DaVaun Sanders is an author and editor residing in Phoenix, Arizona. He currently serves as publisher and executive editor for the award-winning FIYAH Literary Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction. His middle grade fantasy Keynan Masters & The Peerless Magic Crew debuted in 2023, with the sequel out in 2025. His novel Minecraft: The Tournament was released in 2024. DaVaun’s short fiction has also appeared in Fireside, Podcastle, the New York Times bestselling anthology Black Boy Joy, and elsewhere. He continues to expand his work in children’s SF/F for kids everywhere who deserve to enjoy inclusive stories. When deadlines are scarce he enjoys exploring the world with his wife and twins, cheering himself hoarse for the 49ers, collecting new injuries in Muay Thai, and any DIY project that requires outrageous new power tools. “All the World Is Fog” is his second appearance in Uncanny, a powerful story of community, culture, and perseverance, in the face of devastating climate change.
Uncanny Magazine: “All the World Is Fog” is a deeply moving story set in a richly imagined world. What was your starting point or inspiration?
DaVaun Sanders: Thanks so much. Our worsening hurricane seasons; storms queued up in the ocean, aimed at communities and people I care about, definitely anchors this story. For the human element, I explored themes of Black resilience, and how deeply rooted cultural traditions might morph and adapt in the face of a world permanently disrupted by our climate crisis.
Uncanny Magazine: What research did you do for the story? Was there anything interesting you wanted to include that didn’t fit?
DaVaun Sanders: I definitely fell into a rabbit hole on hurricane behavior, structure, and mechanics. Atlantic-Pacific crossovers do happen, and that provided some solid ground (terrible pun intended) for my worldbuilding. The solar system offered inspiration for imagining a perpetual storm via Jupiter’s Great Red Spot and Saturn’s hexagonal cloud patterns. The book Under a White Sky is a recent-ish read that quietly influenced the overall framework of pessimism and despair. Stevie Wonder…this story falls apart in the drafting stage without his hope and love.
In the aftermath of Katrina, I’ll never forget the people I met as a volunteer, displaced folks who slept on cots in the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum while they rebuilt their lives from the ground up. The communities within this story pay homage to Mardi Gras krewes and their traditions. They deserve far more space than this one short story allows, and I hope I did our folks’ heritage some justice.
Uncanny Magazine: You are both an editor and a writer, do you find it hard to switch from one role to the other? What is your favorite part of each?
DaVaun Sanders: It can be a challenge, definitely. I’ve learned to give myself transition space between projects through mental and/or physical routines to cleanse the palate. For writing, that brainstorming and discovery mode at the beginning of a project is the most exhilarating stage—but I do enjoy that last pass where I really get to polish and ensure the threads are interwoven in a beautiful way. As an editor, it’s sending off first pass notes and really diving into that dialogue with an author as we find the best version of the story they want to tell. That’s such a mutually rewarding experience, and I learn as much as I (hopefully) impart.
Uncanny Magazine: I love the characters in this story, and the way they are embedded both in complex family relationships and in the larger community. What do you need to know about your characters before you start writing? Do they ever do things you don’t expect?
DaVaun Sanders: For my past several projects, the practice of interviewing characters has been a great discovery tool to build their depth. Knowing the big things about characters, like their motivations and tragedies, are definitely essential. But I also take joy in uncovering the minute quirks—their favorite thing to eat for breakfast or what kind of spades partner they might be. For me delving for those things helps solidify their voice, which in turn shows me how to array the world and the plot to maximum effect.
Uncanny Magazine: Who are some of your literary influences? What’s something you’ve read recently and loved?
DaVaun Sanders: Sooooo many stellar folks to choose from! Top of mind peeps are David Anthony Durham, P. Djèlí Clark, Eden Royce, and M. H. Ayinde. I’m looking forward to Royce’s upcoming novella Psychopomp and Circumstance, and Ayinde’s debut A Song of Legends Lost.
Uncanny Magazine: What are you working on next?
DaVaun Sanders: I’m nearing release for Keynan Masters and the Remixed Monster, a middle grade fantasy that *also* explores themes of climate change. Beyond that I’m grinding away with an unannounced anthology and novel in the works, and I’m drafting a science fiction/romance along with a million other things. FIYAH is nearing ten years (!) of existence and I’m looking forward to celebrating that milestone.
Uncanny Magazine: Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!
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