A review by mariahaskins
Best of Apex Magazine: Volume 1 by Jason Sizemore, Lesley Conner

5.0

This is a diverse and multi-faceted collection of short stories from Apex Magazine: scifi, fantasy, horror, and all the shades in between are represented here. There are some exceptionally strong stories in this collection, including two fantasy/mythology-tales by the fantastic Ursula Vernon: Jackalope Wives and Pocosin. Vernon's beautifully crafted prose is a thing of wonder, and she paints a world that shifts between the fantastic and the familiar. For me, those two short stories in themselves are worth the price of admission, but this collection has a lot more going for it.

Samuel Marzioli's 'Multo' is another standout. It is an evocative and goosebump-inducing ghost story, anchored in folklore and childhood memories that gave me bonafide chills.

Other highlights include the terse and deeply moving 'Falling Leaves' by Liz Argoll, a tale of adolescent love, friendship and loss; the strange and original 'L'Esprit de L'escalier' by Peter M. Ball; and Sarah Pinsker's wonderful, but sorrowful, 'Remembery Day'.

A great short story collection for any fan of speculative fiction.