Abyss & Apex Magazine Abyss & Apex Magazine (A&A) is a long-running, semi-pro online speculative fiction magazine. The title of the zine comes from a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), "And if you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." The stories and poetry therefore follow the pattern of "how would humans react?" if a new technology or a type of magic or supernatural power affected them. The magazine's title frequently gets confused with Jason Sizemore's Apex Magazine, even though the two magazines are very different. Apex will explore dark science fiction and horror; while Abyss & Apex publishes somewhat dark fiction, they will not publish horror. Instead, Abyss & Apex publishes about fifty percent each fantasy and science fiction. The magazine was issued bimonthly until #13 and thereafter quarterly. Subgenres Per Wendy S. Delmater, "A&A likes to show all the different things speculative fiction can be (except horror)." From their submissions page: "We look for the unique: stories that stand out in a genre that pushes the envelope of unusual. We take special delight in detailed world-building: we like slipstream, YA, hypertext fiction, dark fantasy, science fiction puzzle stories, magical realism, hard science fiction, soft science fiction, science fantasy, urban fantasy, military science fiction, ghost stories, space opera, cyberpunk, steampunk... there is very little we will not look at, although we have a severe allergy to zombies, elves, retold fairy tales, sports, westerns, vampires, and gratuitous sex and violence. We have no subject/topic preference, beyond a requirement that the work have a speculative element. We are happy to read stories that don't quite seem to fit elsewhere." Abyss & Apex has therefore published a rather broad range of subgenres of both science fiction and fantasy, everything from hypertext science fiction to YA fantasy. Past and present editors Abyss & Apex was founded by Carol Burrell, and published by Burrell under the ByrenLee Press imprint, Riverdale, New York. Elizabeth Bear was managing editor from the first issue (January/February 2003), to issue #7 (January/February 2004) with editor Leah Bobet, followed by Kathryn Allen (March/April 2004 #8), Aleta Daknis (to #16 October 2005). From issue #15 onward (January 2006) Wendy S. Delmater has been the managing editor; she also became publisher from #37 (January 2011) when the magazine moved to a WordPress format, via Abyss & Apex Publishing, Lexington, SC. Wendy S. Delmater continues as head editor. Poetry Editors have included Robin Mayhall, Trent Waters, Stephen A. Wilson, and John C. Mannone. Since 2010 Abyss & Apex has had a Flash Editor, Jennifer Dawson, with a staff dedicated to this very short form of fiction. Over the course of their history there have been several assistant editors, most notably Rob Campbell (New Zealand) as Science Fiction Editor and Jude-Marie Green as Associate Editor, and Tonya Liburd as Senior Editor – to date the genre's only Caribbean magazine editor. New and contributing writers Twenty-five percent of the stories Abyss & Apex have published are first-time publications for their authors. Publication in Abyss & Apex also became a cover letter credit for writers that later went on to be well known. Among other well-known names, Abyss & Apex published early Aliette de Bodard, Marie Brennan, Karl Bunker, Paul Carson, Rae Carson, J. Kathleen Cheney, N.K. Jemisin, Lisa Mantchev, Will McIntosh, Tony Pi, Mercurio D. Rivera, Lawrence M. Schoen, and Lavie Tidhar. Abyss & Apex has a policy of trying to publish veteran science fiction and fantasy writers to put their up-and-coming new authors on the same Table of Contents with established people in the genre, thereby giving a boost to