THE WHOLE McSWEENEY’S PERIODICAL FAMILY (COMBO SUBSCRIPTION)

$195.00 $175.00
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This is the combo subscription for The Believer, McSweeney’s Quarterly, and Illustoria magazine. To subscribe to any of these on their own, or for multiple variations thereof, click here.

“Ever shape-shifting and ambitious, McSweeney’s has redefined what a literary institution can be.”
—Catherine Lacey

“There are few examples in publishing that equal the care and inventiveness McSweeney’s offers their readers—the industry at large should take note.”
—Bookends and Beginnings, Evanston, IL

“Brilliant and always surprising.”
—Detroit Free Press

We love periodicals. You love periodicals. We could all use periodicals. Available to all for the first time, get all three of the official McSweeney’s-published periodicals in one compact (and economically-priced) subscription bundle: three issues of Illustoria, four issues of McSweeney’s Quarterly, and four issues of The Believer magazine.

From the newly resurrected, twelve-time National Magazine Award finalist Believer magazine; to the always cutting-edge, form-shattering, and award-winning behemoth that is McSweeney’s Quarterly; to the beloved imagination- and inspiration-inciting Illustoria (named a best gift for kids by the New York Times three years and running); satisfy every reader in your life and keep the unforgettable and award-winning content coming all year long.

Readers will receive::

McSweeney’s 71: The Monstrous and the Terrible
Our first-ever issue-length foray into horror, and featuring one of our biggest lineups in some time, our seventy-first issue is one for the ages. Guest edited by Brian Evenson, McSweeney’s 71: The Monstrous and the Terrible is a hair-raising collection of fiction that will challenge the notion of what horror has been, and suggest what twenty-first-century horror is and can be. And it’s all packaged in a mind-bending, nesting-doll-like series of interlocking slipcases that must be seen to be believed.

There’s Stephen Graham Jones’s eerie take on the alien abduction story, Mariana Enríquez’s haunting tale of childhood hijinks gone awry, and Jeffrey Ford on a writer who loses control of his characters. Nick Antosca (cocreator of the award-winning TV series The Act) spins out a novelette about the hidden horrors of wine country. There’s Kristine Ong Muslim exploring environmental horror in the Philippines; a sharp-edged folk tale by Gabino Iglesias, and Diné writer Natanya Ann Pulley reimagining sci-fi horror from an Indigenous perspective. Hungarian writer Attila Veres proffers a dark take on the not-so-hidden sociopathy of multilevel marketing. And Erika T. Wurth explores the dark gaps leading to other worlds. If that weren’t enough: an excerpt from a new novel by Brandon Hobson; a chilling allegorical horror story by Senaa Ahmad; a Lovecraftian bildungsroman by Lincoln Michel; unsettling dream cities from Nick Mamatas; M. T. Anderson’s exceptionally weird take on babysitting; and, improbably, much more.

Believer Issue 144: The Music Issue
The Music Issue returns! Inside this delectable year-end issue, you’ll find Mimi Lok on the Jungian references behind K-pop’s biggest group; Fernando A. Flores on a bizarre invented history of funerary violinists; and Rob Curran on the Malian folk star attempting to save his country’s rich musical traditions. There are also far-reaching interviews with PJ Harvey, Rhiannon Giddens, Jeremy Gaudet, and Ryan H. Walsh, as well as shorter—but equally pleasurable—conversations with Natalie Merchant and the Houston Rockets’ own Victor Oladipo. Plus, Stu Horvath listens to dungeonsynth, Lol Tolhurst looks back on the ’80s goth scene, and Paul Collins recounts the “deep and profound” history of kazoo orchestras. You’ll also find regular features reworked for thematic consistency, with contributions from Nick Hornby, Carrie Brownstein, and Niela Orr; musician trivia from Carl Newman of the New Pornographers; album reviews; and more!

Don’t miss this issue’s special companion soundtrack: Believer Radio. Hosted by our contributors, and produced by Claire Mullen, these sixteen hour-long DJ sets delve into the music discussed in the issue in greater detail. Listen to them all at BFF.fm/believer.

Illustoria #22: Invention
In our invention issue, we look at gadgets and gizmos and the inventive thinking behind them. The brilliant inventions begin on the whimsical and ingenious cover by Taili Wu, and keep up to the very last page. Inside we highlight clever creatures with survival strategies, the inner workings of a Risograph machine, and an unsuspecting teenager doing chemistry homework who accidentally altered fashion history!

What else has been invented by accident? our guest poet, Layla Forrest-White, ponders. In the project section: Invent a font. Design a new hairdo. Draw a robot. Young writers imagine what it would be like to grow up in a family of inventors. This unusual compendium of comics, stories, and DIY ideas will keep young readers mesmerized for days.

And then:
Keep a watchful eye on your mailbox as you wait for three more issues of McSweeney’s Quarterly (including our upcoming twenty fifth anniversary issue), three more issues of The Believer, and two more issues of Illustoria. The future is full of surprises, but one guarantee is more literary wonderment that McSweeney’s readers have come to expect over nearly a quarter century.

IMPORTANT LOGISTICAL INFORMATION: All subscriptions placed before December 8, 2023, will begin with McSweeney’s 71: The Monstrous and the Terrible, Illustoria #22: Invention, and The Believer Issue 144. All subscriptions to McSweeney’s Quarterly automatically renew after four issues, at 15% off the price of a regular sub (currently $80.75), while Believer subscriptions renew after four issues at a price of $51, and Illustoria after three issues at a price of $40. In the event of any future rate changes, we will notify you via email. If you’d like to cancel any of the three subscription at any time prior to its auto-renewal, you can log in to your account and adjust your subscription settings. Or send an email to custservice@mcsweeneys.net with the subject lines “End Quarterly Renew,” “End Believer Renew,” “End Illustoria Renew,” or “End Family Renew” depending on your desires. Refunds will be accepted only up until the first issue of your renewal is shipped. Any subscription purchased with the “gift” option marked at checkout will not be enrolled in autorenew.

International shipping costs for the full eleven-publication combo subscription: $75

For Issues 1-8 of Illustoria, and to keep up on the latest news and blog updates, visit Illustoria.com.

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