I have a soft spot for Apex Magazine because Jason Sizemore has been incredibly supportive of me and my writing since the moment we met. I’ve sold more stories to Apex than to any other magazine, in fact.
So when Jason asked me if I’d be interested in being featured in a single author issue of Apex Online, I said yes without thinking twice. This month, Apex Online features two new stories from me and two stories that Jason sweetly calls “classics.” This makes me giggle.
So if you go over there, what will you get to read?
Novelette: The Bride Replete
When the matriarch announced that she was sending the sixteen members of Pimi’s small-family across the ocean to settle in Repp-Virja, Pimi thought it the end of her life. For though she had seen only seventeen full years, Pimi considered herself ready to fill her crop and begin the social rounds, seeking a mate. Her mother and the matriarch felt otherwise, though how they could expect her to find a mate in a strange, sideways land like the colonies was beyond Pimi’s understanding.
Short story: Beyond the Garden Close
Lena rocked back and forth, feet aching from standing so long, as if the metal floors were harder in the auditorium than anywhere else in the ship. The paper bib she wore rustled as she shifted. The waiting that the high-holy put the prospectives through made Lena nervous. Which was part of the point, of course, and Lena tried not to let her nerves show. There were nine prospectives this quarter, standing in a cluster. Lena knew the other women, but maintained the ship-standard illusion of privacy by ignoring them.
Short story: Scenting the Dark
Lifting the stopper from the vial to his nose, Penn inhaled slowly. Against the neutral backdrop of his ship’s cleanroom, he picked out aromas of quince, elderberry, and bright Martian soil that hinted of blood, with undercurrents of cinnamon and Zeta Epsilon’s fragrantly sweet longgrass. He sighed, blowing the scents out again. The perfume was still out of balance.
Short story: Horizontal Rain
Maxwell Sanders pressed the phone closer to his ear as if that would somehow bring comprehension. “Did you say trolls?”
While you’re at Apex Online, do check out the other issues because they’ve got some great fiction there.
Mary,
Congratulations on your single author issue!
I just read the final version of ‘Beyond the Garden Close’. I still like it! 🙂 It’s been fun to see the evolution of this story from the initial draft version you posted here for comments back in October.
Thanks, John! I’m glad you still liked ‘Beyond the Garden Close.’ The feedback from ya’ll was very helpful in shaping that.