Themes are chosen by Patrons at the end of the month and announced to Patrons on the 1st of each month. Submissions open to Patrons on the 1st of each month. Submissions will be open to the public on the 7th of each month. Submissions for each theme close on the last day of the month at midnight US central time.
Submissions should be in Shunn Manuscript Format and attached as .doc/.docx/.rtf/.odt files. Please note that submissions sent before the first of the month, longer than 1000 words, or in formats other than those listed above will be deleted unread.
The winner will be announced no later than the 15th of the following month and will be paid $0.08/word or $10, whichever is more. The winning story will appear on our Patron Hunt as an exclusive and will be included in a forthcoming issue of Apex Magazine.
Theme: The theme for the submission period of 1/1 to 1/31 is Hope OR Sacrifice OR Sacrificial Hope OR Hopeful Sacrifice. We had a close vote and the team decided to go with two themes. We have to be able to find one or both of the themes in the stories, and the theme must be inextricable from the story.
Themes are chosen by Patrons at the end of the month and announced to Patrons on the 1st of each month. Submissions open to Patrons on the 1st of each month. Submissions will be open to the public on the 7th of each month. Submissions for each theme close on the last day of the […]
We approach the end of the year with some trepidation about the future, but here at Apex we find hope in our community, the stories we are privileged to share, and the authors who write them. This year we shared 32 interviews, recipes, photo tours, and story insights from our authors. These are all collected below […]
We want to thank you for being with us through 2024. We are grateful to be able to release dark, beautiful fiction and never forget that it is our community that makes this possible. We are looking forward to 2025 and, despite trepidation about the state of the world, we hope you are too. Fiction that challenges, exposes, and inspires has never been more important.
Issue 148
Issue 148 of Apex Magazine will release on January 7th. Original fiction by Lindz McLeod, Wil Magness, Allison Thai, and Monte Lin, flash fiction by Colton Kokoa Neves and Abigail Kemske, essays by Zin E. Rocklyn and Rob Cameron, reprints from Russell Nichols and Amal Singh, plus our regular Words for Thought column from A.C. Wise.
Our cover art this month is by Vibhav Singh, titled “Odyssey Ruins”.
Issue 147
Issue 147 of Apex Magazine continues to release on our new website. Original fiction by Rachel Bolton, Rachael Severino, Danny Cherry Jr, Avra Margariti, Garrett Ashley, flash fiction by Parker M. O’Neill and Juniper White, reprints from Danian Darrell Jerry and DaVaun Sanders, essays from Robert V.S. Redick and Zohair, with our regular nonfiction from AC Wise, plus an excerpt from the new release Island of the Dead by Brian Keene and two book reviews.
The cover art is by Asya Yordanova, who has done Apex covers in the past.
Letters from Nowhere by Asya Yordanova
Snap Judgment Episode 12 with special guest Sloane Leong Rescheduled
Every quarter, industry professionals Lesley Conner, Rebecca E Treasure, and a special guest offer live feedback on the first pages of anonymous submissions, which are read aloud by our brilliant host and narrator, Aly Grauer. We are pleased to announce that our special guest editor for this event is Sloane Leong!
Due to an illness on the team, Snap Judgment 12 was canceled and will be rescheduled in early 2025! We’ll have a final date soon – stay tuned!
2024 Apex Magazine Annual Report
Our managing editor Rebecca E. Treasure pulled together a pile of data, including demographics and submissions statistics, for a report on Apex‘s authors, team members, publications, and more.
We made a number of changes in 2024, including this being the first year of Editor in Chief Lesley Conner’s solo leadership, changing our reading system from a one-reader system to a two-reader system, and running a Kickstarter with a different approach.
In 2025, our goal will be to improve our accessibility and diversity, especially in regards to voices from the global south.
Kirmen is different from the other inhabitants of the Cloister, whose walls protect them all from the endless storm ravaging Earth. As a result of the Doctor’s cruel experiments, his physical form is gradually evolving into something better fit for survival in the world outside.
Kirmen worries about becoming a pariah, an outcast among the other denizens of the domes. But his desire for affection and acceptance, and his humanity, fade away as the Doctor’s treatments progress. What will happen when the metamorphosis is complete? What will be left of Kirmen and the group of survivors that he knows and loves?
In English for the first time (translated by Sue Burke), ChloroPhilia, an Ignotus Award-nominated novella by Cristina Jurado, is a strange coming-of-age story while addressing life after an environmental disaster, collective madness, and sacrifices made for the greater good.
