Welcome to Apex Magazine issue 142! We’re kicking off 2024 with tales that are unsettling and creepy. What better way to fill the long cold nights of January than with some spine-chilling horror! It reminds me of chilly nights gathered round a campfire telling ghost stories. Well, this issue does have a campfire and at least one ghost, so get something warm to drink, make yourself cozy, and let us tell you a story.
The issue opens with “Spread the Word” by Delilah S. Dawson. Will has a lot to worry about. Will he make friends at his new school? Will he fit in? Will people notice that the house he and his mom live in isn’t quite as nice as theirs? But his biggest worry is that the thing that happened at his old house will start again. When strange things start happening, Will decides he has to stop it. This story is strange and unsettling, and so good! It has a way of worming into your brain and not letting go.
Nadia Bongo’s “Born a Ghost” is a lovely dark fantasy about a child born with cobwebs in their hair. Based on ancient tradition, this means the child is ghost-born and destined to protect the family from rivals and misfortune by haunting them. The story that follows is achingly sad and at times humorous. The narrator has no choice in who they are to become. They are trained from birth to embrace their fate: to be quiet and to eat only the offering given them. What is a ghost-born child to do when they want more than the haunting life they are destined for?
There is nothing fancy or flashy about “Just You and Me, Now” by KT Bryski. It’s a horror story about a family that goes camping: Mom, Dad, and their three kids. What could go wrong? As it happens, a lot. Bryski masterfully builds a slow, lurking dread that never lets up throughout the entirety of this tale. It is horrifying, leaving the reader with an unsettling realization that there are no right answers—no quick fix to make all of this go away. It’s a situation that feels unfair but inevitable.
Elisabeth Ring perfectly weaves complex emotions and a toxic relationship in “When No One Has to Say Goodbye.” When science cures death but not disease, people are left constantly worrying about new diseases that can pop up unexpectedly and have grotesque consequences. Add in a boyfriend who twists her words and intentions and pushes Marissa in ways that make her very uncomfortable, and you have a story that made me deeply unsettled and angry in the best ways possible.
In our nonfiction essays this issue, Somer Canon reflects on how the male gaze in horror movies impacted her as a woman who loves horror, and John Wiswell explores why horror can be so comforting. Marissa van Uden interviews authors Nadia Bongo and Elisabeth Ring. Bradley Powers talks with our cover artist Adrian Borda.
Our reprints this issue are by M.M. Olivas and Eugen Bacon.
Our flash fiction this issue is by Nadia Radovich and Kanishk Tantia. “Then Came the Ghost of My Dead Mother, Antikleia,” by Nadia Radovich, submitted for our Necromancy theme, is a beautiful contemporary fantasy about cultural loss and mother-daughter relationships. “For As Long As You Want It,” by Kanishk Tantia, is a science fiction exploring what it means to be human in a world where technology dominates and interprets reality, and was submitted for our Botanist theme.
As always, if you’d like to see Apex Magazine continue to thrive, please considering supporting us financially. Year-long subscriptions are only $27 and can be purchased here. Or become a patron on the Apex Patreon. We have a lot of different tiers to fit different budgets. Find more information or become a patron here. Our subscribers and patrons pay for all of the wonderful stories, essays, and art you see in Apex Magazine!
Thank you for reading.
Lesley Conner
Editor-in-Chief
