In his editorial this month, Jason Sizemore gives us the usual lowdown on the issue.

This month we bring you original fiction from old and new. We welcome Troy Tang to our pages with the evocative “Aishiteru Means I Love You.” The story, his first professional sale, explores the feedback loop of self-loathing and shame of a teen who is bullied online. Nick Mamatas makes a return to speculative fiction with “The Phylactery.” Jes Rausch’s “Memory Tree” uses an unconventional structure to examine life after death. Finally, Sam Fleming’s story “She Gave Her Heart, He Took Her Marrow” is a vivid character piece that, at 6,500 words, ends all too quickly.

We offer two poems this month: “Grotesque” by J.J. Hunter and “Myrrh, and the Sun” by Lara Ek. Jennie Goloboy provides insight into historical fiction with “Shiny Boots and Corinthians: Writing Historical Fiction without Clichés.” Andrea Johnson interviews Sam Fleming and Russell Dickerson interviews our cover artist Irek Konior.

Our reprint this month is a doozy: “Nemesis” by the great Laird Barron.

Here’s the complete TOC.

Fiction

“She Gave Her Heart, He Took Her Marrow” by Sam Fleming
“Aishiteru Means I Love You” by Troy Tang
“The Phylactery” by Nick Mamatas
“Memory Tree” by Jess Rausch
“Nemesis” by Laird Barron (from Primeval: A Journal of the Uncanny, Issue 1, 2013)

Poetry

Grotesque by J.J. Hunter
Myrrh, and the Sun by Lara Ek
When the Gods Come Knocking by Julia Kingston
Time Missing by Michael Sikkema

Nonfiction

Words from the Editor-in-Chief by Jason Sizemore
Interview with Author Sam Fleming by Andrea Johnson
Interview with Author Troy Tang by Jason Sizemore
Shiny Boots and Corinthians: Writing Historical Fiction without Cliches by Jennie Goloboy
Interview with Artist Irek Konior by Russell Dickerson

Christmas Invasion Flash Fiction Winners

A Letter to Santa by Melanie Rees
Christmas is Coming by Gina L. Grandi
Reconstituted by Marlee Jane Ward

Podcast #30

“She Gave Her Heart, He Took Her Marrow” by Sam Fleming) (41:14 in length)

Apex Magazine is a monthly science fiction, fantasy, and horror publication featuring original short stories, poetry and non-fiction. It is edited by Jason Sizemore and Sigrid Ellis, and released the first Tuesday of every month. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, it was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine.

We last covered Apex Magazine with issue 78.

Apex Magazine is published by Apex Publications. Issues are available free online, and sold for $2.99 in a variety of digital formats. Subscriptions are just $19.95 for one year (12 issues) in EPUB, Mobi, and PDF formats.

This issue’s cover is by James Lincke. The complete issue is here, and you can buy back issues or subscribe at their website.

Our late December Fantasy Magazine Rack is here. See all of our recent fantasy magazine coverage here.