James Gunn’s Ad Astra is an online publication dedicated to the study, advancement, and celebration of speculative fiction in the twenty-first century. Ad Astra is peer-reviewed by scholars associated with Center for the Study of Science fiction at the University of Kansas. In addition to scholarly articles, each issue will feature an assortment of stories, reviews, and poems about speculative art and literature.

We are looking for scholarly work from a wide variety of disciplines about themes, trends, analysis, or speculation regarding the field of Speculative Fiction. All submissions should have one eye cast toward the future, or one foot planted firmly in the world of the imagination. Note that all scholarly work should include full references and demonstrate a familiarity with the current literature.

All submissions will be considered for continuing content and as selections for future issues.

Publication and Presentations

The submitted articles will be peer-reviewed. Peer review comments will be returned to each contributor via email. If the contribution is found acceptable with revisions, the newly revised paper must be received by the date specified by the editors. The editors will make the final selection from the pool of articles deemed acceptable by peer-review for each issue. Some articles deemed acceptable may be held, with the contributor’s permission, for future editions.

How to Submit

To ensure a careful and timely review of your submission, please carefully review the scholarly articles submission requirements below:

Formatting

  • Length should not exceed 7,500 words.
  • All submissions and references should be in APA format and prepared for blind review.
  • All notational information will be included as endnotes. Footnotes are not permitted.
  • Include a 250-word abstract summarizing the paper.
  • Documents should be submitted as .DOC or .RTF files.
  • Document should be double-spaced, size 12 Times New Roman font/typeface.
  • Paper-size may be 8.5 X 11 or A4.
  • Include title and page number in the upper right corner of each page.
  • Submit a separate cover page with author name(s), title, institutional affiliation(s) and word count.
  • All tables and figures should be submitted on separate sheet(s) and not embedded within the text.
  • All figure captions should be submitted in a list by figure number on a separate sheet.
  • All figures in any print versions will be in black and white. Therefore if the author(s)wish(es) to to have color images for the online version, two copies of each figure must be submitted, one in black and white and one in color.
  • All figures must be 300 DPI or higher and in one of the following formats: .jpg, .png or .tiff.

Fine Print

We reserve the right to reject any submission that does not follow the rules and guidelines.

Ad Astra is open to submissions from amateur and professional writers of all ages and experience levels.

Submissions must be previously unpublished (unless otherwise noted in specific invitations or guidelines). Do not send us links to works on websites, as web publication counts as a copyright/publication.

Please limit your submission count to three or fewer at any given time. If you submit three pieces for consideration, please wait until you’ve received a response on each of those three before submitting additional materials.

Do not contact us to check on the status of your submission. We will make every effort to respond to your submission within 30 days, but cannot guarantee this turnaround time.

We are temporarily closed for restructuring. We will reopen later in the Fall.

For Short Fiction Guidelines, Go Here

For Poetry Guidelines, Go Here