In January 2010 Apex Magazine kicks the year off with a special 2012/End of the World edition. Featuring the essay “2012: The Good, the Bad, and the Apocalyptic” by Dr. Amy Sturgis and an Editorial Disposition column from Editor-in-Chief Jason Sizemore on our obsession with the end this edition offers more than just fiction for those who love speculations of the future.
The fiction offerings include; “Wondrous Days” by Genevieve Valentine, a disturbing tale about a scientifically engineered end of the world, in Mayan fashion, designed to reset things and fix the problems humans inflicted on the planet; and “White Christmas” by James F. Reilly, a story it seems we can all relate to this particular winter, where the end comes in a blanket of snow and human desperation, yet somehow fails to completely suppress the human spirit.
The February 2010 issue kicks off with “p.a. chic” by Tobias Amadon Bengelsdorf. Birthing the wisest bit of advice to come from Apex in a while, “Dystopia is best viewed from a distance.” this tale is strongly reminiscent of Matheson’s I Am Legend, without the company of mutation and monsters.
“The Lady or the Tiger” by J.M. McDermott is a science fiction farming tale, strongly familiar to the style of Rudyard Kipling, and his peers of the late 1800s era. A juxtaposition of that strong, exotic storytelling style, and a landscape of alien planets and crash landings the elements are blended well and make for a very interesting read.
“The Killing Streets” by Colin Harvey rounds out the February issue. A strongly spun tale of a future where government “precautions” (and secrecy) and bio lab mucking about have resulted in the city streets being haunted by disease and a species of mole-like animal that eats human prey. Despite the drastic (but not terribly far-fetched) world differences, Thom is facing real, modern problems; struggling to care for an aging parent, and deciding whether to live with the woman he loves, but who can’t support the family she already has, and remaining in his existing marriage with a woman he no longer loves, but who keeps him comfortably supported. The focus is on the emotional life of the story, making this tale easier to relate to than some of the other science fiction tales out there.
Apex Magazine continues to delivers fine fiction and appears to have also taken on the task of challenge itself to change its tempo and tune in its quest for excellence.
16
Feb
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The December 2009 issue of Apex starts off with “59 Beads” by Rochita Loenen-Ruiz. This tale of technology enhancing artistic ability and definition reminds me very much of Paolo Bacigalupi’s “The Fluted Girl”. Exploitation, perversity and passion fuse together in this tale of a girl willing to give everything she is up for the health of her sister.
James L. Sutter’s “Overclocking” focuses on a series of slices from the life of a drug dealer in a future where drugs are codes that can be jacked into a human brain and bad code means more than just a bug in Vista. A fast, and in ways, cold read, this is a good choice for readers who want a short, hard taste of Apex before deciding to commit.
Also short and hard, “Exit” by Jeff Carlson is a virus tale with little meat to spare. Tight and to the point it nevertheless hits hard, and will appeal to the zombie apocalypse fans out there.
The December’s issue also includes and editorial from Apex Editor-in-Chief Jason Sizemore as well as interview with Nicholas Buckman and B.J. Burrow.
From the folks at Apex Book Company.
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October 2009’s issue of Apex Magazine opens with Alethea Kontis’ “A Poor Man’s Roses”. On the surface this is a tale of a woman held prisoner and milked for the medical boons that her body produces. Beneath the surface it’s a tale of a woman finding her power to walk away from an abusive love, by walking away from love itself.
Peter M. Ball’s “To Dream of Stars: An Astronomer’s Lament” follows, a sad story of a man’s relationship with his dreams. John dreams of being a royal astronomer, but the cost of information of the stars is more than most people under the Queen’s rule can bear. Cruel, but tempered with a folk or fairy tale feel it’s a punishing tale.
“Yellow Warblers” by Jason Sizemore is now a thrice-published tale of the close minded habits of a rural town and how it, when combined with extraterrestrial species, leads t their own downfall.
