Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine (AHMM) is a bi-monthly digest size fiction magazine specializing in crime and detective fiction. AHMM is named for Alfred Hitchcock, the famed director of suspense films and television.
 November/December 2023 cover | |
| Editor | Linda Landrigan |
|---|---|
| Former editors | Cathleen Jordan |
| Categories | Crime fiction, detective fiction |
| Frequency | Bi-Monthly |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Company | Dell Magazines (1992–) Davis Publications (1975–92) HSD Publications (1956–75) |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | New York City |
| Language | English |
| Website | www |
| ISSN | 0002-5224 |
| OCLC | 1479088 |
History edit
AHMM was founded in 1956 by HSD Publications, which licensed the use of the director's name. Though there was no formal connection with the television show, stories published in the magazine were sometimes adapted by the producers of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and later, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. A few writers, such as Henry Slesar, wrote for both. Other contributors during the magazine’s early years included Evan Hunter (pen name Ed McBain), Ed Lacy, Bill Pronzini, Jim Thompson, Donald E. Westlake and Charles Willeford (who briefly worked for the magazine). Patricia Hitchcock, Alfred's daughter, also briefly worked for the magazine.
In 1975, AHMM was acquired by Davis Publications, which later sold the magazine along with its sister publication, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine to Dell Magazines in 1992.
Since 2002, it has been edited by Linda Landrigan.
After EQMM, AHMM is the second-longest-running mystery fiction magazine. In 2006, the magazine celebrated its 50th anniversary with the publication of the anthology Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine Presents Fifty Years of Crime and Suspense.
In 2007, AHMM joined with The Wolfe Pack, a society founded in 1978 to celebrate the Nero Wolfe stories of Rex Stout, to sponsor the Black Orchid Novella Contest for stories in the “classic detective” style of Stout’s Nero Wolfe.[1]
Owners edit
- HSD Publications (1956-1975)
- Davis Publications (1975-1992)
- Dell Magazines (1992-Present)
Editors edit
- William Manners (1956-August 1961)[2]
- Lisa Belknap (September 1961-December 1962)[3]
- Richard E. Decker (January 1963-September 1964)[4]
- G.F. Foster (October 1964-May 1967)[5]
- Ernest M. Hutter (June 1967-February 1976)
- Eleanor Regis Sullivan (1975-1981)[6]
- Cathleen Jordan (1981-2002)
- Linda Landrigan (2002-Present)
Circulation Figures edit
| Year | Number of Copies Printed |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 19,270 |
| 2017 | 14,509 |
| 2023 | 10,275 |
Content edit
Each issue contains original works of short crime or mystery fiction, as well as a book review column “Booked & Printed”, a puzzle, a “Mysterious Photograph” story contest, and a "Mystery Classic" reprint.
Authors edit
Over its history AHMM has published short fiction by noted mystery novelists such as Robert Bloch, Lawrence Block, G. K. Chesterton, Ron Goulart, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Donald E. Westlake. The magazine has also regularly featured such short story specialists as John H. Dirckx, Kenneth Gavrell, Edward D. Hoch, Jack Ritchie, and Stephen Wasylyk.
Many writers have published their first mystery story in AHMM, including Mitch Alderman, Doug Allyn, Gregory Fallis, Steve Hockensmith, Martin Limón, D. A. McGuire, J. R. Parsons and I. J. Parker.
In recent years, regular contributors have also included Rhys Bowen, Jan Burke, O'Neil De Noux, John F. Dobbyn, Joan Druett, Brendan DuBois, Loren D. Estleman, David Edgerley Gates, Toni L. P. Kelner, R. T. Lawton, Robert Lopresti,[7] Beverle Graves Myers, Jas R. Petrin, Anthony Rainone, Stephen Ross, Gilbert M. Stack, Marianne Wilski Strong, Steven Torres, Elaine Viets, James Lincoln Warren,[7] Sarah Weinman, Mike Wiecek and Angela Zeman.[7]
Awards edit
AHMM stories have won almost every major mystery award, including The Edgar Award for Best Short story, presented by the Mystery Writers of America; the Robert L. Fish Award for Best First Short Story; the Agatha Award for Best Short Story, presented at the Malice Domestic conference; and the Shamus Award for Best P.I. Short Story, presented by the Private-Eye Writers of America.
See also edit
- Alfred Hitchcock's Anthology, a spin-off magazine consisting of AHMM reprints
References edit
- ^ "Black Orchid Novella Award". Alfred Hitchcock. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
- ^ "Magazine Contents Lists: Page 13". www.philsp.com. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ "Magazine Contents Lists: Page 14". www.philsp.com. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ "Magazine Contents Lists: Page 15". www.philsp.com. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ "Magazine Data File". www.philsp.com. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ "Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine - The Alfred Hitchcock Wiki". the.hitchcock.zone. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ a b c Warren, James; Lopresti, Rob; Zeman, Angela (2009). "The Mystery Short Story WebLog Project". Crime Fiction. Los Angeles: Criminal Brief. Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
External links edit
- Official blog
- Official website
- AHMM at the Hitchcock Zone
- AHMM US edition index (archived)