Absolute Magnitude is a discontinued, semi-professional science fiction magazine

Science fiction magazine

A science fiction magazine is a publication that offers primarily science fiction, either in a hard copy periodical format or on the Internet....

 started in 1993 under the name Harsh Mistress. However, in 1994 after only two issues the name was changed to Absolute Magnitude. In 2002 the name was changed again to Absolute Magnitude & Aboriginal Science Fiction when the publishers acquired the rights to Aboriginal Science Fiction

Aboriginal Science Fiction

Aboriginal Science Fiction was a high-circulation semi-professional science fiction magazine started in October 1986 by editor Charles Ryan. After releasing 49 issues it ceased publication in the spring of 2001...

. Absolute Magnitude was published by DNA Publications and edited by Warren Lapine

Warren Lapine

Warren Lapine is known for his publishing efforts, particularly with his first company, DNA Publications, which published a range of magazines including Absolute Magnitude, Dreams of Decadence, Fantastic Stories, Mythic Delirium, The Official KISS Magazine, Science Fiction Chronicle, and Weird...

. Although it was supposed to be a quarterly magazine its actual releases were irregular. After releasing twenty-one issues under the Absolute Magnitude title (plus two as Harsh Mistress), the magazine ceased publication in March 2006.

Absolute Magnitude was nominated for the 2002 Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine

Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine

The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...

 with Lapine noted as the editor.

Anthology

Absolute Magnitude is also a collection of sixteen stories taken from the magazine between 1993 and 1997. The anthology

Anthology

An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...

 was published by Tor Books

Tor Books

Tor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...

 and was released on April 15, 1997. It has been issued in both hardcover and paperback editions.

Notable contributors

• Ben Bova
  Ben Bova
  Benjamin William Bova is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970's.-Personal life:...
  
  
• Terry Bisson
  Terry Bisson
  Terry Ballantine Bisson is an American science fiction and fantasy author best known for his short stories...
  
  
• Hal Clement
  Hal Clement
  Harry Clement Stubbs better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre.-Biography:...
  
  
• Alan Dean Foster
  Alan Dean Foster
  Alan Dean Foster is an American author of fantasy and science fiction. He currently resides in Prescott, Arizona, with his wife, and is also known for his novelizations of film scripts...
  
  
• Barry B. Longyear
  Barry B. Longyear
  Barry B. Longyear born 1942 is a US writer and novelist who resides in Maine.-Career:He is best known for the Hugo and Nebula Award winning novella Enemy Mine, which was subsequently made into an identically titled movie and a novelization in collaboration with David Gerrold. The story tells of an...
  
  
• Allen Steele
  Allen Steele
  Allen Mulherin Steele, Jr. is an American science fiction author.Steele began publishing short stories in 1988. His early novels formed a future history beginning with Orbital Decay and continuing through Labyrinth of Night...
  
  , columnist: Primary Ignition
• William F. Wu
  William F. Wu
  William F. Wu is a Chinese-American science fiction author. He published his first story in 1977. Since then, Wu has written thirteen published novels, one scholarly work, and a collection of short stories...