Quality science fiction on Kickstarter can be difficult to find, and this week, Fandom Pulse noticed a great-looking project called Habitats, a science fiction anthology designed to present an optimistic future with a sense of wonder. The concept is fresh and something a lot of mainstream sci-fi lacks, so we reached out to the publisher and editor for an interview about his magazine.
Habitats' first issue was Kickstarted a couple of years ago, raising an incredible $34,000+ for short science fiction from over 500 backers, a sizeable amount for what’s been a declining segment of publishing. Most anthologies and the like garner far less, and it seemed to be because of the great concept, along with high production value, that this publisher created to generate some buzz around the topic.
Samuel Weeks sat down with Fandom Pulse to talk about the current campaign for Habitats 2 on Kickstarter and his plans for the future.
How did you get involved in publishing sci-fi and fantasy and what’s your backstory?
I’m a graphic designer and art director by trade, and I first got involved in publishing sci-fi through a magazine called Infinite Worlds. The editor of that magazine, Winston Ward, invited me to design the branding and layout for the magazine and I’ve been doing it — alongside its sister title Infinite Horrors — ever since. I was introduced to many of the writers for Habitats Volume 1 through Infinite Worlds, so I’m very grateful to Winston for keeping me on board.
Do you think science fiction has lost its “sense of wonder” in recent decades? What do you attribute that to?
I do. I’m not too sure why, and perhaps I should look a little deeper into the reasons as a marketing exercise! But it was definitely something I noticed enough to want to try doing something about it, which is where Habitats Press came from. I had been thinking about starting a sci-fi / fantasy project for a while, and I had a fairly clear vision in mind for the bright, airy and overall optimistic feeling. I hadn’t liked or seen much in the way of hopeful, uplifting, wonder-filled sci-fi or fantasy in a long time, and I wanted to try making a dent in the market.
Your magazine has a beautiful aesthetic to it, which sets it apart. Is that mostly because of your graphic design background, which enables you to make something look like a premium product? What’s your process in that?
Thank you! That’s very kind of you to say. I definitely wanted Habitats to look and feel like a premium product; there aren’t too many printed sci-fi and fantasy magazines in general at the moment, and while some of them have nice illustration, I felt the graphic design aspect was lacking. So I wanted to hire truly great illustrators, and wrap everything in design that felt intentional and considered. I wanted more space for the content to breathe and a print specification that made you want to own a copy for your shelf, not just buy a PDF. It’s nice to know that the design is something that resonates with people, and I’m doing my best to push the boundaries of what a genre magazine looks like.
You’re based in the UK and it says shipping is calculated afterward. Is shipping to the USA an expensive prospect or should potential backers not be too concerned about that?
Shipping has gotten more expensive since 2021/2022, and the increases hurt our margins on the first campaign. We’re charging shipping after the campaign ends to make sure we’re charging accurately. And luckily shipping to the US from the UK seems easier and a lot less expensive than the reverse, so I don’t think it will be much of a deterrent. We’ve already seen around the same split between US backers and those from other countries as our first campaign!
What do you look for in science fiction and fantasy?
For me, it’s very much just a feeling I get when reading. Sometimes I’ll get a few paragraphs in and know it’s not a good fit for us, but it could still be a great story. I try to have that come across in our rejection emails — I know what rejection feels like as a creative person, and I wouldn’t want anyone’s hopes to be crushed just because our publisher has a very specific “vibe”. To try to put it into words, I’d say we look for stories and comics that hit wonder, adventure, companionship or hopefulness, with the odd hint of nostalgia. That seems to be a winning formula from the small sample size we’ve published so far.
In recent years, many fan complaints have been that SF/F has gotten extremely politicized. Does Habitats aim to avoid real-world politics in its optimistic outlook?
