Outlands was a semi-professional science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

-based magazine

Magazine

Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...

, only one issue of which was ever produced. Outlands was published by Outlands Publications in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 in the winter of 1946. It was digest size

Digest size

Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately 5½ x 8¼ inches, but can also be 5⅜ x 8⅜ inches and 5½ x 7½ inches. These sizes have evolved from the printing press operation end...

, 40 pages long, and cost 1/6d.

The magazine was edited by Leslie J. Johnson, who had used his RAF

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

 gratuity to establish Outlands with fellow science-fiction fans. He edited the magazine from his home in Liverpool. Outlands included original stories by John Russell Fearn

John Russell Fearn

John Russell Fearn was a British author and one of the first British writers to appear in American pulp science fiction magazines.-Career:...

 and Sydney J. Bounds.

A second issue of Outlands was never produced - even though it was advertised as being available in December - as distributors declined to handle it.

Stories

Bounds' debut professional sale under his own name appears in the first issue. 'Strange Portrait' is a macabre story based on the concept of The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde, appearing as the lead story in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine on 20 June 1890, printed as the July 1890 issue of this magazine...

 in which a 'living' painting acts out the murderous jealousies of artist David Guest. The publication of his story left Bounds feeling that his post-war career as an electrical fitter seemed less inviting than one writing fiction.

The only story title displayed on the cover was 'Pre-Natal' by Fearn.

"The Opaque Word" by Anthony Cotrion also appeared, alongside fiction by George C. Wallis and an obituary of H.G. Wells, who had only recently died on 13th August 1946.