I’m just going to snurch this one straight from the Apex blog:

To celebrate the end of our first year of becoming a professional level digital magazine, I’m pleased to announce that we will be presenting an award to the best original fiction published by Apex Magazine. The award will be voted on by the fans, meaning you! Voting starts tonight and will continue through January 30th. The story receiving the most votes will be announced on February 1st.

The author of the Apex Magazine Story of the Year will receive a trophy and the unique distinction of being the best Apex had to offer during 2009.

Presented below are the twenty-two original stories published during 2009:
“59 Beads”(4300) by Rochita Loenen-Ruiz
“Overclocking”(2600) by James L. Sutter
“After the Fire”(2900) by Aliette De Bodard
“Benjamin Schneider’s Little Greys”(2100) by Nir Yaniv
“A Poor Man’s Roses”(2400) by Alethea Kontis
“To Dream of Stars: An Astronomer’s Lament” (5500) by Peter M. Ball
“Fungal Gardens”(6100) by Ekaterina Sedia
“Advertising at the End of the World”(4100) by Keffy R.M. Kehrli
“Kenny 149″(2700) by Brad Becraft
“Pimp My Airship”(6000) by Maurice Broaddus
“She Called Me Sweetie” (4500) by Glenn Lewis Gillette
“…That Has Such People in It”(2300) by Jennifer Pelland
“Hideki and the Gnomes” (500) by Mark Lee Pearson
“Clockwork, Patchwork and Ravens” (7500) by Peter M. Ball
“Waiting for Jakie”(3000) by Barbara Krasnoff
“Hindsight, in Neon” (2400) by Jamie Todd Rubin
“The Mind of a Pig”(3000) by Ekaterina Sedia
“The Puma”(6700) by Theodora Goss
“Dark Planet”(4300) by Lavie Tidhar
“Cai and Her Ten Thousand Husbands”(4500) by Gord Sellar
“On the Shadow Side of the Beast”(3900) by Ruth Nestvold
“Starter House” (5000) by Jason Palmer

Place your vote here

I’m going to throw up my usual disclaimer for this kind of thing: I’m not asking you to vote for me, but I’d really recommend you go check out Apex and encourage them continue what they’re doing by voting. And if you feel like you haven’t read enough of the fiction on this years list, well, its right there in a handy list full of links – go check some out.