About Exoplanet

Exoplanet is a bi-monthly digital speculative fiction magazine. We publish a mix of science fiction, fantasy, horror, slipstream, weird fiction, and cross-genre stories.

Mission

Just as speculative fiction explores impossible technologies, alien civilizations, magical systems, or alternate histories, it can also explore new ways of telling stories. In fact, we don't believe storytelling has reached its final form.

Every generation inherits the stories that came before it, but also discovers new ways to imagine the future. We believe speculative fiction remains one of the most exciting places for that evolution because it has always embraced curiosity, possibility, and the courage to ask "What if?" Exoplanet exists to celebrate that spirit of exploration... for readers as much as writers.

Editorial vision

We believe the most memorable stories are those in which every creative choice serves the narrative. Sometimes that means a traditional structure. Sometimes it means telling a story through maintenance logs, court transcripts, text messages, scientific papers, or formats yet to be invented. We are most excited when the chosen form deepens the emotional impact, sharpens the themes, or reveals something that a conventional narrative could not.

After all, wonder isn't found only in alien worlds, magical kingdoms, or impossible technologies. It can also emerge from an unexpected perspective, an inventive narrative structure, or a story that quietly changes how we see familiar experiences.

We admire stories that take creative risks, but never at the expense of clarity, emotional resonance, or literary craftsmanship. Innovation should invite readers deeper into a story, not push them away. We look for work where bold ideas and careful execution work together.

We don't believe every story needs an unconventional structure. Some stories are best told through a traditional narrative. Others discover their true shape in alternative forms. Our role as editors is not to favor novelty for its own sake, but to recognize when a story has found the form it was always meant to take.

We are less interested in stories that are merely different than in stories that feel newly discovered.

Why the name "Exoplanet"?

Exoplanets are worlds beyond our own solar system. Some resemble Earth. Others challenge everything we thought planets could be. We're interested in stories that discover new worlds, not only in setting, but in form and imagination.

Vision for the future

We hope Exoplanet becomes a place where readers discover unforgettable stories, writers find an enthusiastic audience, and speculative fiction continues to evolve in exciting new directions.

We're just getting started, but we already have an ambitious vision for Exoplanet. This includes (but is not limited to) the following:

Paying professional rates
Publishing incredible new voices
Building a thriving readership
Supporting speculative fiction
Becoming a respected destination for innovative storytelling

Meet the editor-in-chief

During the day, Patrick D. Lee is a technology professional with more than twenty years of experience in the industry. In the evenings (and on weekends), he mysteriously morphs into an editor of speculative short fiction. In addition to his editing exploits, he's a sci-fi and fantasy writer himself with several published stories and a few novel ideas rattling around in his head.

Patrick lives in beautiful Boise, Idaho, with his family. He enjoys reading (of course), writing, travel, skiing, and playing disc golf.

He founded Exoplanet to create the kind of magazine he has always wanted to read: one that celebrates ambitious speculative fiction while remaining welcoming to both readers and writers.

Support the magazine

Every year we discover new worlds beyond our solar system. We believe there are still new worlds to discover in storytelling as well. Whether you come to Exoplanet as a reader, writer, or supporter, we invite you to join us as we explore what's possible.

If our mission resonates with you, here's how you can help: