Apex Magazine: Issue 38

By Lynne M. Thomas

Apex Magazine is a monthly science fiction, fantasy, and horror magazine featuring original, mind-bending short fiction from many of the top pros of the field.

Fiction
“The Silk Merchant” by Ken Liu
“Ironheart” by Alec Austin
“Coyote Gets His Own Back” by Sarah Monette
“Wolf Trapping” by Kij Johnson

Nonfiction
“Editorial: Blood on Vellum” by Lynne M. Thomas
“What It Is We Miss When We Don’t Read Fanzines” by Christopher J. Garcia
“An Interview with Kij Johnson” by Maggie Slater

A 2012 Hugo Award nominee for Best Semiprozine!

Cover art “Blue Horizon” by Bruce Holwerda.

Apex Magazine is edited by Hugo Award-winning editor Lynne M. Thomas.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Apex Book Company
• Release date: Jul 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476031453

Book preview

Copyrights and Acknowledgments

Blood on Vellum: Notes from the Editor-in-Chief Copyright 2012 by Lynne M. Thomas

The Silk Merchant Copyright 2012 by Ken Liu

Ironheart Copyright 2012 by Alec Austin

Coyote Gets His Own Back Copyright 2012 by Sarah Monette

Wolf Trapping Copyright 1989 by Kij Johnson (Originally appeared in The Twilight Zone Magazine, April 1989)

What It Is We Miss When We Don’t Read Fanzines Copyright 2012 by Christopher J. Garcia

An Interview with Kij Johnson Copyright 2012 by Maggie Slater

Publisher—Jason Sizemore

Editor-in-Chief—Lynne M. Thomas

Senior Editor—Gill Ainsworth

Managing Editor—Damian Taylor

Slush Editors—Zakaraya Anwar, Deanna Knippling, Olga Zelenova, George Galuschak, Sigrid Ellis, Andy Arnold, Travis Knight, Michael Matheson, Eileen Maksym, and Kelly Lagor

Graphic Designer—Justin Stewart

ISSN: 2157-1406

Apex Publications

PO Box 24323

Lexington, KY 40524

Please visit our website at http://www.apex-magazine.com.

Smashwords Edition

Each new issue of Apex Magazine is released the first Tuesday of the month. Single issues are available for $2.99. Subscriptions are available for twelve months and cost $19.95.

Cover Art Blue Horizon

By Bruce Holwerda

I consider myself a painter first, although I think I’ve tried most of the traditional mediums throughout my art career. Somehow, I keep returning to paint. I grew up in a rural community in western Michigan where art wasn’t even on the radar. I was very fortunate to have a supportive art teacher in high school and with his encouragement I developed a fascination with drawing and creative projects. After high school, I went to Kendall School of Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I got my diploma in Illustration. I continued on to Syracuse University to complete my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Finally out of school, I found work as an illustrator in Saginaw, Michigan and my fascination with new and exciting assignments grew. Eventually, that position was phased out and I started exhibiting work at local art festivals. Seventeen years later I am still traveling and exhibiting all over the country, while working from my home in central Alabama. I’m lucky that my working life allows me to realize the surreal fantasy subjects that I love to paint for an audience that seems to appreciate the effort.

You can see my paintings at http://www.bruceholwerda.com, in Spectrum 13, 16, and 18, also at artistaday.com, and the J2Gallery in Chicago, or you may catch me on the road in a show near you.

Table of Contents

Editorial

Blood on Vellum: Words from the Editor-in-Chief

Lynne M. Thomas

Fiction

The Silk Merchant

Ken Liu

Ironheart

Alec Austin

Coyote Gets His Own Back

Sarah Monette

Wolf Trapping

Kij Johnson

Nonfiction

What It Is Miss When We Don’t Read Fanzines

Christopher J. Garcia

An Interview with Kij Johnson

Maggie Slater

Blood on Vellum: Notes from the Editor-in-Chief

Welcome to issue 38. It is my great pleasure to bring you some stunning fiction this month.

In our three new stories, Ken Liu weaves a tragic tale of love, theft, and loss in The Silk Merchants. Alec Austin humanizes steampunk zombies (yes, steampunk zombies) in Ironheart. Sarah Monette brings coyote justice in Coyote Gets His Own Back.

Our classic revisited comes from Kij Johnson this month. Wolf Trapping was originally published in Twilight Zone. Kij has a short story collection coming out from Small Beer Press this month; you can read more about it, along with her thoughts on writing, editorial process, and the teaching of writing, in her interview with Maggie Slater

Award-winning fanzine editor Christopher J. Garcia explains exactly what we’re all missing out on if we don’t read fanzines. Our cover this month is by the fantastic Bruce Holwerda.

We are very excited about going to WorldCon and the Hugo Awards Ceremony as first-time nominees for Best Semiprozine over Labor Day weekend in Chicago. We are deeply grateful for all of your support and hope to see you there!

You may see printed Apex Magazine samplers in the wild at conventions, with fiction from Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette, an essay from Jim C. Hines, and an interview with Maureen McHugh. If you would like a free eBook copy of the Sampler, it is available here: http://apex-magazine.com/sampler-issue. In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy this issue of Apex Magazine.

Lynne M. Thomas

Editor-in-Chief

Apex Magazine

The Silk Merchant

Ken Liu

My father lay dying on the cot, one of many in this draughty poorhouse. His lips trembled in the weak light of the distant fireplace. He was trying to speak, but the moans and groans, the uneasy snores and dream-speech, of all the other men on other cots around us drowned out his voice.

I looked at his alcohol-wasted body, angry and disgusted. This man had pawned my mother’s jewels and mortgaged our house, and put all our savings into a trading caravan to the distant island of Arecima to acquire the legendary shimmer silk, supposedly the finest silk in the world.

Only one member of the caravan returned alive, a boy. He had brought back nothing but the rags on his body and a head full of ghosts only he could see.

When he was pressed for what had happened to the others, he grew excited, laughed,