Jeff Vandermeer needs little introduction. Between his fiction (he’s just been nominated for another World Fantasy Award), his work on various anthologies or his popular blog, Ecstatic Days, it’s hard to miss Vandermeer’s presence when you step into the online Speculative Fiction community. With the recent release of The Third Bear, a collection of short fiction from Tachyon Publications, Jeff and I decided it would be a great time to sit down and talk about his latest project, the online reviewing sphere, sticks, awards, writing and, just maybe, what other projects he’s got up his sleeve.
It’s a long one, but Jeff pushes me around a little, so grab some popcorn, get comfy and enjoy.
The Interview
Jeff! Welcome to A Dribble of Ink and thanks for dropping by! Any opening words to set the mood?
“I will smack your head from your body and pull your arteries out through your neck bones.” Oh, sorry, that was the third bear saying hi.
*gulp* The tone has been suitably set, I think.
Behave yourself, sir.
Your most recent project is a short fiction collection called The Third Bear, recently released by Tachyon Publications. What can The Third Bear, and the stories it contains, tell us, right now, about you as a writer, both professionally and creatively?
I’ve spent a great deal of effort not explaining anything about the stories in the collection—no story notes, no introduction, just a sparse afterword. It’s not really up to me to say what it tells readers about me or my fiction. For me, it was just important to have a tight, complex collection that entertained but also didn’t compromise.
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