When Jason asked me to write a guest blog about under-appreciated short fiction markets, Apex was the first thing on my mind. Everyone I’ve recommended Apex to has later told me (sometimes over and over) how much they loved it. But since this is the Apex blog, I suppose “Go read Apex!” is a given, so let’s look at what else is out there.

Here’s my (not exhaustive) list of the best short fiction magazines you might be overlooking.

1. Murky Depths (http://www.murkydepths.com/)

Still relatively new (only six quarterly issues out so far), Murky Depths is built to stick out. It not only celebrates a blend of genres, publishing dark fantasy, dark science fiction, and just plain strange stuff, but it also blends the written word with fantastic visuals in the form of accompanying art and graphic strips (you can’t call these dark, moody presentations “comics”). Murky Depths is still figuring a few things out, but they put out a great product. It has solid, entertaining fiction and lovely visuals, and it smells so good, making opening this magazine a completely sensory experience.

2. Lone Star Stories (http://literary.erictmarin.com/)

Lone Star Stories is a little bimonthly webzine (it’s free to read) that publishes all ranges of speculative fiction and poetry. It publishes everything from science fiction to sadly-sweet urban fantasy short stories. The editor, Eric Marin, has impeccable tastes, and despite the token pay he has netted big writers like Jay Lake, Cherie Priest, and Jeff VanderMeer. It’s been going strong for four years (this month). With about three stories and three poems per issue, it’s a fast, easy read, and since it’s free, there’s no reason to miss it.

3. GUD (http://www.gudmagazine.com/)

GUD (short for Greatest Uncommon Denominator) is one of the most unique and overlooked genre magazines out there. It focuses on science fiction, fantasy, horror, and weird fiction with a high-brow (what one might call “literary”) style. The combination of rich, beautiful language and strange, fantastic elements pushes the speculative genres into places other magazines often don’t. It is harder reading, and sometimes the stories are just too bizarre. But then there are stories that use familiar tropes (like zombies) to spin incredible stories that expand and even shatter the borders of the genres we know and love.

4. Pseudopod/Escape Pod/Pod Castle

Run by the same group (the Escape Artists), this triad of speculative fiction blogs publishes stories via podcast. Every week there are new stories, in audio form, that are perfect for setting to play in the background while you clean or work, or even during the boring parts of movies and television shows. The stories are read by fabulous voice actors (including familiar Apex contributor Mary Robinette Kowal). Pseudopod publishes horror, Escape Pod publishes science fiction, and Pod Castle handles the fantasy, meaning readers can pick and choose what they want to listen to. All three are also completely free (though donations are well-deserved.)

Pseudopod: http://pseudopod.org/
Escape Pod: http://escapepod.org/
Pod Castle: http://podcastle.org/

Michele Lee writes horror, science fiction, and fantasy from the relative safety of her haunted house in the oldest section of Louisville, Ky. When she isn’t writing she reviews books of all genres and works for Dark Recesses Magazine. When not thinking, reading, or writing books, she gardens, does crafty things, and cares for her family.