“Ghost Technology from the Sun” by Paul Jessup, concludes this issue’s fiction section. Another mix of dark fantasy and science fiction it’s an Alice in Wonderland/Jim Jones/zombie tale of the surreal (and in this case largely imaginary) line between the dead and the living and how they feed each other. Another disturbing, but lovely tale, and another mark Apex manages to leave on the images of genre and storytelling.
Also in this issue is “Brain Matter: Must-Reads from Ekaterina Sedi”, an interview with Brandon Massey and “After, Thoughts—A Pantoum” by J.C. Hay, a poetic finishing flourish, reminding readers Apex can find pretty in gutter horror tropes as well.
The November issue, a special international issue, opens with Aliette de Bodard’s “After the Fire”. Set in a reoccurring Bodard world it perhaps has more value to those who have had the pleasure of reading more of Bodard’s work. Newcomers will find a sad story of a ship, one of the last fleeing from the destroyed Earth, weighed down with survivors judged important, and the ghosts of those who were left behind. It makes one want to read more, and perhaps to someday have the opportunity to read more of Bodard’s bits of vision in one collection.
“Benjamin Schneider’s Little Greys” by Nir Yaniv is the tale of a hypochondriac to ends up with a real, big problem after a visit to his trusty doctor. It’s an interesting idea, but wasn’t developed enough for my tastes. I would have gladly read more, and wanted a larger understanding of the “disease” creeping through Benjamin.
“An Evening in the City Coffeehouse, With Lydia on My Mind” by Alexsandar Žiljak is the last fiction tale of this issue, a back and forth story of aliens, spyware and porn. Engaging and quick moving it’s a fun must read for SF fans.
Summing up this issue is the editorial, “A Celebration of World SF” by this issue’s editor Lavie Tidhar and an interview with Tunku Halim.
Apex Magazine, August 2009
The August issue of Apex Magazine starts with “Kenny 149” by Brad Becraft, a fairly quick, definitely science fiction tale of war and humanity. It’s a solid Apex tale, of a soldier battling against an overwhelming number of alien invaders without straying into heavier territory.
“Pimp My Airship” by Maurice Broaddus decides to tackle all black-American issues at once by taking them to, not quite an extreme, but an advanced state (we hope). In Broaddus’s story the whole of America is enslaved by an alien race and blacks have been forced underground, literally, and are encouraged and able to dope themselves into passivity. In this world Knowledge Allah tries, with much scorn and difficulty, to get Sleepy, the lead character, to step up and stand up for himself, his race and the world. The language used to tell this potentially coarse and inflaming tale, is high brow and heavier than needed, which serves to make a point about Sleepy, the Every-black-man of the tale.
Eugie Foster’s novelette “Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest;Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast” rounds out the August issue. A gorgeous, dark and unexpectedly creepy story, Foster spins a world where everyone plays certain roles, enforced physically by the daily donning of masks. With this tale Foster questions not just societal roles, but those of relationships, gender and caste as well. A highly recommended read.
This issue also features essays and columns from Jason Sizemore and Monica Valetinelli, as well as an interview with Gene O’Neill.
Apex Magazine, September 2009
“Fungal Gardens” by Ekaterina Sedia is the first story in the September issue of Apex Magazine. This tale is ripped straight out of an issue of Discovery, with creepy, insect “bad guys” with a very real origin. This tale is really a scientific mystery story, but makes for an interesting SF tale nonetheless.
“Advertising at the End of the World” by Keffy R.M. Kehrli is a metaphorical zombie tale, featuring a woman who might be the last survivor the human race living in a secluded cabin in the woods until a flock of mindless, shuffling creatures show up and mess things up. Only these critters aren’t the traditional undead. They are machines created by companies, technologically advanced door-to-door salesmen, more annoying and sad than fearsome. Kehrli’s story is subtle, creepy and sad, and a great read.
Last of the fiction features is “The Girl in the Basement” by Matthew Kressel, a tale that amps up the creepiness in the previous tale, and poses more questions than answers as it tells a story of the kind of marks abuse leaves on a child’s soul.
