Grasping for the Wind has a nice review up of The Pirate Issue. Here’s a snippet:

These ten stories and 1 interview are well written, and were good choices for a speculative fiction magazine’s issue on pirates. The fantasy, horror and/or sci-fi elements were neatly incorporated into the pirate stories. […] John Joseph Adams and the team at Shimmer have put together an enjoyable issue with some creative takes on the topic of piracy. […]  Fulfill[s] the mission of the magazine and provide[s] entertaining reads for the speculative fiction crowd.