Eric Schaller and Matthew Cheney are two of the most interesting voices in weird fiction today. Together, they co-edit The Revelator, an online magazine that has featured work from the likes of Laird Baron, Sofia Samatar, John Chu, Mikki Kendall, Jeffrey Ford, and a diverse array of other material that includes nonfiction, poetry, and comics. This week, instead of WFR posing questions to Schaller and Cheney individually, we’re hosting a conversation between these two voices of the contemporary Weird in which they untangle their complex history with each other’s work, the weirdness of New Hampshire, the role of the visual arts in their careers, and a variety of other topics.
In addition to this conversation, we’ll have a story from each so we can observe the dialogue from more figurative directions. “Voices Carry” by Eric Schaller was originally published in Shadows & Tall Trees #2 and has not previously appeared online. Matthew Cheney’s “The Lake” previously appeared in Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #21 and his recent collection, Blood: Stories, from Black Lawrence. “The Lake” also makes its online debut this week with WFR.
We’ve spoken with Schaller and featured his artwork for numerous publications before. His fiction has appeared in other vital outlets like The Dark and Postscripts, and his debut collection, Meet Me in the Middle of the Air, appeared earlier this year from Undertow. Matthew Cheney’s meditations on Tainaron by Leena Krohn previously appeared on WFR, and his fiction has been published in many important outlets as well, such as Weird Tales and Conjunctions. We’re looking forward to getting better acquainted with these two authors and editors currently shaping the landscape of the Weird.