Thuglit closes

[Chris Rhatigan]

ThugLit is done

Noir powerhouse Thuglit has released issue 38, which it appears will be their last.

Started in 2005, Thuglit was one of the longest-running crime fiction zines. Editor Todd Robinson said in an interview with Outside Left that they started the site to continue where Plots with Guns had left off.

Thuglit consistently printed outstanding, well-edited, really really
violent work in a very readable format. During the last three years,
Kensington released three anthologies, which all received favorable
reviews. Thuglit was one of the only publications to print well-known
authors alongside newbies. I think many publications claim to do this
but, in reality, they don't.

In the statement on the site, there are no specific reasons offered on
why they decided to close, though running a small zine obviously
requires a lot of time and money--it seems by surviving they're always
bucking the trend. The statement also doesn't rule out the possibility
of a return, but makes it appear unlikely.

For more on this and other short crime fiction musings, check out my blog, Death By Killing.

[Dana King]

James Brown died the day my wife gave me a collection of his greatest hits, and Thuglit went dark right after publishing my story in its annual anthology. It's hard not to feel responsible.

Seriously, Thuglit was an excellent venue, and Todd Robinson and his team did consistently good work. I've submitted various places, and no one else made editing suggestions as good as theirs, or filled the traditional editor's role of working with the author to make the story better. Most places it a flat "thumbs up-thumbs down" and off you go.

Thuglit will be missed.