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Lesley Conner

@lesleyconner

Editor in Chief at Apex Magazine. Coffee drinker. Book reader. She/Her

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Latest posts by Lesley Conner @lesleyconner

Preview
spongebob is standing in front of a fireplace wearing a top hat Alt: spongebob is standing in front of a fireplace wearing a top hat when a huge book slams on the floor

I'm listening to The Count of Monte Cristo and I'm really enjoying it, but I'm 16 hours in and only 34% through the novel. Holy shit, this is a long book!

03.03.2026 16:59 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Interview with Artist Trevor Henderson By Bradley Powers. Apex Magazine, Issue 152.

Interview with Artist Trevor Henderson By Bradley Powers. Apex Magazine, Issue 152.

"I try and keep it kind of loose. . . . The last thing I want to do is spell everything out, so that's always at the front of my mind." ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿ’€

New interview today by Bradley Powers: "Interview with Artist @slimyswampghost.bsky.social"

Read it here: www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...

26.02.2026 16:52 ๐Ÿ‘ 68 ๐Ÿ” 5 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I feel this. I am actively trying to read the books I own rather than buying new ones (I own SO many unread books), but then I see someone awesome releasing a new book and all good intentions go out the window.

26.02.2026 17:53 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Piglet is there. So is Roo and Kanga. Come on over!

26.02.2026 02:12 ๐Ÿ‘ 10 ๐Ÿ” 4 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
"Interview with Author Maria Haskins By Marissa van Uden. Apex Magazine, Issue 152"

"Interview with Author Maria Haskins By Marissa van Uden. Apex Magazine, Issue 152"

"What surprised me when I wrote that story was the way it fought back. . . . When I finally found the right ending, it was a lot quieter than I had expected." ๐ŸฅŠ๐Ÿ–Š๏ธ

New interview by @marissavu.bsky.social: "Interview with Author @mariahaskins.com"

Read it here: www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...

24.02.2026 16:51 ๐Ÿ‘ 10 ๐Ÿ” 6 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

I'm embarrassed to admit that it took me way too long to realize that's a metal fork with dip on it. I thought it was a melted plastic fork and I was so concerned!

23.02.2026 04:40 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I have to go with apples, simply because I love apples but after 40 years my body decided that we were allergic to them (and most other tree fruits). I dream about being able to eat apples again.

23.02.2026 04:35 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Cover of The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons.

Cover of The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons.

Saturday morning read. This book is incredibly unsettling. I'm really enjoying it.

21.02.2026 14:37 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
kermit the frog is typing on a typewriter in a messy room . Alt: Kermit the Frog writing a strongly-worded letter on a typewriter in the messy prop room of a theatre. The caption reads "Dear Diary..."

Dear Diary, can you keep a secret? ๐Ÿคซ๐Ÿ–Š๏ธ๐Ÿ”’

Members of the Apex Patreon get access to exclusive interviews, first looks at upcoming Apex issues, an invitation to our secret Discord server, and more! For as little as $1 a month, surely one little peek won't hurt... ๐Ÿ‘€๐Ÿ“š

๐Ÿ‘ฝ www.patreon.com/apexbookcomp...

19.02.2026 16:38 ๐Ÿ‘ 7 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
Preview
Submission Guidelines โ€“ Plott Hound Magazine A sharp nose for amazing animal stories

Nine days and counting before Plott Hound opens to submissions!

One of our submissions editors would love to see more stories about

โ€ข parasites
โ€ข giant ground sloths
โ€ข terror birds
โ€ข bugs (the extincter the betterer)
โ€ข ordovician invertebrates

Check us out!

20.02.2026 15:55 ๐Ÿ‘ 9 ๐Ÿ” 6 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Weird is good! ๐Ÿ˜‚

19.02.2026 19:50 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I read Sliver years ago but I honestly don't remember it. Haven't read This Perfect Day.

I'll let you know what I think!

19.02.2026 19:50 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I went the used bookstore while Pax was at the groomer and ended up getting a copy of The Boys From Brazil by Ira Levin. Have you read it? Is it good? I love Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives. I've read both multiple times. I'm hoping this is just as stunning.

19.02.2026 19:45 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
Preview
a cartoon character is holding a purple umbrella with a skull on top ALT: a cartoon character is holding a purple umbrella with a skull on top

Unfortunately small presses close all the time, and their baby bird books need to find a new nest. My fledgling sun-vampire queer cannibal novella, SUNBATHERS, now needs a new home, as does my sapphic pirate novella QUEEN O'NINE TAILS.

If you know a toothy little home for either, please hit me up!

18.02.2026 16:52 ๐Ÿ‘ 99 ๐Ÿ” 62 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 12 ๐Ÿ“Œ 8
"Piglet Delivers" by Maria Haskins. Apex Magazine, Issue 152

"Piglet Delivers" by Maria Haskins. Apex Magazine, Issue 152

"Roo had needed a big rig, and the only big rig in the Hundred Acre Wood was the CR and the only big rig driver in the Wood was Piglet." ๐Ÿท๐Ÿšš๐Ÿฏ

New fiction today by @mariahaskins.com: "Piglet Delivers"

Read it here: www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...