All together the September issue is stellar. Also included is an interview with Elizabeth Engstrom and essays by Monica Valentinelli and Jeff VanderMeer.
25
Jun
“Hideki and the Gnomes” by Mark Lee Pearson is a very short, weird tale that’s similar to previous Apex offerings such as Nathan Rosen’s “I Know an Old Lady”. This one has a definite cadence, an almost Mother Goose feel, even if its meaning is murky.
“Clockwork, Patchwork and Ravens” by Peter M. Ball is a spooky near-fairy tale set in a weird future world where a clockwork man helps save the life of a woman besieged by strange creatures. It’s like something Tim Burton would write, with a dark tempo, men that are more bird than human and an unlikely, determined hero.
This month’s classic reprint is “When Thorns Are the Tips of Trees” by Jason Sanford. Strange and sad, this is a tale of man’s hunt for immortality, that in this case, has led to humans carrying a disease that turns them into trees retaining ghosts of their memories at death, but rendering them unable to touch while alive. Like the delicate, haunted thorn trees themselves this story is at times lovely to behold, showing people treasuring their lost loved ones, and at times creepy with the objectification of the dead and the fear and repulsion of the living for each other.
“Gone Fishin’” by John R. Platt, from the Permuted Press Monstrous anthology, is a classic “big fish” story—unbelievable with a chance catch that’s destined to get away. This story doesn’t ever really throw itself into being the full yarn it could be, and it’s hard to sympathize with a lead who brought all the trouble on himself out of sheer meanness. But it has a few dark and amusing moments, nonetheless.
This Issue also features:
Beauty and Dynamite Essay:
“The Still & The Storm” by Alethea Kontis
Book Junkie Essay:
“Anthologies Like Preditors, Closing In” by Lavie Tidhar
Interrogations:
Fran Friel
T.M. Wright
26
May
Zoe E. Whitten is a much over looked author of a wide variety of speculative fiction. I reviewed her darkish-paranormalish-mystery The Lesser of Two Evils (which features a pair of brilliant anti-heroes) here.
She is offering two books up for free in ebook form.
Little Monsters
Jarred Collins is not a real person. It is a fact he has known all his life, though he has never understood why. He has no memories of his early childhood before the age of ten, and no connection to his family beyond his mother, who has always warned him to stay away from his other relatives. His only clues to his true identity lie in a past that he’s grown increasingly unable to confront, and in his vivid dreams of an ancient conflict that feel frighteningly real…more here.
Blood Relations
Halfling and fledgling mage, Amber McKenzie, has fled from Arizona with Vicky the vampire to avoid the law. Marcus has walked out on Amber, and in his absence, Vicky and Amber find themselves growing closer together, each of them desperate to ease the ache of loneliness.
While hiding out in San Antonio, Vicky encounters Emil, an ancient vampire and leader of a small coven. Vicky hopes to become a part of the coven to have children, until Emil drops the bombshell that Vicky is sterile. Believing that she is the cause for Vicky’s condition, a guilt-stricken Amber volunteers to become Vicky’s surrogate mother. The process of carrying a vampire child is dangerous, and if it doesn’t kill Amber, the developing fetus will still destroy her humanity by turning her into a blood drinker, the thing she fears most.
Just as Amber is adjusting to the changes of being pregnant, the coven is surprised by the arrival of a dangerous party crasher. Dimitri is a wyrm, an ancient race of blood drinker who has become obsessed with Amber. Outclassing the entire coven, Dimitri poisons Amber without provocation and kidnaps her, sending the coven into a blind panic. What are his plans for her? Can Vicky save her partner? Or will Dimitri triumph and create the perfect monster? More here.
Remember the twin golden rules of hitchhiking?
# 1: Don’t go hitchhiking, because the driver who picks you up could be certifiably crazy.
# 2: Don’t pick up hitchhikers, because the traveler you pick up could be a raving nutcase.
So what if, on some dark, isolated road, Crazy #1 offered a ride to Nutcase #2?