Book Reviews Policy


Authors & Publishers: if you would like to send us a book for review, please email us with the title, author's name, anticipated/actual publication date and a synopsis of the book, as well as a link to the publisher's website. 

Please note that, at this time, we only accept the following genres:

1. Science fiction and fantasy, though we will also accept literary fiction that contains at least some speculative or fantastical elements [e.g. 1Q84 or Cloud Atlas].

2. Horror, though we may be comparably more selective in the horror titles we accept for review.

3. Pulp, new pulp, noir and neo-noir, though we will also accept literary fiction that contains at least some pulp or noir elements (e.g. Cocaine Nights or Inherent Vice].

4. Graphic fiction, particularly where there is a science fiction, fantasy, horror or pulp/noir angle.

We are primarily interested in novels, but will also review a limited number of short story collections and themed anthologies. At the moment, we only accept a very limited number of self-published books.

Policies: we are committed to unbiased, honest and spoiler-sensitive reviews. Where spoilers are unavoidable, we will take measures to ensure readers can avoid them. We are also committed to producing reviews in a timely manner, whenever possible. If we accept a book for review, we will do our best to give it a quick turn-around. 

Our Scoring System: we have also crafted a clear points system.  Unlike many other review outlets, we reject scoring systems that cluster scores in the upper and lower extremities. 10s are given out infrequently, and are reserved for cultural products of extraordinary value, personal resonance with our reviewers and a clear timelessness. 9s will be more common, and indicate a very high quality. Anything from 6 on up is worth a look; anything below 5 is suspect, though may still have positive features. 1s will be as rare as 10s, 2s as 9s, etc. Here's a more detailed breakdown:

10: mind-blowing/life-changing/best.book.evar
9: very high quality/standout in its category
8: well worth your time and attention
7: an enjoyable experience, but not without its flaws
6: still enjoyable, but the flaws are hard to ignore
5: problematic, but has redeeming qualities
4: not very good
3: just bad
2: really really bad
1: crime against humanity