Closed to General Submissions
Until we finish reading all this year’s submissions, we won’t have a specific date for re-opening submissions. We’re working hard to get through all the stories shared with us, return those we won’t be keeping, and make final decisions. We thank you for your patience!
New Releases from Apex Book Company!
Orders are open for Breath of Life by author and poet LH Moore!
Breath of Life is a collection of the works of author and poet LH Moore, whose history- and Afrofuturism-inspired speculative short fiction, poetry, and essays move between and blur the genres from horror to science fiction to fantasy. With themes of family and identity, rooted solidly in history and imagining the unknown—both here on Earth and beyond—Breath of Life is an exploration of the unexpected.
Writer, poet and historian LH Moore’s Afrofuturism- and history-inspired speculative fiction and poetry have been in numerous publications and anthologies, such as all three groundbreaking Dark Dreams anthologies of Black horror writers; Bram Stoker Award Finalist anthology Sycorax’s Daughters; Black Magic Women; Chiral Mad 4 and 5, SLAY, Conjuring Worlds, StokerCon 2019, Humans Are the Problem anthologies; and Fireside, Apex, and FIYAH magazines.
World Horror Grand Master Brian Keene returns to zombies in this relentless sword and sorcery horror epic!
Einar, an enslaved barbarian, plots his escape from a war galley transporting troops and a mysterious weapon to far enemy shores. But when an apocalyptic storm at sea leaves Einar and his fellow captives shipwrecked on a strange, uncharted island, friend and foe alike must band together against a ravenous, steadily growing horde of the undead… and even worse dangers.
Apex Flash Fiction
The Flash Fiction Contest for December 7-31—themed Tarot Cards—will close on December 31. The theme for January 7-31 will be announced and will open to the public on January 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).
Good news! The flash fiction contest will continue to run and be open to submissions monthly throughout 2025. Issues will now include 3 flash pieces instead of 2! In March 2025 the flash contest will be open to Unpublished Authors Only for our Unpublished Authors issue later next year.
The winner will be paid $0.08/word or $10, whichever is more. The winning story will appear on our Patron Hunt as an exclusive and will be included in a forthcoming issue of Apex Magazine.
Discord Happenings
As always, we have a fun community on our Discord, offering critique swaps, co-writing opportunities, and general community support for writers. (Rejectomancy, anyone?) We recently added opt-in private channels for LGBTQ+, BIPOC, ESL/International, and neurodivergent communities! Join us by subscribing or backing the Patron Hunt.
Patron Hunt Exclusives
Here on our Patron Hunt, we have an exciting lineup of exclusives for our Patrons from the Authors of Issue 148. We’ll have our usual interviews, critique opportunities, and some story insights. Keep an eye on our Patron Hunt!
Not a Patron? Join us for as little as $3/month to get access to these exclusives and the magazine in your inbox!
by Rukman Ragas “But,” you ask, “Isn’t this cruel?” My sweet child, one I begot as a curse, don’t you see the world is cruel? Cruelty is the way of life, the way of ruling. To rule over another is not a matter of moral superiority; forget that gibberish they teach you, no child of […]
Juniper White, author of “Let Her Collect Stamps”, joined us for an interview. Juniper White (she/her) is a red fox, a librarian, and a ghost haunting a house in Portland, OR, where she studies creative writing and theater. Find her on X/Twitter @JuneWhiteWrites. She is a trans author of Palestinian descent and believes in a […]
LH Moore, author of the new Apex Book Company title Breath of Life, joined us for an author feature. Breath of Life is out today!
Breath of Life is a collection of the works of author and poet LH Moore, whose history- and Afrofuturism-inspired short stories, poetry, and essays move between and blur the lines between horror, science fiction, and fantasy.
In the short story “Roots On Ya,” a roots man in rural Virginia has to undo a crossing…and more. A scientist has a harrowing experience as she discovers more than she bargained for in the depths of underwater cave tunnels in “Rule of Thirds.” As a symbol of a new country is constructed, all is not what it seems in “With These Hands: A Tale of Uncommon Labour.” In the short story “Here, Kitty,” a young woman realizes that what is lost is not always meant to be found. As a young woman and her friends come of age, they discover a family legacy that will change them forever in the short story “A Clink of Crystal Glasses Heard.” All three of the “Bice” poems explore The Divine Comedy author Dante Aligheri’s obsession with Beatrice—from her biting, unamused point of view.
Find these and more in Breath of Life. With themes of family and identity, rooted solidly in history and imagining the unknown—both here on Earth and beyond—Breath of Life is an exploration of the unexpected.
