Utilizing years of experience and contributions to the science fiction community, former editor of Weird Tales Ann VanderMeer, along with her husband Jeff, have just launched two new enterprises, both of which stand to enrich our reading of speculative fiction, and our understanding of it. First, a new anthology of fiction titled The Weird: A Compendium of Strange & Dark Stories and second, the weblog Weird Fiction Review. Both projects combine one over-riding sensibility: to showcase “weird” fiction, regardless of the source.
The anthology The Weird includes SFF names like George R. R. Martin, China Mieville, and Neil Gaiman, but it also has stories from Haruki Murakami, Kelly Link, and Franz Kafka! Like our regular feature, Genre in the Mainstream, the VanderMeers seem keenly aware of the fact that the tradition of weird fiction is firmly rooted in all facets of literature, not just the genres of science fiction, fantasy or horror. The Weird then looks to be an anthology which will convince most readers that “weird fiction” might be an umbrella more inclusive than any other.
Meanwhile, the conversation continues on The Weird Fiction Review which the VanderMeers say “exists in a symbiotic relationship with S.T. Joshi’s print journal.” (Which is also called The Weird Fiction Review.) As a weblog that explores weird fiction in all of its forms, The Weird Fiction Review promises to serve up mostly non-fiction articles about particular authors and books that exemplify this sensibility. The site will also feature fiction both new and old, exclusive interviews, and more.
For more information of the anthology The Weird, head over to the website of Corvus Books.
The Weird Fiction Review is live as of today.
