31
Oct
Click for free reads
The October issue of Apex Magazine starts out with a tale by a much loved Apex regular, Lavie Tidhar. “Blakenjel” is weird and dark, and a bit hard to follow. Tidhar is known for his strange, exotic tales, but this one leaves nearly every semblance of humanity behind. It focuses on Dak, a scentless boy who works in the pits, feeding foul and poisoned sea creatures to blobs on command of the elusive ownerz. There are also the strange dragonish pseudo-god-aliens blakenjel, who answer prayers for an (often high) price. Dak, favored by one of the blobs and one of the blakenjel gets caught up in a very bizarre interpretation of the war for information that many of us find ourselves invested in today. While it feels indecisive, “Blakenjel” finds strength in being not one thing nor another, becoming something else altogether.
“Hunting Aliens” by Erik Williams is a short tale of a couple of good old boys who manage to find a secret alien landing spot, free from tourists and governmental watch dogs. Their intentions are brutal making this a tale that echoes past its end.
Nathan Rosen’s “I Know an Old Lady” is a science fiction twist on the old poem told in a matter of fact way that feels a bit mechanical, which adds to the humor. Reminiscent of “Wikihistory” by Desmond Warzel it’s an amusing space child’s Mother Goose tale.
“Spoiled Meat” by Ryan C. Thomas is the second story in the crossover project between Apex Publications and Permuted Press. In this zombie tale the main character seems strangely immune to the zombies. Being ostracized, not even included in humanity’s gory downfall, can, and does, make one a little crazy. The twist on the zombie theme make this tale interesting while the familiar theme itself makes it an easy read.
Finally is “Dick Does Time” by Adam Roberts, a flash back to the Dick and Jane readers. Some very grown up themes are hidden inside the simple prose, proving that effectiveness is not always about large flowing words and quirky characters.
Comments