Writer, poet and historian LH Moore’s Afrofuturism- and history inspired speculative fiction and poetry have been in numerous publications and anthologies, such as all three groundbreaking Dark Dreams anthologies of Black horror writers; Bram Stoker Award Finalist anthology Sycorax’s Daughters; Black Magic Women; Chiral Mad 4 and 5, SLAY, Conjuring Worlds, StokerCon 2019, Humans Are the Problem anthologies; Fireside, Apex, and FIYAH Magazine. From Washington, D.C., Moore loves classical guitar, graphic novels, and video games.
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What was the inspiration for bringing these particular stories together? How did the collection come about?
I have been writing for a long time now, but my works have been in anthologies and SFF magazines. Maurice Broaddus told me that the Apex team had been talking about how they wanted to publish books again and I was at the top of the list of authors to work with. It has always been great to work with Apex over the years. It’s so exciting to finally have a book of my own with just my name on it and all of my works over the years in one place.
What is the worst piece of writing advice you ever received? The best?
The worst: “You should focus on just one genre.” (Nope.) The best: “Don’t give up. Rejection happens to all writers. Keep going.”
What is your writing process like? Are you a pantser or a plotter?
I’ve been a pantser for way too long, which doesn’t work for me. I am becoming a plotter more and more just to keep myself on track, especially with longer form projects.
What is your reading process like? Are you an obligate finisher or a reckless abandoner? One book at a time or dozens?
I am absolutely the type who reads a bunch of books at one time and keeps track of them all. I’ve always been like that.
If you could only have one book to read for the rest of your life, which would you pick? Why?
I’m not the type to re-read a book once I’ve read it now, so I’m going to go with one of my favorites Anne of Green Gables, which I read so many times until it became worn. I was so inspired to write because of her character: fearless, outspoken, adventurous, imaginative and prone to using big words.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Sew, crochet, embroider. Draw, play video games, read comics and nonfiction about history and architecture, laugh with my sons
What are you working on next?
A new book! I. Am. So. EXCITED!
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Favorite recipe (food or drink):
I can’t say that I have a favorite recipe? I can cook, but it’s just not a favorite thing of mine to do? I can tell you my favorite things to eat though…sushi, pho, Ethiopian beef tibs and injera, crème brulee and Twix bars!
~~~
My sketch of my favorite Cenobite:
My classical guitar, Miguel:
Elle in Greenville, SC:
My worn copy of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower:
El Arco, Cabo San Lucas:
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Top Ten Places I’ve Been:
1. Senegal (the Hut O’Terror)
2. Ireland (Who investigated one of the country’s most haunted castles? ME.)
3. Spain (all the jamon iberico that I could handle!)
4. Curacao
5. England (I loved Canterbury!)
6. Italy (Sorry, but Rome was overrated. Fight me.)
7. Charleston (I could eat shrimp ‘n’ grits ALL DAY EVERY DAY)
8. Tucson/Southern AZ (tracing the path of Buffalo Soldiers)
9. Paris (J’adore le salon de thé Angelina en la Rue Rivoli!)
10. Toronto (What a fun, cosmopolitan city filled with nice folks who waved)
Top Ten Favorite Movie Scenes:
1. Tombstone (the glove slap: “I said throw down, boy!”)
2. Like Water for Chocolate (Gertrudis riding away)
3. Alien (the chest burst)
4. Constantine (the pool scene with Satan!)
5. Black Panther (N’Jobu and Killmonger’s ancestral plane)
6. The Five Heartbeats (the balcony with Red. I know every song)
7. The Empire Strikes Back (When the door opened in Cloud City)
8. The Fifth Element (all of Fhloston Paradise)
9. The Thing (“Kill it with fire!”)
10. The Prophecy (Lucifer. Always a scene-stealer. “Two Hells is one Hell too many.”)
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Thanks to the author for joining us! Get your copy of Breath of Life today!
Zohair, author of “Pariahs”, joined us for a photo tour and an introduction to ten essential B-movie thrillers. Zohair is a self-taught freelance writer and editor from Karachi, Pakistan. His story “Quietus” (Apex Magazine issue 140) was shortlisted for Tenebrous Press BNW Vol.2. His passion for the art of storytelling stems from his love for American […]
Garrett Ashley, author of “Ceasing To Be”, is offering five mini critiques (up to 250 words), to Apex Patrons. Registration opens 12/11 and closes 12/18. The five selectees will be contacted for their manuscripts. The author plans to return feedback within 30 days of receipt. Garrett Ashley lives in Alabama and teaches creative writing at […]
Elle in Greenville, SC:
My worn copy of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower:
El Arco, Cabo San Lucas:
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