The Matriarchs
Apex Magazine Podcast
"The Matriarchs" by Lois Mei-en Kwa - published in Apex Magazine, issue 137, April 2023. Read it here: Lois Mei-en Kwa is a writer of science fiction, fantasy, horror, poetry, and tarot non-fiction. A Kundiman fellow from Singapore and Cincinnati, she works and lives with her family in Southwest Ohio. She can also be found at . Bobbie Chet, 20, is currently a student and lover of all things entertainment. Past their love for bringing stories to life, they spend their days working on their screenplays and their art to fuel their incessant imagination. You can find them on ...
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Over Moonlit Clouds
Apex Magazine Podcast
"Over Moonlit Clouds" by Coda Audeguy-Pegon - published in Apex Magazine, issue 136, March 2023. Read it here: Coda Audeguy-Pegon is at eir happiest when exploring the farthest reaches of the imaginary, where the mundane waltzes with the impossible and the only limit is cohesive world-building. Born and raised at the foot of the Alps, Coda emigrated to South Africa in eir late teens. This story was written in Cape Town, where e is grateful to live and work. Gabe Hicks is a game designer for digital and tabletop. He created the CMM (an alternative character creation tool for D&D 5e focused...
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River Bargain Baby
Apex Magazine Podcast
"River Bargain Baby" by K.S. Walker - published in Apex Magazine, issue 135, January 2023. Read it here: K.S. Walker writes speculative fiction. You can often find them spending time outside with their family or starting a craft project but probably not finishing it. K.S. Walker has previously been published at FIYAH, Uncanny, Fantasy, and elsewhere. They are online at or and @kswalkerwrites. Tonia Ransom is the creator and executive producer of NIGHTLIGHT, an award-winning horror podcast featuring creepy tales written by Black writers, and Afflicted, a horror thriller best described...
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The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside
Apex Magazine Podcast
"The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside" by Isabel J. Kim - published in Apex Magazine, issue 135, January 2023. Read it here: Isabel J. Kim is a Korean-American speculative fiction writer based in New York City. She is a Shirley Jackson Award winner and her short fiction has been published in Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, and Strange Horizons, among others. When she’s not writing, she’s either practicing law or co-hosting her internet culture podcast Wow if True —both equally noble pursuits. Find her at or @isabeljkim on Twitter. Julian Maclurg is a queer, trans writer, director, and voice...
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Observations of a Small Object in Decaying Orbit
Apex Magazine Podcast
"Observations of a Small Object in Decaying Orbit" by Margaret Dunlap - published in Apex Magazine, issue 134, November 2022. Read it here: Margaret Dunlap is the author of more than a dozen published short stories and novelettes appearing in Uncanny, Shimmer, and The Sunday Morning Transport and as part of the Locus Award-nominated team behind Bookburners. She also writes for television where her credits include cult-favorite The Middleman, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, and the Emmy-winning Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. She lives in Los Angeles, at and on Twitter as . Paxton Clifford lives...
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The Walking Mirror of the Soul
Apex Magazine Podcast
"The Walking Mirror of the Soul" by Renan Bernardo - published in Apex Magazine, issue 134, November 2022. Read it here: Renan Bernardo is a science fiction and fantasy writer from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His fiction appeared in Apex Magazine, Podcastle, Escape Pod, Daily Science Fiction, Translunar Travelers Lounge, Solarpunk Magazine, On Spec Magazine, and others. He was one of the authors selected for the 2021 Imagine 2200 climate fiction contest with his story "When It’s Time to Harvest". In Brazil, he was a finalist for two important SFF awards and published multiple stories. His...
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Nothing That Bleeds
Apex Magazine Podcast
"Nothing That Bleeds" by Leah Ning - published in Apex Magazine, issue 133, September 2022. Read it here: Content Warning: self harm, suicide Leah Ning lives in northern Virginia with her husband and their adorable fluffy overlords. She spends her non-writing time drawing, playing video games, and playing piano. Her short fiction appears or is forthcoming in PodCastle, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Dark Matter Magazine, and Human Monsters, among others. You can find her on Twitter and on her website, . Erika Sanderson trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, UK. She...
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On the Sunlit Side of Venus
Apex Magazine Podcast
"On the Sunlit Side of Venus" by Benjamin Parzybok - published in Apex Magazine, issue 133, September 2022. Read it here: Content Warning: suicide and grief Benjamin Parzybok is the author of the novels Couch (two-time Indie-Next pick) and Sherwood Nation (chosen for the Silicon Valley Reads program). Among other projects, he founded Gumball Poetry, a literary journal published in gumball capsule machines, co-ran Project Hamad, an effort to free a Guantanamo inmate (Adel Hamad is now free), and co-runs Black Magic Insurance Agency, a one-night city-wide alternative reality game. He lives in...
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Your Space Between
Apex Magazine Podcast
"Your Space Between" by Marie Croke — published in Apex Magazine, issue 132, July 2022. Read it here: Marie Croke is an award-winning fantasy and science-fiction writer living in Maryland with her family, all of whom like to scribble messages in her notebooks when she’s not looking. She is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop, and her stories have been published or are forthcoming in over a dozen magazines, including Apex Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Dark Matter Magazine, Deep Magic, Cast of Wonders, and Diabolical Plots. You can find her book and short story...
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Creatures of the Dark Oasis
Apex Magazine Podcast
"Creatures of the Dark Oasis" by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam — published in Apex Magazine, issue 132, July 2022. Read it here: Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam’s fiction and poetry has appeared in over 90 publications such as Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Lightspeed, and LeVar Burton Reads, as well as in six languages. By night, she has been a finalist for the Nebula Award. By day, she works as a Narrative Designer writing romance games for the mobile app Chapters. She lives in Texas with her partner and a mysterious number of cats. Laura Jewell is an English teacher in Evanston, IL. She holds...
info_outline"It Happened in Loontown" — published in Apex Magazine, issue 129, January 2022.
Read it here: https://apex-magazine.com/it-happened-in-loontown/
Lavie Tidhar is the author of Osama, The Violent Century, A Man Lies Dreaming, Central Station, Unholy Land, and By Force Alone. His latest novels are The Hood and The Escapement. His awards include the World Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award, the John W. Campbell Award, the Neukom Prize and the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize. You can find out more at lavietidhar.wordpress.com.
This story was narrated by Drew Mierzejewski. Drew Mierzejewski is a writer, actor and overall creative based in Chicago. When he is not working on homebrew D&D campaigns and his podcast Skyjacks: Courier's Call, he is often found collaborating on projects with and cooking food for his wife, Aly. Drew loves creating stories, playing games, and spreading hope in a brighter future. He’s on Twitter @worldstoforge.
This Apex Magazine podcast was produced by Alyson Grauer. Theme music by Alex White. Other music in this podcast includes “Onward Home” by Ryan Saranich, “Silver Screen” by The Night Train, “Cotton Club Electric” by Dresden The Flamingo. Music and sounds were licensed through Soundstripe.com.
Apex Magazine podcast, copyright Apex Publications.
Apex Magazine is a bimonthly short fiction zine focused on dark science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find us at http://www.apex-magazine.com.