James Beamon

Jason is the Chosen One of Prophecy... maybe. His unmarked body may be the catalyst that brings about the return of the corrupting God of Power, and with him, the threat of madness and chaos. That's enough for the Holy Aian Empire to stop at nothing to see Jason dead, even if that means total war with the peoples of the Free States. Little do they know Jason's not truly aian or that his controversial body was artificially designed through Hierophane magic. Even if they did know, stopping at nothing means not letting a little thing like the overwhelming possibility this pretender is not the hope (or bane) of aiankind stop them from ending him as a threat. Since staying home's never been an option from the time they were thrust into this world, Jason and his friends will have to go hard to stay one step ahead of an entire empire in dogged pursuit.

Rich is a rock between two hard places. He's currently a marble statue, the cost for casting a spell reserved for the clearly insane or truly desperate. His friends refuse to leave this fantasy world without him. They may be badasses, but getting Rich less statuesque will involve witches, vamp-beasts and cutthroat discounts for marble art. Even if his friends manage to free Rich without serious injury or an associated death or two, well, there are still the hard places to contend with. One of those is the Temple of Houses. The Holy Aian Empire is beyond pissed Rich cut their most sacred site apart like warm bread. The aian gods will stop at nothing to see him dead and on display. Then there's the Hierophane. The mage tower holds the Rift Pendulum, the only way back to the suburbs and a world that makes sense. The mages may overlook the mission failure. But then again, no one's told the Hierophant that Rich intentionally killed her father. Beware. The Pendulum is shifting...

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. New issues are released on the first Tuesday of every month. EDITORIAL Words from the Editor-in-Chief-Jason Sizemore FICTION Suzie Q - Jacqueline Carey Three Meetings of the Pregnant Man Support Group - James Beamon A Different Kind of Place - Tobias S. Buckell Close Your Eyes (Excerpt) - Paul Jessup NONFICTION Interview with James Beamon - Andrea Johnson Interview with Cover Artist Sin and May - Russell Dickerson Mindy St. Claire and the Male Gaze (Or Lack Thereof) - Mur Lafferty Countdown to Close Your Eyes - Paul Jessup COLUMNS Between the Lines with Laura Zats and Erik Hane Page Advice with Mallory O'Meara and Brea Grant