I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jason Sizemore, the man behind Apex Publishing. If you don't read Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest - well, you should. This "little publication that could" has, in its young life, already led to three books and a blog, and a new exclusive agreement with the creator of the forthcoming Sin-Jin Smyth film. With the attention Apex is attracting, it won't be a best-kept secret for long.
Amy: Why science fiction and horror? What are some of the works that influenced you and inspired your involvement in these genres?
Jason: Because science fiction and horror do the best job of getting me jazzed in regards to entertainment. One of my fondest childhood memories is watching the movie Alien. John Carpenter's The Thing is still one of my favorite movies of all time.
As far as books go, Stephen King (horror) and Orson Scott Card (science fiction) were my gateway drugs. My early choices were Heinlein, Bester, McCammon, and so forth. Then I started noticing I really dug the science fiction that had that dark edge... Hyperion, the Thomas Covenant series (okay, that's fantasy, but still), most of Alfred Bester's work, Stranger in a Strange Land, and King's Dark Tower series.
Nowadays, my tastes have morphed into reading the writers that are masters of prose... M.M. Buckner, Brian Keene, Tom Piccirilli, Kage Baker.
Amy: What part does Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest play in the world of genre literature today? What is the story behind the publication? How did you get where you are now?
Jason: We like to think of ourselves as a voice for a subset of writers that have been ignored: science fiction writers that like to delve into horror, or vice versa. And thankfully, there is a sizable untapped market of readers for the subgenre of sci-horror.
The publication spawned to life in late 2004, soon after the birth of my first child. I'd kept hearing from the usual crowd of malcontents and misinformed that genre fiction was dying. I felt it was a matter of these people not understanding the changing market demands and the rise of new technologies. With the proper business plan, I felt a new print genre magazine could succeed.
I'm about 16 months into a 36-month plan, so I'll know pretty soon if I was right nor not. Right now, things are looking positive.
Amy: Why read Apex Digest? What does it offer? How can readers get a copy?
Jason: The most basic of questions: why read Apex Digest? Because the fiction will be of high quality, and most important, you never know what the hell you'll come across in our pages. One story you're reading about a self-medicating street accountant busting a mutant-sex circle inside a megaopolis, then you're reading a weeper about one dark, futuristic vision of Rwanda.
In short, we offer a chance for readers to take their minds on the ultimate speculative fiction journey. The stories will either disturb, scare, or upset you. But no matter what, you should be entertained.
Copies are everywhere. We're distributed nationwide in Barnes & Nobles and Books A Million. Online, Apex is available via Apexdigest.com or through reputable online stores such as Shocklines.com.
Amy: What is the relationship between Apex Digest and Apex Online? How does the website content complement the hard-copy publication? What are other ways for readers to interact and connect with Apex Publishing?
Jason: Folks often mistake Apex Digest and Apex Online. With so many ezines coming and going these days, people assume that Apex is an electronic publication. This is not true.
Apex Online has morphed into its own entity, seperate from the Digest. Apex Online functions as a platform for the Apex editors to give the spotlight to up and coming talent via our monthly featured writer program. This has turned into an immensely popular series. The spotlighted writer has an interview with Apex, has a story published online, and has commentary or reviews done about their current and past work.
In addition, Apex Online ventures into fun, non-literary subjects that the Digest would never do. One example of this was our interview with the lovely Rachel Emmagan of Stargate: Atlantis.
Another popular online outlet for all things Apex is "The Writer's Vanity", the Apex blog.
Amy: Of the works you've published thus far, which are the most notable? Why? What makes you most proud about your work with Apex?
Jason: A loaded question, because all the works we've published are notable in many ways.
Probably the stories that impacted me the most are "An Odd Day in I-Forgot" by Athena Workman, "Trees of Bone" by Daliso Chaponda, "Account: Life on the Streets" by Bryn Sparks, "Big Sister/Little Sister" by Jennifer Pelland, and "Starfish" by Steve Parker.
Workman and Parker give us science fiction snapshots of humanity 'gone wrong' in ways that feel uncomfortably realistic. Chaponda's story is about history repeating itself in the most awful of ways. Pelland's story because of its unique plot and textbook perfect use of voice and plot. And finally, Bryn Sparks shows us how science fiction is nothing but a fantastic playground for writing the most fun fiction you can find in any market.
Easily, the most proud facet of working with Apex is helping promote so many unheralded, fantastic writers.
Amy: Speaking of writers, you're one yourself, are you not?
Jason: I'm going to the featured writer in issue eight of the genre fiction zine Wicked Karnival. This is a first for me, and a big moment in my fledgling writing career.
Amy: What's on the horizon for Apex? What are your future goals?
Jason: This winter, we're releasing a book anthology titled Aegri Somnia that will feature short fiction from our first twelve featured writers. And of course, Apex Digest will continue to chug out issues every quarter.
And we just released two fantastic chapbook anthologies. They're titled Best of Apex Digest 2005: Volume I and Volume II. Each chapbook contains four stories and is presented on #65 high bond paper, saddlestitched. And they're cheap. $2.50 for one, or $4.00 for both. The idea is to show folks some of the great fiction we had the opportunity to publish in 2005 and to hook them in for 2006 and on.
The second, and more important announcement, concerns Apex Publishing. We've signed a deal with Hollywood director Ethan Dettenmaier to be the exclusive publisher of a series of collector's books and novels based off his debut movie, Sin-Jin Smyth. This will broaden the company's exposure ten-fold and really give Apex Publications, and the magazine, a chance to show the world the type of quality product we produce.
