I have been consistently impressed by the books I’ve seen from upstart Toronto-based publisher CZP. Their playlist has developed into a sort of dark buffet of things you don’t imagine would get much airplay anywhere else—at least, not in full novel form. Thoughtful, convoluted works that push at the boundaries of genre and sometimes even literature.
– David Middleton, January Magazine
[Derryl Murphy's Napier's Bones], produced by Canadian specialty press ChiZine, is a smart and beautiful little package with striking, subtle use of embossing and type-design that makes it a fine artifact in its own right.
– Cory Doctorow, boingboing.net
. . . ChiZine has, several times. I've said it before in these posts, and I'll say it again, there is no publisher out there that comes close to touching the heights of genre fiction that ChiZine is putting out. Tim Lebbon, Robert J. Wiersema, Lavie Tidhar, Craig Davidson, Douglas Smith, David Nickle, Tony Burgess - if you haven't yet discovered ChiZine, I envy you the journey I am now ordering you to undertake.
–Corey Redekop
And additional kudos go out to ChiZine Publications. I’ve reviewed almost a dozen of their releases over the last few years (The World More Full of Weeping by Robert J. Wiersma, The Door to Lost Pages by Claude Lalumière, The Thief of Broken Toys by Tim Lebbon, etc.) and have not been disappointed once. In fact, every single release has been nothing short of spectacular. Readers in search of a virtual cache of dark literary speculative fiction need look no farther than this outstanding small publisher.
– Paul Goat Allen, Barnes & Noble Community Blog
The Canadian independent publishing scene has seen incredible growth in a very short time. In recent years, numerous small presses have risen from the earth all across this country, with mission statements and catalogues that at once differentiate their aims from those of the larger publishing houses and seek to offer products of a truly unique fashion. Some offer a slice of Canadiana that would struggle to find a market beyond our borders, while others prefer to pay tribute to gutsy, sometimes uncomfortable, always captivating genre fiction, the likes of which are all too seldom seen amongst the blockbusters and New York Times bestsellers that dominate the shelf space at your local Chapters, Indigo, Borders or Barnes and Noble. Toronto’s ChiZine Publications (CZP) is the latter.
– Andrew Wilmot, Books on the Radio
I think ChiZine is one of the best presses out there today. I'm continually amazed at the quality of (not only) the stories I've read but also of the books themselves.
– Nick Cato, The Horror Fiction Review
Right across from the Black Gate table (at the World Fantasy Convention, 2010) were the friendly folks of ChiZine Publications, with hands-down the most handsome and impressive collection of new releases at the con. I found myself sneaking over to their booth every chance I got, returning with a volume or two each time. Eventually I purchased over half a dozen and only now, six weeks later, am I truly beginning to realize what treasures I brought home... (O)ccasionally I'm reminded that just because I'm a publisher, who reads fantasy primarily for business and hardly has time to do more than glance at the mountain of review copies that arrives in the mail each week, the joy of discovery is not totally lost to me. So thank you ChiZine Publications, for turning me into a fanboy again. I'm glad you're here, and I'm glad I found you. I hope many others do likewise, and that you prosper for many years.
– John O'Neill, Publisher & Editor, Black Gate
Chizine Press continues to hit the mark. I don't know what's in the water up in Canada, but it's turning out some great writers, and CZP is finding and publishing them with amazing alacrity. If I could subscribe to a publisher like a magazine or a book club—one flat annual fee to get everything they publish—I would subscribe to CZP. I think the only U.S. imprint I would say that about is Orbit, and CZP is just a touch better at hitting the literary-and-deeply-creepy mark that I love so much.
– Rose Fox, Publishers Weekly
Chizine (which I discovered I had been pronouncing incorrectly, with a hard 'chi') is definitely putting out some very interesting titles and stands as a model for small press publishing. Sandra and Brett have pulled together an astounding synergistic team: So much talent, so much productivity, in so short a span.
– Dr. Robert Runté
If your taste in fiction runs to the disturbing, dark and at least partially weird, chances are you've heard of ChiZine Publications— CZP—a young imprint that is nonetheless producing startlingly beautiful books of starkly, darkly literary quality. So dedicated is ChiZine to producing "dark genre fiction" that are works of art, each edition is released in three formats simultaneously: trade paper, e-book and a limited edition, signed hardcover.
– David Middleton, January Magazine
Filaria is the first novel from a new Canadian genre press, ChiZine Publications. Before I even opened the book, I was impressed by its production. From its gorgeous cover to the typesetting, Filaria looks and feels like a book that should have been published by a major house—no small feat for the first outing of a start-up publisher.
– Chadwick Ginther, McNally Robinson
On the Cities of Night Photo Contest:
"I really like how ChiZine (Publications)' contest wove together different creative mediums (writing and photography) and let their fans' creations inspire their product development. They really did a great job of developing a contest that would resonate with and engage their audience. I also like how they turned the contest into a big promotional opportunity for their new product. Very clever stuff.
– Meredith Keller, author of 45 Contests, Real World Examples of Contests That Worked & Everything You Need To Know To Make Yours A Success
Only a couple of years old, CZP's output is greatly increasing in quality. Their books have always had an edge and a style to them that few other publishers would even attempt.
– Andrew Wilmot, Backlisted
After its recent debut, the new small press ChiZine (Publications) is expanding this fall with several books including The Choir Boats and if this one is an indication of the quality of their offerings, I believe they will have a long successful run and I will keep an eye on their titles for anything that is of interest to me.
– Fantasy Book Critic
I will just close with a few words in praise of Chizine Publications. Originally known for the eponymous long-running webzine, they have recently expanded to become a print publisher, quickly establishing a list that includes Logan, Claude Lalumière, Tim Lebbon and various other people whose surnames don't begin with L. Just as exciting as what is between the covers are the covers themselves. Katja from the Punk Band is a simply beautiful artefact and the same is true of their other titles. Chizine Publications represent something which is common in the music industry but sadly rarer within the publishing industry, that a clever independent can run rings round the majors in terms of style and content.
– Martin Lewis, SF Site
The table next to us at Worldcon was occupied by the writers and publishers of ChiZine Publications. Of the small presses represented at Worldcon, ChiZine had, hands-down, the best looking collection of books. ChiZine seems to have really made an effort to develop all their materialsbooks, flyers, cards, magazines, ads—with really strong and consistent design work. As a bit of a graphic design geek myself . . .I was really drawn to the quality of their offerings.
– Andrew Cornell, Cornellbooksellers.com
(T)he little press that could . . . these guys rock . . man, these guys know how to do books—from the writing, to the covers, to even their website.
– Ryan McFadden
In this day in age where many small press publishers are more concerned with how a book looks and its collector's value, than actually having someone read what's inside, it's a pleasure to have a well put together book with a great great story inside.
– Jim Mcleod