According to a Michigan TV station, Asimov’s Science Fiction is full of “stories about sex, drugs, and molestation.” Man, I let my subscription lapse years ago, but while a few of the stories were a little out there it was hardly a hard-core magazine.
Anyway, the claim seems to be that the magazine was being marketed to children through a subscription service. The magazine says it was listed under the science titles where it belongs.
3 responses so far ↓
Michael Bowen // February 24, 2004 at 7:08 am
Uhm… maybe they have it confused with “Heavy Metal” or something?
Matt McIrvin // February 24, 2004 at 7:44 am
Well, it’s certainly not what most parents would consider kid-appropriate material, and stories involving sex, drugs and molestation have appeared in it, as would appear in any serious fiction magazine for adult readers. That said, on the whole it’s probably less aimed at prurient interest than most local TV news broadcasts are, and far less reprehensible than “Reader’s Digest”, which I seem to recall is prominently featured by QSP.
I do find it weird that it’s under “Science/Technology/Environmental”, though. Probably there was no “fiction/literature” category.
And, by the way, the QSP magazine drive is ridiculously sleazy, but not for any reason having to do with the content of the magazines sold; more for the cult-like way that they try to turn the kids into little hucksters, with indoctrination assemblies and stupid motivational prizes and such. I remember resisting being roped into it in junior high; it was pretty obvious from the enthusiasm with which the kids were being recruited that somebody other than the school was getting a hefty chunk of the take.
A.R. Yngve // February 28, 2004 at 9:40 am
But why pick ASIMOV’s for the sleaze angle? Surely there were other mags more suited for a moral panic?
Maybe the mag doesn’t strictly belong in the “Science” category though (*couch* fiction *cough*)…