Well, here we are. Twenty issues ago, when I first became Managing Editor of IROSF, I couldn't have fathomed what putting out the final issue would have been like—I was having a hard enough time figuring out how to put out my first issue. Somehow, though, those few initiating issues came and went without dramatic hiccup. The journey from then to now has been amazing, and through all of it—though we weren't without our various troubles—there was a part of me that was sure that if we just kept fighting for it, we'd find a way to be self-sustaining in so many of the places where we were struggling.

Regular readers of my editorials know that over the last twenty months, we've brought you new idea after new idea—each one a stronger attempt to bring us closer to our goal than the one before it. Many made the site better while some were more of a lateral move, but in the end it wasn't about the ideas that we did or didn't have—it was really about timing. Timing in the economy, in small press, and—probably most importantly—in our lives and our future plans. IROSF had an amazing run, and I will always be proud to have been associated with it. Still, closing is the right step for us right now. It's simply the time.

We went back and forth on whether or not we should even mention the Hugos in this final editorial, but frankly, I'm proud of the work that we did this year, and of our writers. To not mention the Hugos at all would be a disservice to all of our contributors of 2009, each of whom is eligible for the Best Fan Writer category. So many of them are worthy of nomination, so I urge you to reflect on your favorite articles from this past year. As a magazine, IROSF is eligible for the Best Semiprozine category.

Many have asked about a reincarnation or time frame of our closure. For my own involvement, I can tell you that I'm planning on focusing my efforts in another direction for now—though who knows what the future holds? Bluejack is working on a Master Plan, which you can read all about in last month's editorial. (He also does a great job of recapping the magazine's history, so if you haven't read it yet, I really recommend it.) Whatever the future holds, though, we want you to know that we've always appreciated the response that we get here and all of the feedback—both positive and critical. Thank you to each and every one of our fans and readers, whether you've been with us since we opened or this is the first issue you've read. We love each one of you and couldn't have lasted even this long without you.

I'd also like to thank our entire editorial staff. Our staff, as most readers know, is fully volunteer. Each of them donates precious free time each month to editing, typesetting, and proofreading the articles that our readers have been enjoying for years. To each and every one of you, whether you've proofed a single article or done deep editing to more articles than you care to recall, thank you. Thank you for your commitment and dedication, and thank you for helping to make IROSF what it is and what it will be remembered as.

Finally, I'd like to make sure that I thank Bluejack. If he hadn't given me the chance to run IROSF twenty months ago, I would have missed out on this entire ride. He guided me when I got confused and he brainstormed with me when I wanted to come up with The Next Big Idea to keep us going. He also put significant effort into each and every issue, not to mention all the work he's done around the site. Without Bluejack, there could have been no IROSF. Thank you, Bluejack, for everything that you've done for both the magazine and for me. You're amazing and I'm privileged to know you.

I think that's all I have left to say. The site and its articles will remain up for at least a year (for those who may be wondering), and you can always keep track of Bluejack and I over Twitter, should you feel so inclined. From all of us at IROSF, we wish you the very best and hope you find your fill of SF reviews and insights.