The staff of ChiZine Publications work out of a modest, semi-detached house in midtown Toronto which, on a recent fall afternoon, was undergoing major renovations. A large dumpster sat in the driveway of the yellow-brick house, which from the street is obscured by two tall pine trees. You’d never know that some of the most inventive publishing in Canada takes place inside.

Because their basement offices were gutted not long ago, the dining room has been overtaken by the entirety of the press’s back catalogue — 68 titles in all, packed and stacked in clear plastic containers and stuffed on every available bit of free shelf space. In the adjacent living room, wall-to-wall bookshelves crowded with an impressive collection of horror, fantasy and science-fiction novels, encircle seven staffers, including founders and co-publishers Sandra Kasturi and Brett Savory, who have gathered for a quick meeting. Before they launch into official business…