Death Ray is the first magazine from Blackfish Publishing, an independent outfit set up by Matt Bielby, who will be the title's editor-in-chief and publisher.
The monthly title, which launches on 3 May priced £3.99, will go head to head with SFX and Sci-Fi Now, a similarly pitched title to be launched by Imagine Publishing next week.
The launches follow Titan Publishing's closure of the print edition of long-running sci-fi and fantasy magazine Dreamwatch.
As with its competing titles, Death Ray aims to capitalise on the popularity of TV shows such as Doctor Who, Lost, Battlestar Galactica and Heroes, and blockbuster movies such as the Spiderman, Harry Potter and Superman franchises.
Bielby said his title would aim for a slightly older, more serious tone, comparable with music titles Mojo and The Word. He added that SFX was seen by some to be "a bit too laddish and juvenile" in its approach.
Bielby said that the market was unlikely to grow beyond SFX's ABC-audited circulation of 32,672, which is reflected in Death Ray's print run of 40,000.
"This audience spends a lot of disposable income on their hobby and if there are two worthwhile publishers in this market, they'll buy both," he said.
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