The Archive of Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

This is the news story that I never quite expected to have to write, but here we are.

This is the last day of regular updates to Sci-Fi Bulletin.

For those who don’t know the history, Sci-Fi Bulletin came about in 2011 after Titan shut down Total Sci-Fi Online. That was the online successor to DreamWatch magazine, which had been purchased by Titan in 2001, having been created by Gary Leigh from the foundation laid by Doctor Who Bulletin, the infamous Doctor Who news ’zine from the 1980s.

The three original founders of SFB – Brian J. Robb, myself and Matt McAllister – had all worked on various of those incarnations. Matt’s path took him in a different direction almost immediately; Brian moved on after five years. But the ethos created for DreamWatch as it settled on the high street in the mid-90s continued right the way through to today. Clear, concise reporting based on sourced and confirmed information; features that asked and answered questions that fans had contemplated; interviews that moved away as much as possible from the trite PR as we were allowed; reviews that weren’t simply a rehashing of what people could see or read for themselves, but which presented ideas that gave new perspectives.

We didn’t always manage it, but we always tried. We knew that the creatives we were reporting on were doing their best, but circumstances sometimes meant that things went wrong. More often than not, I’d rather have not reviewed something than give it a low mark.

It wasn’t by any stretch of the imagination a solo effort – writers donated their time and talents from the start from all around the world, and I am incredibly grateful to them all, particularly to all those who stepped up their contributions when my heart attack and subsequent illness meant I was able to do less. Thanks also to all the publicists and creatives whose work we covered – we couldn’t have done it without you.

But most of all, thanks to all the Faithful Readers who came to the site for their fix of genre news and reviews. We’ll be completing a couple of series of reviews over the next few weeks (including a review of Brand New Day and some speculation about where things go next) but this is where the journey ends, as unfortunately the deterioration in my health means that I simply don’t have the energy to continue, and I would rather expend what I do have with the people I love.

It’s been a fun time, overall.

Think back 15 years. Matt Smith was the Doctor. The alternate universe “Kelvin”-crew represented Star Trek. The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones were the new kids on the block. Primeval was heading to a New World; the Stargate was just shutting up shop. Marvel was ramping up, but Man of Steel was still two years away.

And now, Doctor Who and Star Trek are winding down – neither has new episodes in production. Game of Thrones’ spin-off House of the Dragon is prepping its final season. The Walking Dead’s sequels are nearing their end. Marvel’s slowing down the pace, and DC’s latest reboot hasn’t gone down as well as it could.

However, there are still shows out there – a lot of them on Apple TV – that mean SFB readers will continue to have their fix…

It’s been an honour to cover audios, books, comics, films, live productions and TV shows for the last decade and a half. Maybe someone will pick up the SFB baton in the years to come. The site will remain online as a resource at least to the end of 2027.

But for now, to everyone who’s written for SFB past and present, to everyone who has clicked on a link just once, and to those who have come here regularly:

Thank you. Live long and prosper.

Paul Simpson
3 August 2026