any store in the chain.
Important! While the magazine is in pre-order, the free shipping option may not be available. Wait until the item is in the "add to cart" status.
Important! We cannot sell the magazine in Ukraine for legal reasons. But in the Minsk branch of Hobby Games, the magazine is available. - Good old online magazine store . If you bought a magazine in it before, you remember it - it has both new and old issues, many payment and delivery methods. In addition, it is available.
- Online store "", including a wide network retail stores. You can check the availability in individual stores on the product page.
- We plan to return to mail subscription directories in 2020. Subscription via Journalshop is currently available. We will soon be bringing back subscriptions through some subscription agencies, as well as adding the ability to subscribe through the Hobby Games website.
- Digital versions are not currently available and are not planned. If you still have a valid Google Play subscription - request a refund.
Full list
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