17.02.2026 16:27 ๐Ÿ‘ 8 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 6
Bookcase in my living room. Way over stuffed with lots of pictures and knickknacks.

Bookcase in my living room. Way over stuffed with lots of pictures and knickknacks.

Bookcases that run down my hallway. It's basically a wall of books.

Bookcases that run down my hallway. It's basically a wall of books.

I decided at the beginning of the year to really lock in and read the books I own. I want my books to fit on my bookshelves, not be stacked higgledy-piggledy. So far I've read 10 books off my shelves and half of those have been donated. I feel like that's a good start, but I have so far to go.

18.02.2026 15:17 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

No, not at this time. If we get flooded with a bunch of really super great nonfiction pitches and end up scheduling all we need for the year, then I'll consider closing (no reason to stay open if there isn't space), but that hasn't happened yet.

18.02.2026 14:34 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Piglet Delivers by Maria Haskins in issue 152 of Apex Magazine.

Piglet Delivers by Maria Haskins in issue 152 of Apex Magazine.

Story day! My story "Piglet Delivers" is now available to read online in Apex Magazine! I am so excited to share this strange story of my heart with the world. If you grew up with Milne's books about the Hundred Acre Wood, you might feel (somewhat) at home. www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...

17.02.2026 18:23 ๐Ÿ‘ 36 ๐Ÿ” 19 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

REMEMBER: All the "Don't use em-dashes" "don't use rule of three" advice because it makes your writing "look like AI" is because they stole actual writers work, and their "predict the next thing" stuff just simulates what WE FUCKING DO. Keep writing well. Use every style and trick you have. Fuck AI.

03.07.2025 19:43 ๐Ÿ‘ 7807 ๐Ÿ” 3021 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 8 ๐Ÿ“Œ 67

ICYMI Plott Hound Magazine publishes all kinds of animal POVs and protagonists.

We've seen a lot of cats, dogs, crows, and dragons.

But we love a wide variety of mammal, avian, reptile, arachnid, fish, amphibian, insect, parasite, dinosaur, mythical, (animalistic) alien species, and chimera.

14.02.2026 21:48 ๐Ÿ‘ 13 ๐Ÿ” 9 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

I was right! It was fucking Dave!

14.02.2026 15:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 10 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
A hand with a book in it propped on the back of a curly dog.

A hand with a book in it propped on the back of a curly dog.

Saturday morning reading with Pax.

14.02.2026 13:05 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Me, 30 pages into a mystery novel: Watch out for the neighbor! It's the neighbor! I don't trust Dave!!

(The set up for the mystery hasn't even been fully set up yet. Dave could be just fine ... But he does seem pretty shifty.)

14.02.2026 01:19 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
Apex Magazine Submission Guidelines Visit our page for a full list of submission guidelines.

@apexmag.bsky.social is open to nonfiction pitches. We would love to hear about your thoughts and experiences within speculative fiction. Check out the full guidelines on how to submit here: www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...

13.02.2026 15:48 ๐Ÿ‘ 12 ๐Ÿ” 5 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

My story "Piglet Delivers" (where Piglet is a hungover truck driver) is in this fabulous issue of Apex. My first publication in Apex so you bet I'm freaking excited!

11.02.2026 16:16 ๐Ÿ‘ 31 ๐Ÿ” 8 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

As EiC I don't have favorites but ... I will never get over how absolutely amazing Lindz's story is.

Congratulations, Lindz! This is so deserved!

11.02.2026 15:29 ๐Ÿ‘ 8 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Unsettled Nature Once were a time on a jackalope when folks kept their thinking to themselves. People lived, and people died, natural-like, in...

in all this blathering about AI being (insert whatever it is today), i wanna talk a bit about my most recent short story publication which i'm linking below. it's called "Unsettled Nature" and it's in @apexmag.bsky.social

the voice in it is something i worked on SO HARD to be "western noir"

ctd

06.02.2026 22:42 ๐Ÿ‘ 13 ๐Ÿ” 8 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Very shaggy golden doodle.

Very shaggy golden doodle.

Why does this dog insist on licking my furniture!?! I can't tell you how many times the words "Stop licking the couch!" have come out of my mouth. Then he just looks at me like this, as if to say "Why? I like licking the couch."

06.02.2026 20:43 ๐Ÿ‘ 6 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Just finished scheduling the original fiction for @apexmag.bsky.social issue 153 and WOW! This is issue is *heavy*. The stories are all fantastic, but I feel like I should apologize ahead of time for all of the heartache.

06.02.2026 16:02 ๐Ÿ‘ 12 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Cover art for Apex #152, featuring Sirenhead, a super-tall skinny guy with sirens for a head, standing among some power lines

Cover art for Apex #152, featuring Sirenhead, a super-tall skinny guy with sirens for a head, standing among some power lines

New @apexmag.bsky.social issue is here! New fiction by @jordankurella.com and @mariahaskins.com and lots of other good stuff: weightlessbooks.com/apex-magazin...

03.02.2026 12:42 ๐Ÿ‘ 21 ๐Ÿ” 11 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1