For American sports fan, see John Adams (drummer).
John Joseph Adams
Birth dateJuly 31, 1976 (age 50)
OccupationEditor, journalist, essayist
GenreScience fiction, fantasy
Websitejohnjosephadams.com

John Joseph Adams (born July 31, 1976) is an American science fiction and fantasy editor, critic, and publisher.

Career

Editor

Adams worked as Assistant Editor at The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction from May 2001 to December 2009. In January 2010 he left F&SF to edit Lightspeed Magazine, an online science fiction magazine which launched June 1, 2010. In March 2011, he took charge of its sister magazine, Fantasy Magazine. In June 2012, Adams and Creeping Hemlock Press successfully closed a $7,500 Kickstarter campaign[1] for funding Nightmare Magazine, the first issue of which released October 2012. Originally the co-publisher and editor-in-chief, Adams now serves as publisher.

Publisher

In November 2011, Adams purchased Lightspeed and Fantasy Magazine from Sean Wallace of Prime Books.[2] With the January 2012 issue, the first published under Adams's ownership, the content of both magazines was combined under the Lightspeed masthead, and Fantasy Magazine was discontinued as an entity.[3] The Fantasy Magazine staff was also absorbed into Lightspeed.

In 2015, Adams became the editor-at-large of John Joseph Adams Books in partnership with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.[4]

Podcaster

Main article: Geek's Guide to the Galaxy

Since January 2010 Adams and science fiction author David Barr Kirtley have produced and hosted Geek's Guide to the Galaxy.

Accolades

His anthology The Living Dead was named one of the "Best Books of the Year" by Publishers Weekly. He has been called "The reigning king of the anthology world" by Barnes & Noble.com, and in 2011 he was named one of "100+ Geeks to Follow on Twitter" by TechRepublic.

WorkYear & AwardCategoryResultRef.
Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse2009 Locus AwardAnthology[5]
2010 FantLab's Book of the Year AwardAnthology
The Living Dead2009 World Fantasy AwardAnthology
2009 FantLab's Book of the Year AwardAnthology
The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes2010 Locus AwardAnthology[6]
Federations2010 Locus AwardAnthology[6]
The Way of the Wizard2011 Locus AwardAnthology[7]
2011 World Fantasy AwardAnthology
Lightspeed2011 Hugo AwardProfessional Editor (Short Form)
2012 Hugo AwardProfessional Editor (Short Form)
2013 Hugo AwardProfessional Editor (Short Form)
2014 Hugo AwardProfessional Editor (Short Form)
2014 Hugo AwardSemiprozine
2015 Hugo AwardSemiprozine
2016 Hugo AwardProfessional Editor (Short Form)
2017 Hugo AwardProfessional Editor (Short Form)
2018 Hugo AwardProfessional Editor (Short Form)
2015 British Fantasy AwardMagazine/Periodical
Epic: Legends of Fantasy2013 Locus AwardAnthology[8]
2013 World Fantasy AwardAnthology
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016 (with Karen Joy Fowler)2017 World Fantasy AwardAnthology
Cosmic Powers2018 Locus AwardAnthology[9]
A People's Future of the United States2020 Locus AwardAnthology[10]
2020 Ignyte AwardsAnthology/Collected Works[11]
Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror (with Jordan Peele)2023 Bram Stoker AwardAnthology[12] [13]
2024 British Fantasy AwardAnthology[14]
2024 Locus AwardAnthology[15]
2024 World Fantasy AwardAnthology
2024 Ignyte AwardsAnthology/Collected Works[16]
2024 KitschiesInky Tentacle (Best Cover Art)

Bibliography

Short fiction

Anthologies edited

Critical studies and reviews of Adams' work

Press Start to play
  • Sakers, Don (October 2015). "The Reference Library". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 135 (10): 105–108.

References

  1. ^ John Joseph Adams (May 7, 2012). "Nightmare Magazine". Kickstarter. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  2. ^ Locus Online. John Joseph Adams Buys Lightspeed and Fantasy Nov. 2011.
  3. ^ Locus Online. Lightspeed and Fantasy Merge Dec. 2011
  4. ^ "John Joseph Adams to Launch New SFF Book Line for HMH". Tor.com. 2015-11-09. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  5. ^ Locus Awards 2009 Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  6. ^ Locus Awards 2010 Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  7. ^ Locus Awards 2011 Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  8. ^ Locus Awards 2013 Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  9. ^ Locus Awards 2018 Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  10. ^ Locus Awards 2020 Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  11. ^ "2020 Results". Fiyah Lit
  12. ^ "2024 Results". Locus Magazine Retrieved 12 April 2026
  13. ^ "2023 Stoker Awards Winners". Locus Magazine Retrieved 12 April 2026
  14. ^ "2024 Results". Locus Magazine Retrieved 12 April 2026
  15. ^ Locus Awards 2024 Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  16. ^ "2024 Results". Fiyah Lit
  17. ^ "John Joseph Adams: Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination Cover Art and Release Date!". Upcoming4.me. May 22, 2012. Archived from the original on June 25, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  18. ^ Adams, John Joseph. "The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy". John Joseph Adams. Mariner Books. Retrieved 12 April 2026
  19. ^ "Short Fiction Spotlight: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015, edited by John Joseph Adams and Joe Hill". Reactormag.com Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  20. ^ "Growing an Anthology Series: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016". Reactormag.com Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  21. ^ "The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017". Washington Independent Review Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  22. ^ "The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018". kirkusreviews.com Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  23. ^ Wolfe, Gary K. "Gary K. Wolfe Reviews The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2020, Edited by Diana Gabaldon & John Joseph Adams". locusmag.com Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  24. ^ Shaw, William. "The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2021 Edited by Veronica Roth and John Joseph Adams". strangehorizons.com Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  25. ^ Galaxy, Geek's Guide to the (March 10, 2023). "Last Year's Sci-Fi Was More Genre-Bending Than Ever". Wired. – via www.wired.com.
  26. ^ Shaw, William. "The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 Edited by Rebecca Roanhorse and John Joseph Adams". strangehorizons.com Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  27. ^ "The Year's Best Is Dead, Long Live the Year's Best: On the 2023 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award Finalists". Los Angeles Review of Books. September 21, 2023.
  28. ^ Wolfe, Gary. "Gary K. Wolfe Reviews The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2023, Edited by R.F. Kuang & John Joseph Adams". locusmag.com Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  29. ^ Wolfe, Gary K. "Gary K. Wolfe Reviews The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024 by Hugh Howey & John Joseph Adams". locusmag.com Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  30. ^ "The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024". manhattanbookreview.com Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  31. ^ "The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy". John Joseph Adams. Mariner Books. Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  32. ^ Wolfe, Gary. "The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2025 by Nnedi Okorafor and John Joseph Adams". locusmag.com Retrieved 2026-05-10.
  33. ^ The Time Traveler’s Passport Retrieved March 12, 2026.