LOCUS

   US SEMIPROZINE, 1968-current, ed Charles N. BROWN (calling himself Charlie Brown in earlier days), published by Locus Publications (in Oakland, California, since the 1970s), 412 issues to May 1995. Locus was founded in New York by Brown with Ed Meskys and Dave Vanderwerf as a one-sheet news FANZINE; when Brown's partners dropped out, his then wife Marsha Brown joined him as co-editor. At that time the magazine appearedbetween fortnightly and monthly. Brown divorced, became sole editor, remarried in 1970, and his new wife Dena Brown became the new co-editor. Locus (and the Browns) moved to the San Francisco area in 1972, a yearafter winning its first of many Best Fanzine HUGOS.In 1976 Charles Brown gave up his job as an electrical engineer and began to edit Locus full-time (Dena Brown had worked full-time on it 1972-5). He divorced again in 1977, and since then has been sole editor; the magazine effectively became a semiprozine at this point, since Brown was attempting to earn a living from it alone; the first paid employee was hired in 1977. During the 1970s the newsletter became a monthly, increased in size, andbegan (from 1974) listing all sf books published in the USA. By 1980 the circulation had topped 5000, reaching 7000 in 1984. In 1983 it increased to 48pp an issue and switched to computer setting; it became fully desk-top published with laser typesetting from 1986.By the 1990s Locus (74pp as of June 1992 and varying between 70pp to 86pp more recently) hadlong been established as the trade newspaper of sf; its paid circulation has varied around 8,100-8,700 between 1988 and 1994, falling off slightly from the high of 1990. Its clear superiority over all other news magazines in the field has been confirmed by the astonishing number of Hugos (17) it has now received: eight for Best Fanzine to 1983, and a further nine 1984-1992 for Best Semiprozine; i.e., a Hugo for the first nine years inwhich the latter category has been in existence. The predictability of Locus's annual Hugo, which had proved irritating to some in the sf world,proved illusory when SCIENCE FICTION COMMENTARY won in this category in 1993 and 1994. Wholly professional in appearance, Locus excels in its newscoverage (with regular columns from overseas, including the UK and much of Europe, Australia, Russia, China and occasionally various Latin Americancountries). Its book-review coverage is very ample, taking up a large proportion of the magazine. Brown's policy of not printing strongly adverse reviews, while understandable in view of the magazine's reliance on the book trade for advertising, is unfortunate. The policy matters less in practice than in theory, since most reviews are intelligent and well informed, although some readers find them somewhat bland overall. Nonetheless, Locus is indispensable for professionals in the sf field, andwas one of the most important references used in the compilation of this encyclopedia. Locus polls its readers annually about their favourites in different categories of sf publishing (AWARDS), and there is a case for arguing that the Locus Awards are more securely based across the sf readership than are the more celebrated Hugos. Locus also surveys annually its subscribers' ages, occupations, reading habits, etc. Locus Publications also publishes books (for further details of which Charles N.BROWN and William CONTENTO).

   PN