Weird Fiction Review

All this week on Weirdfictionreview.com, we have something special planned (call it a special holiday treat for readers, if you like): we are featuring recent outstanding work from Chômu Press.

Readers of weird fiction are likely already familiar with Chômu, as evidenced by their support and publication of writers such as Michael Cisco, Brendan Connell, Mark Samuels, Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. and Rhys Hughes, with recent and upcoming books from Anna Tambour and Steve Rasnic Tem. Those who aren’t familiar with this press yet should be. As stated on their website, Chômu is “dedicated to publishing fiction that is both imaginative and unhindered by considerations of genre.” As a result of their tastes and their dedication to publishing books that push the boundary of genre and literature, they have received accolades such as the PS Publishing Independent Press Award at this year’s British Fantasy Awards.

We have a slew of quality material planned for this week, starting today with selections from Brendan Connell’s new book Lives of Notorious Cooks. WFR readers will be familiar with Brendan for his and his wife Anna’s translations, which have been featured both on this site and also in The Weird (“The Vegetable Man” by Luigi Ugolini, for which Brendan also wrote the 101 Weird Writers entry). An inventive work of fantastical alternate history, Cooks lives up to its title, documenting the lives of various chefs and their frequently unusual and impressive command over food and its ability to influence humans, animals, demons, monsters, and even gods.

We also have a special guest editorial from Quentin Crisp, who traces the path of Chômu Press from its genesis as an Internet blogzine into the award-winning press it currently is. In the process, Crisp also reveals a key principle at work in all of Chômu’s publications that I think places their aesthetic well within the reach of the Weird while inviting new means of perceiving, defining, and discussing it.

Later on this week, we’ll have not one, but two stories from Dadaoism (An Anthology), a collection of short stories from various authors published by Chômu and edited in part by Crisp earlier this year: “Portrait of a Chair” by Reggie Oliver and “Poppies” by Megan Lee Beals. Both of these stories are as different from one another as they are imaginative and weird, showcasing the range of Chômu and its aesthetic. And on top of that, we have an interview with Justin Isis, co-editor of Dadaoism and writer of the collection I Wonder What Human Flesh Tastes Like, also published by Chômu.

We hope you enjoy the material that Chômu and its writers have graciously offered for your perusal this week, and be sure to peruse Chômu Press’s website to see more of what they have to offer as well.