Zealot Script

Is that clickbait in the title? Yes. Sorry about that. Tor.com isn’t closing, but it is rebranding as “Reactor” as of the 23rd of January. This rebrand and relaunch is to highlight that the online magazine has been “publisher agnostic since its founding” and will highlight that it runs independently from the Tor publishing group.

Tor.com is still the existing site, but on the 23rd of January you will then be able to find them at ReactorMag.com. They’re already up and running on all the usual socials under the new branding, so make sure not to miss them!

Tor (soon to be Reactor) announced on their website that the new site will also now cover “all aspects of genre” which includes horror, romance and “more” and that their aim is to create a “true pop culture destination”.

This could be a great move for Tor.com as the site has long been functioning seperately from the publishing house and this rebrand has the potential to free them even more. There is, however, a risk that by embracing “all aspects of genre” they could lose the focus that makes them so loved in the speculative fiction community. I certainly hope that isn’t the case, and I’m looking forward to them proving me wrong!

The senior management at Tor.com/Reactor/Tor Publishing certainly seem excited about the change:

I am very excited to introduce Reactor to the world! We have always been the place to come to for science fiction and fantasy—but with a new name, a new design, we are going to have a magazine that will be more of a pop culture hub for people who love genre of all types. We want to expand the audience and the community that Tor.com has built over the past 15 years.

Devi Pillai, President and Publisher of Tor Publishing Group

Oh, how we have waited for this day. For the past 15 years we have published discerning yet joyful works of media criticism, along with award-winning short fiction and art. Now, starting in 2024, the look and functionality of our magazine’s website will finally match the maturity of our contributors and the needs of our community.

Chris Lough, Director of Tor.com (Reactor)