I wonder if that holds true across genre-focused magazines as well as litfic? (I know litfic is a genre just....publishing. [hands]) In any event, I think there's a tendency to stick to the familiar, and if that particular vibe (whatever it is) is what tickles the familiarity buttons, probably people gravitate to that over something that might challenge them or come at them from an unexpected angle, which is truly disappointing in a field where we are supposed to be discomfiting the comfortable. (Not that there is anything wrong, strictly, with knowing what you're getting; I read romance novels voraciously specifically because I require the stability of the genre contract, especially the last, oh, ten years or so. And I don't think there's anything wrong with reaching to media for comfort. But I do think that, given short fiction magazines are supposed to be, like, where the experimentation is happening because it's less risky than a full published book....it's very disappointing to see it being blended into nothingness.)

though this is probably where I admit that my reading tastes are unfortunately narrow; I like romance, some fantasy, some sci-fi (generally not hard military/Realism In Grimdark for either), and nonfiction about history. So I may not be one to talk.