FAQ
FAQ
Reactor, Its History, and Tor
Why did Tor.com change its name to "Reactor"?
Over time, “Tor.com” became a name that was more confusing than helpful. Renaming allowed us to distinguish ourselves from Tor Books, Tordotcom Publishing, and even the TOR browser—3 things that we are not. We kicked off a site redesign in late 2022, and this eventually prompted a re-look at our name. The stars aligned around “Reactor”.
Why “Reactor”?
It captures some of what we do: react to genre fiction and related pop culture with articles, essays, etc. Reactors are components in spaceships, which ties in with our beloved mascot, Stubby the Rocket. It's an easy URL to spell. It's evocative of science fiction. Having “tor” in the name is a nice bonus. You can read more about us here.
Who is "Stubby the Rocket"?
Stubby is and always has been our stub rocket mascot, visible right at the top of the site. We love Stubby to an irrational extent and will occasionally spin tales of its chaotic adventures in time and space. It was designed by artist Gregory Manchess.
What is your relationship with Tor Publishing Group, Tor Books, Tordotcom Publishing, etc.?
We were started by Tor Books as a sci-fi/fantasy community blog and short fiction program on July 20, 2008 and are still owned by the Tor Publishing Group. The short fiction program proved so successful that the Tordotcom Publishing imprint spun out of it as a separate endeavor in summer 2015. Tordotcom Publishing is an imprint designed to publish novella-length stories in print and is the home of Gideon/Harrow/Nona/Alecto the Ninth, Murderbot, the Wayward Children series, and so much more.
Did Tordotcom Publishing or Tor Books also change its name?
No.
This isn't the website for Tor Books? Where can I find information on Tor Publishing Group's upcoming releases or ask about my favorite books?
The website for the Tor Publishing Group and its imprints is at www.torpublishinggroup.com, and they’ll have information on all their titles. "TPG Catalog" links here on Reactor will also take you there.
Using the Site
Why should I register for the site?
If you choose to register, you’ll get our weekly newsletter of highlights from the site, be able to edit your own comments, and be able to subscribe to comment threads and save favorite articles, columns, and authors.
I tried to comment, but it’s not showing up—what happened?
Our spam filter may have flagged your comment, especially if it contains links, and we’ll do our best to approve it manually as soon as possible. Comments of an inflammatory or aggressive nature may be wholly or partially unpublished at the moderators’ discretion, as well—please see our full Moderation Policy for further information.
What if I see a comment I think the moderators should deal with?
Please hit “flag” on the comment and we’ll be notified. You must be a registered user and logged in to flag a comment. Please note that we may not be able to respond immediately, but will always deal with problematic comments as quickly as we can.
What is your policy on posting and policing spoilers?
We do our best to warn readers about potential spoilers in our posts and reviews by including spoiler warnings in the title or opening paragraphs of the articles. Non-spoiler articles may also include a clearly-labeled section of whited-out text—highlighting the text with your cursor will reveal potential spoilers, but readers who choose not to do so will remain unspoiled. (Warning: This won't work if your browser is in Dark Mode or using Text-To-Speech.) Readers should expect spoilers in the comment section of most articles, unless a post is clearly marked as a spoiler-free discussion, so proceed with caution. Occasionally, moderators will white-out comment text in order to obscure major spoilers, but we cannot guarantee that commenters will avoid mentioning/referencing spoilers in their ongoing discussions.
Contacts & Submissions
How can I get permission to reprint fiction or articles from the site?
Permission to reprint, translate, or republish the fiction or non-fiction on the site can only be granted by the individual author(s) of the story or post in question. Please contact the author directly, or email your request to [email protected] and we will attempt to forward your contact information to the authors, but cannot guarantee a response.
How can I get in touch with Reactor?
If you have a problem with the site, drop a line to [email protected]. Please note that we may not be able to respond immediately, especially over nights, weekends, and holidays, but we will do our best to help as soon as possible—thank you for being patient while we work on fixing the problem!
Does Reactor accept fiction and non-fiction submissions?
We accept unsolicited non-fiction submissions (articles, reviews, lists, etc.). Please take a look at our submission guidelines.
We do not accept unsolicited fiction or art.
