The Science Fact & Science Fiction Concatenation is the
seasonal review of science fact and science fiction. Formerly the (1987-1997)
annual (paper) magazine distributed at the British national SF convention and European SF
convention. Today its three principal internet editions come out in the northern hemisphere's
academic year: spring, summer and autumn.
As of July 2023 we have ceased using our @SF2Concat Twitter account. Our posting schedule is regular, and only a few followed us on Twitter (less 1% of our typical monthly unique visitors). We do though have an RSS feed. Yet you can still like our Twitter/X for a laugh.
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Our home page colour this season is green now that we have the northern hemisphere summer. The fields and gardens are blooming....
August 2026 news
Coming soon: The Hugo Awards will be announced.this Monday 31st August. It will be made around 5am (Brit Cit time).
Sad news: Tim Curry has sadly passed and will, alas, do the Time Warp no more. His acting portrayals were just sweet transformations...
Did you enjoy this summer's eclipse of the Sun?: Some of this site's Western European visitors will have enjoyed the eclipse and many more a partial eclipse. As for us, we enjoyed the last European total eclipse in 1999 (it was before September and the Moon leaving Earth orbit) along with SF grandmaster Bob Sheckley.
New up...
A Best of Nature 'Futures' short story has gone up mid-July (2026). This is the second of our four short, short stories that will be posted beteween our three seasonal, news, article and reviews editions of the year. The science journal Nature posts these short, short stories roughly weekly, but they are behind a pay-wall. However, to enable a broader appreciation by the science community (not all of whom will have a Nature subscription) we have a long-standing arrangement with the journal to re-post four stories that we think are the best of the 60 or so stories from the previous year. (Subject, of course, to the permission of the stories authors' permission.)
There should be something for every SF enthusiast and/or science bod.
☺
For details of / links to the new content, scroll down to beneath 'Most recently added' below.
Forthcoming
Our 'autumnal'* season edition will be posted in September with its own seasonal news page, other articles and a tranche of standalone book reviews.
* 'Autumnal' season here being the northern hemisphere, academic year summer.
What's not to like?
Most recently added
v36(4) 2026.7.15 -- A new story from the Nature Futures series
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die Jonathan Cowie
Film that is a dark humorous, gritty SFnal adventure in which a wild-eyed man from the future warns that there's some shιt that's about to come down. It's gonna try to give you everything you ever wanted. But in the end, it'll all be a lie! Are any of you listening ?
Does life on Mars doom humanity?? Jonathan Cowie
We do not see alien civilisations, so a 'Fermi filter' may prevent their rise. If we find life on Mars then the rise of life is not the difficult evolutionary step. If the Fermi filter is not in our past, then it must be something in our future that prevents us going to the stars. Recent discoveries on Mars may therefore be worrying!
Ten Years Ago Exactly. One from the archives. German Science Fiction since 1945 Dirk van den Boom
Germany has an extensive history of science fiction. Dirk van den Boom provides a summary review of some of Germany's landmark SF since the end of World War II.
v36(2) 2026.3.15 -- A new story from the Nature Futures series
Future Legal (1-page PDF short story) - D. Thomas Minton
Changes to society and law aee to be expected when awaking from cryogenic suspended animation after over 300 years...
Sinners Jonathan Cowie Sinners, part historical US racial emancipation story, part blues musical and part traditional vampire offering, is set to take the 2026 cinematic awards scene by storm. It could even possibly get short-listed for some SF/F awards?
Has the Science Fiction Worldcon shot itself in the foot? Jonathan Cowie
The past half-decade the Worldcon has seen multiple failures of adherence to its own constitution. This breakdown in good governance is undermining credibility in the Worldcon brand. The recent history of governance collapse is recounted step-by-step. It reveals that enough is enough and that many fans may now be withdrawing tens of thousands of pounds worth of financial support!
To Mask or Not to Mask, That is the Muffled Question Peter Tyers
Following vaccine roll out four years ago, the worst of the CoVID-19 years are very much over. So what of masking policies at SF conventions?
SF Convention Listing & Film Diary with links to con sites and film trailers
The list of the major, fan run, national and international level, SF cons and British Isles general release film diary.
v35(7) 2025.12.15 -- A new story from the Nature Futures series
Customer reviews for Mystery Gadget
1.0, sorted in chronological order (1-page PDF short story) - Alex Shvartsman
That ideal, cheap Christmas present for that one you feel obligated to...
(And don't forget to scroll down below the end of the tale to get 'the story behind the story'.)
v35(6) 2025.11.15 -- A new story from the Nature Futures series
Carousel (1-page PDF short story) - Liam Hogan
Suspended animation enables those who can afford it a somewhat different perspective. Have a good day.
(And don't forget to scroll down below the end of the tale to get 'the story behind the story'.)
v35(5) 2025.9.15 -- New Columns & Articles for the Autumn 2025
As of July 2023 we have ceased using our