Confined to a bed in his darkened room, sixth-grader Evan is slowly transforming into a Wuftoom--a large, worm-like creature that lives underground--but when he is offered a chance to join forces with their sworn enemies he must decide whether to give up everything he once loved.

An “absolutely unique” story of a boy who finds himself slowly morphing into a strange new kind of creature (Booklist). Everyone thinks Evan is sick. Everyone thinks science will find a cure. But Evan knows he is not sick; he is transforming . . . Evan’s metamorphosis has him confined to his bed, constantly terrified, and completely alone. Alone except for his visits from the Wuftoom, a wormlike creature that tells him he is becoming one of them. Clinging to his humanity and desperate to help his overworked single mother, Evan makes a bargain with the Vitflys, the sworn enemies of the Wuftoom. But when the bargain becomes blackmail and the Vitflys prepare for war, whom can Evan trust? Is saving his humanity worth destroying an entire species, and the only family he has left? “Dark and unsettling, Thompson’s adventure presents a break from the same-old-same-old by creating something utterly new and weird.” —Publishers Weekly

Ryan and Becky live as human exhibits in an intergalactic zoo until their father is poisoned and they must journey across the universe seeking the cure, aided by an odd assortment of other beings.

Strange. Surreal. Shocking. Beautiful. APEX MAGAZINE is a digital dark science fiction and fantasy genre zine that features award-winning short fiction, essays, and interviews. Established in 2009, our fiction has won several Hugo and Nebula Awards. We publish every other month. Issue 138 contains the following short stories, essays, reviews, and interviews. EDITORIAL Editorial by Lesley Conner ORIGINAL SHORT FICTION The Relationship of Ink to Blood by Alex Langer Ncheta by Chisom Umeh Thank Mother for Your Life by Mary G. Thompson Chupa Sangre by Tre Harris Salas A World Unto Myself by P.A. Cornell Lady Koi-Koi: A Book Report by Suyi Davies Okungbowa FLASH FICTION Measure Twice, Cut Once by K.R. March Smoke Fire Wind Sea by Valerie Kemp CLASSIC FICTION A Mastery of German by Marian Denise Moore An Inventory of the Property of the Escaped Suspect, Confiscated at the Time of Her Arrest Following the Incident on Ash Street, with Annotations by Acting Sheriff Helena Fairwind by Tim Pratt NONFICTION Words Wielded by Women by Carina Bissett INTERVIEWS Interview with Author Alex Langer by Marissa van Uden Interview with Author Tre Harris Salas by Marissa van Uden Interview with Artist Robson Michel by Bradley Powers

For nearly twenty-five years The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror has been the world's leading annual anthology dedicated solely to showcasing the best in contemporary horror fiction. Comprising the most outstanding new short fiction by both contemporary masters of horror and exciting newcomers, this multiple award-winning series also offers an overview of the year in horror, a comprehensive necrology of recent obituaries, and an indispensable directory of contact details for dedicated horror fans and writers. The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror remains the world's leading annual anthology dedicated solely to presenting the best in contemporary horror fiction. Praise for previous Mammoth Books of Best New Horror: 'Stephen Jones . . . has a better sense of the genre than almost anyone in this country.' Lisa Tuttle, The Times. 'The best horror anthologist in the business is, of course, Stephen Jones, whose Mammoth Book of Best New Horror is one of the major bargains of this as of any other year.' Roz Kavaney. 'An essential volume for horror readers.' Locus

Thirteen-year-old Ryan Hawthorn has spent his life on display as a human exhibit in the multi-eyed Pipe Men’s intergalactic zoo. When his father is accidentally poisoned, it’s up to Ryan and his seven-year-old sister, Becky, to scour the universe for the antidote. Along the way, they encounter many strange creatures—from the doglike Hottini to the spindly-legged, hairy Xaxor—and learn that the Pipe Men (or, as Becky calls them, “overgrown drainpipes”) are not kindly overlords, as they had been led to believe. It's not only the humans who are planning to rebel! A wildly imaginative middle grade space-travel adventure.

Sophisticated sixteen-year-old New Yorker Julia is not expecting much excitement when she leaves the city to spend the summer as an au pair on Cape Cod. But when plans are made to remodel the dilapidated old house where she is staying, strange things begin to happen. Julia and her young charge, Molly, suspect the house is being haunted by the ghost of Molly's deceased mother, Maria. But after a frightening incident on the night of the blue moon, Julia and Molly realize they must stop chasing down the spirit of the mysterious Maria and live in the present.