Website: apex-magazine.com

"After the Fire" Author: Aliette de Bodard Main Characters: Jiaotan, Sukuang Main Elements: Science Fiction - Post-Apocalypse, Colony Ship "Benjamin Schneider’s Little Greys" Author: Nir Yaniv Main Characters: Benjamin Schneider, Dr. Katz Main Elements: Science Fiction - Aliens "An Evening in the City Coffeehouse, With Lydia on My Mind" Author: Aleksander Žiljak Main Characters: Unnamed Main Elements: Science Fiction - Aliens, Future Tech Non-Fiction Guest Editorial - Lavie Tidhar Interview with Tunku Halim - Charles Tan

"After the Fire" - A tale of a ship leaving an Earth they destroyed to found a colony elsewhere. I very much enjoyed the Asian cultural aspect, how it was the court rule by an Emperor in the ship, how flashing red lights didn't mean danger but that everything was functionining well, the devotion to one's ancestors, and how one can be haunted by them. Apparently there are more stories in this world I will have to try to find because this one did feel a bit like a small piece of something bigger (The Universe of Xuya?), like maybe a moment in time in what would either be a minor character, or perhaps to give more insight into a more major character.

"Benjamin Schneider’s Little Greys" - I like the way this one was written, something about it was very "short story", or maybe just that it was all about vague familiarities. To be honest, not quite sure what happened at the end there, I have some theories, but it was a weird that kind of worked for me.

"An Evening in the City Coffeehouse, With Lydia on My Mind" - What is it about Apex magazine and really kinky alien sex, I mean the alien is described as "a psychedelic beach ball bouncing on two duck legs" which certainly gives a visual there...it started off in some kind of nanotech future Zagreb with a perv main character filming pretty women in their homes and then selling the footage he got. But then he gets caught by the MIB...or maybe the Men in Grey? Using various tech like VR he attempts to escape them. Must admit the Canadian refrence made me laugh, wasn't expecting that.

On the whole, I really liked the idea of using international authors that can add a little flavour from their own countries (ok, Bodard is French not Chinese...) to their stories.