Introduction
WHEN WE SET out to publish the first volume of The Apex Book of World SF, the idea of a series of such anthologies was only a dream—an impossible one, it seemed then. Yet somehow, the idea resonated. People took up the book, and before I knew it I was editing a second, and then a third volume.
The World SF anthologies have become a library, a map charting the contemporary scene of truly international, speculative fiction. So much has changed in the years since I began editing the first volume, so many more stories are now published, so many authors are making their mark, and it is wonderful to see. The books even crop up, increasingly, on various academic curriculums, and I am told have inspired other people to translate, publish, and edit works that may not have otherwise appeared.
It has been wonderful to be a part of this for so long, with the books as well as the accompanying web site, the World SF Blog, which ran for four years, and with the World SF Travel Fund, which is ongoing. I am grateful to our wonderful publisher, Jason Sizemore, without whom none of this would have been possible, and to all the authors, translators, editors, and friends throughout the years who have helped make these books a reality.
It was obvious to me, however, that after three books, a new set of eyes was needed, that a new voice should be heard.
Mahvesh Murad is that new voice. A fiercely intelligent and dedicated reader, reviewer, and broadcaster from Pakistan, this is her first anthology—but far from being her last. I couldn’t be happier that she stepped in to breathe new life to this, Volume 4, and I am delighted with her choices.
I have stayed on as Series Editor, offering, beside continuity, my support in the background—handling paperwork, forwarding reading material, providing contact, offering advice if any was needed—but this book belongs entirely to Mahvesh.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
—Lavie Tidhar, 2015