SEED (don't you love those magazine titles in all capital letters?) is one of those "Final Destination" titles which have somehow amazingly and luckily escaped death, but death eventually comes around to extract it from the living.
Started by Canadian science boy whiz Adam Bly started the "Vanity Fair of science," the magazine that put the sizzle back in science (!) and somehow has kept it levitated for several years. Of course it has looked nice and won some awards, but you know what that means when it comes to making money. Nada!
So it is no surprise that The Reaper received this letter from a faithful reader: "I just got an email directly from SEED magazine saying that they have not mailed the August issue, and that they do not know when it will be mailed. It is 'delayed.' I nominate SEED for the death pool."
The Reaper most certainly agrees.
ODDS OF SURVIVAL: 10%
I'm honestly not surprised by this, as I was a subscriber back at the beginning. The magazine itself was fairly interesting, if bland (it came off as a halfassed clone of Wired and OMNI): it just made the mistake of coming out right about the time Scientific American started revamping its editorial stance, and SA was a much better magazine when it came to serious science.
The reason why I let my subscription lapse, though, had less to do with the actual issues and a lot more to do with the incessant direct mail and E-mail nagging about renewing my subscription, starting about a week before I got my first issue. If they'd spent more money on retaining readers through paying for better articles instead of driving them away by flooding their mailboxes with "YOUR LAST ISSUE" notices, I might have stuck with it.
Posted by: Paul Riddell | August 12, 2009 at 10:55 AM
This is at least the second time Seed has done this. The level of twatularity evidenced by the 'leadership' at Seed is epic even by sociopathic media boss standards. Believe me - I used to work there.
Posted by: Mr. Orange | August 12, 2009 at 05:50 PM
Please, Mr. Orange, tell us more.
Posted by: Paul Riddell | August 12, 2009 at 06:41 PM
The guy that runs the mag is a real piece off work. I hear they owe money all over town.
Posted by: Pete Thompson | September 02, 2009 at 03:06 PM
You mean Adam Bly? He was voted the biggest Douche Bag by Gawker in 2007.
Posted by: SEEDY | September 02, 2009 at 03:08 PM
It's a shame I liked that magazine.
Posted by: Lisa Vagay | September 02, 2009 at 05:52 PM