Apex Magazine Issue 91

Apex Magazine #91

by Jason Sizemore (Editor), Lavie Tidhar, K.T. Bryski

Apex Magazine is a monthly science fiction, fantasy, and horror magazine featuring original, mind-bending short fiction from many of the top pros of the field. New issues are released on the first Tuesday of every month.

EDITORIAL
Words from the Editor-in-Chief—Jason Sizemore

FICTION
Uncontainable—Helen Stubbs
I Remember the Future—Michael A. Burstein
The Love It Bears Fair Maidens—K.T. Bryski
Red Christmas—Lavie Tidhar

NONFICTION
Interview with Author Helen Stubbs—Andrea Johnson
Tropes as Eraser: A Transgender Perspective—Keffy R.M. Kehrli
Remembering the Future Past: An Interview with Author Michael A. Burstein and Filmmaker Klayton Stainer—Eileen Maksym
By the Cover—Lesley Conner
Interview with Cover Artist Billy Nuñez—Russell Dickerson

POETRY
How to Know If Your House is Haunted and What to Do—M. Brett Gaffney
The Familiar—Donna Ison

138 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2016

About the author

I was born the son of an unemployed coal miner in a tiny Kentucky Appalachian villa named Big Creek (population 400). It’s an isolated area with beautiful rolling hills, thick forests, and country folk. I lived in Big Creek until I went to college, spending my weekends cruising the Winn Dixie parking lot of ladies, partying in my cousin’s run-down three room trailer, and being a member of the bad-ass Clay County High School Academic Team.

College was quite a shock for me. Girls! Minorities! Strip clubs! And it didn’t help that I attended Transylvania University, a fairly snotty (but excellent) private college in Lexington, KY (on scholarship… no way my family could have sent me otherwise). I graduated in the standard four years with a degree in Computer Science.

Since 1996, I’ve worked for evil corporations (IBM), dot com dreamers (eCampus.com), The Man (both city and state government), and for The Kids (KY Dept. of Education), and assholes (lots and lots of assholes).

In 2004, I decided my life was boring, that I no longer needed disposable income, and I needed to increase my stress levels. I started Apex Publications, a small press publisher of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. At first it was just a small print zine, then a pro-level online zine, then books, and then ebooks.

I edit anthologies, mostly for Apex (because I’m a control freak). I occasionally do copy editing (when pressed) and have done plenty of acquisition editing over the years.

I also write. I don’t really write enough to leave a mark, but it seems to go well when I do put pen to paper.

Miscellaneous facts about me: left-handed, blue eyes, super geeky, hillbilly accent, near-sighted, and typically in a goofy mood.

Also, and most importantly, I’m not the drunkard all those Facebook photos makes me out to be. It just happens that cameras are always around when I… have libations. Honest!

Reviews

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

FICTION
Uncontainable by Helen Stubbs (3/5)
I Remember the Future by Michael A. Burstein (4/5)
The Love It Bears Fair Maidens by K.T. Bryski (3/5)
Red Christmas by Lavie Tidhar (3/5)

NONFICTION
Tropes as Eraser: A Transgender Perspective by Keffy R.M. Kehrli (4/5)
By the Cover by Lesley Conner (3/5)

POETRY
How to Know If Your House is Haunted and What to Do by M. Brett Gaffney (4/5)
The Familiar by Donna Ison (3/5)

[Elecia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed 'Uncontainable' by Helen Stubbs and the non-fiction essay 'Tropes as Erasers: A Transgender perspective' Keffrey R.M Kehrli (very important look at how toxic trans representation can be in sf and fantasy). Not so keen on 'The Love it Bears Fair Maidens' by K.T. Bryski (should definitely come with a t.w.) and couldn't finish 'Red Christmas' by Lavie Tidhar.

[Sara]

The love it bear fair maidian by K T Brisky
hunt what y see
just run and fly high
hunt dream
welth
flesh hunt what y can
throw wood and vally
there beast inside y
shutter y
drink from yr blood
poissen the breath
hunt all y can se
no one care and see
throw dark there danti hell
run throw coton cloud
behind showr of tear and rain
bihind stars hide
no one will tell
just run
hunt everything
hunt yorself at edg of first

[nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

rating for:

- uncontainable by helen stubbs. i really liked this story, but the ending was unsatisfying. also i'd have liked a little more on the partial babies henny was carrying around. 3 stars

- how to know if your house is haunted and what to do by m brett gaffney. this poem was lots of fun, i really enjoyed it. 3.5 stars

- the love it bears fair maidens by k.t. bryski. just excellent, but definitely tw for content. 3.5 stars

- the familiar by donna ison. i enjoyed this one as well, but not as much as the first poem. 3 stars