(We're happy to be bringing you a monthly update of (most) everything we have happening via our three-headed empire.--Jason)
It's hard to believe that we're coming up on the end of the year. The weather is turning cold in the north, warming up in the south. Trees are coming quietly awake or settling into their branches for the winter. In the darkest corners, things seen only in the pause between breaths slink nearer, seeking your love. We're staying busy at Apex, and we're grateful to you for being with us for the adventure.
Apex Magazine Issue 141
Issue 141 will release November 7. Cover art by Peter Mohrbacher, original fiction by J.S. Breukelaar, A.M. Lomuscio, E. Catherine Tobler, Jolie Toomajan, and Erica Satifka, flash by Leah Ning and Liv Strom, essays by Sarah Pinsker and Leanna Renee Hieber, and reprints from R.J. Joseph and Zin E. Rocklyn. And some exciting news! A.C. Wise is returning with the wonderful "Words for Thought" short fiction review column! Buckle up - this issue is a wild one!
Holiday Horrors Drabble Contest
We are delighted to announce that longtime Apex Magazine first reader Kai Delmas is taking the editorial chair for the return of our Holiday Horrors--this time as a Drabble Contest!
Map of Lost Places Kickstarter
The Map of Lost Places Kickstarter launched on October 10--click here to join us for a tour of places that have strange histories, their own traditions and customs, their own dangers. We have some incredible add-ons and rewards - including the Strange Libations and Strange Machines microfiction anthologies from previous Kickstarters.
Depending on the Map of Lost Places Kickstarter funding level, we expect to fill the anthology with eight to twelve original stories selected from an open reading period. The open call for stories will begin December 1, 2023.
These might be based on real folk tales or old wives tales - think the Mothman in Point Pleasant, WV - or ones that you come up with all on your own. But your story should tell of someone going to one of these places - either intentionally or they just stumble across it - and what happens when they encounter the frightening/strange thing that is in or occurs in that location.
Snap Judgment with Richard Thomas
Apex Magazine is excited to present SNAP JUDGMENT Episode 8 (Halloween special!) of our rapid-fire, live-streaming critique series.
Every quarter, industry professionals Lesley Conner, Rebecca E Treasure, and a special guest offer live feedback on the first page (up to 250 words) of genre short stories or novels. These first pages are read aloud by our talented host and narrator, Aly Grauer.
Our special guest editor for this event was author and editor Richard Thomas! They provide invaluable advice to writers and will give you a leg up on the competition.
Robotic Ambitions
Whether striving to protect the family they’ve chosen, searching for meaning amid the chaos of the world, or questioning what it is that makes one alive, robotic ambition can mean many different things. Robotic Ambitions: Tales of Mechanical Sentience explores the nuance of sentience manufactured and evolved within mechanical beings. It peels back the metal exterior and takes a hard look at what is inside.
Within these pages you will discover stories of robots defying their coding for a chance at love, resisting societal norms so that they may experience art and pleasure, and searching for their place in a world that was not made for them, but rather was made to use them. These are stories about striking out on your own, building something new amid destruction, and doing whatever it takes to make sure you survive. Robots and AI are more than tools for humanity. They have their own goals, dreams, and aspirations.
This anthology includes stories by Lavie Tidhar, Premee Muhamed, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Jason Sanford, and many more.
Preorder now or get your copy through the Map of Lost Places Kickstarter. Robotic Ambitions will be released November 14th!
Resurrections by Ada Hoffmann
Resurrections by Ada Hoffmann is available for advance order! Buy now and save 40% on the trade edition! This collection will release December 19th
This collection of short stories and poems by Ada Hoffmann traverses extraordinary universes packed with faeries, cyborgs, talking otters, punitive gods, love-struck sea creatures, fossil hunters, extraterrestrials, and much more. Exploring themes of love and self-existence, community and otherness, and perseverance, Resurrections is a wondrous blend of genres and literary forms.
Each universe contains an intricately crafted history, cast of characters, places, and paradoxes. From layered magical realms to beauty supply storerooms, Hoffmann brings often-overlooked characters and perspectives to life and lets their unfettered reality expand our imaginations. Resurrections is a glimpse into the spectrum of human existence, flitting from world to world in Hoffmann’s spectacular style.
Writing Classes with Apex
The Reach Your Apex initiative is our way of making the knowledge and skills of publishing professionals available to those individuals who are seeking to improve their literary craft. While a majority of our offerings target the craft of writing, we will intersperse our curriculum with workshops/webinars covering various topics about the art of editing and the business side of publishing. We just launched a website dedicated to our classes and workshops, including on-demand recordings!
You can find our current list of classes here. Classes in November include Revising Your Novel with Premee Mohamed, as well as a three part course on writing nonlinear fiction with Premee Mohamed! Coming up, we've got Getting Into Character with Arley Sorg, a reprise of the popular Writing with ADHD with Premee Mohamed, Dressing the Skeleton with Ai Jiang, and classes from Arley Sorg, Lavie Tidhar, Richard Thomas, Leah Ning, A.C. Wise, and Nick Mamatas!
Apex Flash Fiction
The Flash Fiction Contest for October 7-31—themed Botanist—will close on October 31. The theme for Novemer 7-30 will be announced and will open to the public on November 7th for flash fiction submissions. Themes are chosen by Patrons at the end of the month and announced to Patrons on the 1st of each month. Submissions will be open to the public on the 7th of each month. Submissions close on the last day of the month at midnight (US Central Time).
The winner will be paid $0.08/word or $10, whichever is more. The winning story will appear on our Patreon as an exclusive and will be included in a forthcoming issue of Apex Magazine.
Discord Happenings
As always, we have fun and community on our Discord, including critique swaps, co-writing opportunities, and general community support for writers. (Rejectomancy, anyone?)
Patreon Exclusives
On our Patreon, we have an exciting lineup of exclusives for our Patrons from the Authors of Issue 140. We'll have interviews, a critique opportunity, and story insights. Keep an eye on our Patreon!
Not a Patron? Join us for as little as $3/month to get access to these exclusives and the magazine in your inbox!
To add the Apex Events Calendar to your Google calendar, follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/4c74rext.
