Mercurio D. Rivera’s science fiction stories have appeared or are forthcoming in numerous markets such as Unplugged: The Year’s Best Online Fiction, edited by Rich Horton, Interzone, Black Static, Nature, Electric Velocipede, Abyss and Apex, Sybil’s Garage, Aoife’s Kiss, Otherworlds Anthology and Northwest Passages: A Cascadian Anthology.

He is a regular contributor to the acclaimed British magazine Interzone (with stories appearing in issue ##204, 214, 219, 226, 227). His story about unrequited alien love, “Longing for Langalana” was voted favorite story of 2006 in Interzone’s annual readers’ poll (and can be heard at Transmissions from Beyond.)  His SF/horror tale, “The Scent of Their Arrival,” which appeared in Interzone #214, explores the themes of science and faith in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by interdimensional creatures.  It finished in second place in the Interzone readers’ poll for 2008.  And his story “Snatch Me Another,” was included on the Locus Recommended Reading List for 2008 (finishing at #25 among all short stories)  and the storySouth Million Writers Award Notable Stories for 2008.  A podcast of the story can be heard at StarshipSofa.   His story “Dear Annabehls,” which is set in the same universe as “Snatch Me Another” can be heard at Beam Me Up.  Four of his stories have received “Honorable Mentions” in Gardner Dozois’s Year’s Best Science Fiction anthologies.

Mercurio has appeared on the radio show Hour of the Wolf on WBAI, where he read a first draft of his story “The Fifth Daniel” and subjected it to a live, on-air critique from his writing group, Altered Fluid.  The revised story, re-titled “The Fifth Zhi,” later appeared in Interzone; a podcast of the story can be heard at Escape Pod.

Mercurio has been a member of the highly regarded Manhattan writing group Altered Fluid since 2004.  He is proud to call this talented team of the brightest, up-and-coming genre writers in the SF/fantasy/horror community his friends. He serves as an Associate Editor with Sybil’s Garage magazine where he enjoys searching for gems in the slush pile and collaborating on the direction and look of the magazine.

FORTHCOMING STORIES:

“Tu Sufrimiento Shall Protect Us” — Black Static  (August 2010)

“All Smiles” — Murky Depths (TBA)

“In the Harsh Glow of its Incandescent Beauty” Podcast — StarshipSofa (TBA)

Dance of the Kawkawroons” — March 2010 Interzone