Omni was a magazine which contained both articles on science fact and short works of science fiction. It was launched by Kathy Keeton Guccione, wife of Bob Guccione (best known as the publisher of the men's magazine Penthouse), and edited by Ben Bova from 1978 until 1981 and by Ellen Datlow from 1981 until 1998, when the magazine folded. The first issue was published in October 1978.

Omni developed a dual personality during its life. In its early run, its high circulation (permitting payment for stories many times higher than that of other science fiction magazines), coupled with some outstanding fiction editors, allowed it to attract prominent speculative fiction writers, and it published a number of stories that have become genre classics, such as Orson Scott Card's Unaccompanied Sonata and George R.R. Martin's The Way of Cross and Dragon. The magazine also serialized Stephen King's novel Firestarter.

It also featured serious scientific articles, and was in some ways a precursor to popular science magazines such as Discover Magazine. Its coverage included paranormal, protoscience and related topics; its "science fact" publishing repeatedly came in for criticism often bordering on ridicule, for numerous articles that took pseudoscientific concepts seriously. A regular section of the magazine was titled "UFO Update".

Omni also brought the works of numerous painters to the attention of a large audience, such as H.R. Giger and De Es Schwertberger.

In its later years, the magazine seemed to become more preoccupied with UFOs and the paranormal. Some have speculated that this may have been an effort on Guccione's part to increase circulation during leaner years.

After almost 20 years in publication, Guccione shut down the magazine following the Winter 1995 issue due to waning popularity and numerous financial difficulties befalling Guccione and his company General Media. The magazine survived for some time in an online-only version, but updates ceased in 1998, and the site was shut down in 2003.

A short-lived syndicated television show based on the magazine's format (and also called Omni) aired in the United States beginning in September 1981, hosted by Hal Linden.

External links

• Former Omni fiction editor Ellen Datlow's site (http://www.datlow.com)
• Heir Apparent: Coast to Coast AM (http://www.coasttocoastam.com/)
• Heir Apparent: SciFi Channel Online short fiction, edited by former Omni fiction editor Ellen Datlow (http://www.scifi.com/scifiction)