The nitty-gritty: Odd and unsettling, Michael Wehunt’s stories are glimpses into Twilight Zone-like worlds where horror is just another everyday occurrence. Michael Wehunt is a new-to-me author, but cruising around blogs and social media sites over the years, I kept seeing his name pop up. When Lesley Conner at Apex Books invited me to participate […]
The nitty-gritty: A disturbing and atmospheric story that had some cool ideas but didn’t quite deliver overall. When I saw the cover of Aetherchrist I just knew I had to read it. I mean, come on! It’s such a cool cover. And after reading this VERY dark novella, I can say that the cover perfectly […]
The nitty-gritty: Another fantastic collection from Damien Angelica Walters, with a wide range of stories that explore the themes of fear and grief. This is the third book I’ve read by Damien Angelica Walters, and each time I read her work I’m surprised anew at how good she is. Her short stories often deal with […]
The nitty-gritty: Exquisite writing and magical worldbuilding made this a reading experience I won’t soon forget. Lussadh turns on the heating and listens to the ghosts murmur, a low purr that thrums through walls and ebony boards. Shamans–alchemists of the spirit–can hear and understand their chatter, it is said, the secrets of the dead. If […]
The nitty-gritty: Weird and wild, this is one alien invasion story you don’t want to miss. “Give him a change of clothes,” says Oyin Da. She code-switches into Yoruba where her speech is not so devoid of emotion. “I’m not going to see potential adversaries smelling of meat.” “Touch these clothes and you die,” I […]
This is my second year participating in Apex Magazine’s annual subscription drive, and this year I’m thrilled to host Apex Editor Lesley Conner, who is going to gush, er, talk about some of her favorite Apex covers. Cover art is one of my favorite things about speculative fiction books and magazines, and if you aren’t […]
The nitty-gritty: A fun and quirky look into some very creative minds, with an abundance of unusual monsters, both scary and ridiculous. I’m taking a break from my usual novel reviews today in order to tell you about a fantastic new book out tomorrow from Apex Books! Author Shawn Pryor has joined forces with artists […]
The nitty-gritty: A laugh-out-loud spoof of super stores and inter-dimensional invasion, with surprising human moments intertwined with the humor. Nothing ever changes here, she thought as she removed her shirt, again dreaming of the day she would be allowed to cast off this place. She would take Kevin and together the two of them would […]
The nitty-gritty: A fantastical gathering of Apex’s best of the last six years, showing a broad range of styles and talents in speculative fiction, with something for everyone. Apex Magazine has been going strong for six years, and I’m so happy to have read this group of stories selected from among hundreds published over the […]
The Lost Level by Brian Keene Genre: Adult Pulp Fantasy Publisher: Apex Book Company Release date: January 2015 Source: eBook from publisher Pages: 186 The nitty-gritty: An outrageous, pulpy, bloody, dimension-hopping story that by turns made me laugh and cringe, and had me running to Google more than once. I turned my attention back […]