The southStory Million Writers Notable Stories of 2008 were announced, and I was honored to see that my Abyss & Apex short story, Snatch Me Another, made this list of genre and literary stories. Huge thanks, once again, to Wendy Delmater and the editors at A&A for publishing this story, which also made the Locus Recommended List for 2008 and Rich Horton’s Unplugged: The Year’s Best Online Fiction for 2008.

I was also tickled to see stories on the list by friends and fellow Altered Fluidians K. Tempest Bradford, Kris Dikeman and Alaya Dawn Johnson.

Matt Kressel has posted the table of contents for Sybil’s Garage #6, which is coming soon. As one of the editors who helped select this issue’s fiction, I have to say that this was the highest quality of submissions we’ve ever received, resulting in the finest stories published in the magazine to date. Matt has also done an amazing job with the layout of the issue, which has that distinctive and oh-so-original Sybil’s feel to it. Here’s the TOC:

Fiction
Rumjhum Biswas “Mother’s Garden”
K. Tempest Bradford “Élan Vital”
Autumn Canter “Day of the Mayfly”
Becca De La Rosa “Not the West Wind”
Eric Del Carlo “Come the Cold”
Jason Heller “The Raincaller”
Paul Jessup “Heaven’s Fire ”
Vylar Kaftan “Fulgurite”
Keffy R. M. Kehrli “Machine Washable”
Sean Markey “Waiting for the Green Woman”
James B. Pepe “I am Enkidu, his Wild Brother”
Simon Petrie “Downdraft”
Genevieve Valentine “The Drink of Fine Gentlemen Everywhere”
Stephanie Campisi “Drinking Black Coffee at the Jasper Grey Café”
Toiya Kristen Finley “Eating Ritual”
Donald Norum “An Old Man Went Fishing on the Sea of Red”

Poetry
Liz Bourke “The Girl”
Donna Burgess “Ashes”
Lyn C. A. Gardner “God’s Cat”
Alex Dally MacFarlane “The Wat”
Susannah Mandel “Metamorphic Megafauna”
Tracie McBride “An Ill Wind”
Kristen McHenry “Museum”
Jaime Lee Moyer “One by Moonlight ”
Daniel A. Rabuzzi “Backsight”
Michel Sauret “Brick Wall Giants”
Michel Sauret “Son of Man”
J.E. Stanley “City of Bridges”
Sonya Taaffe “Skiadas”
Marcie Lynn Tentchoff “Sun-Kissed”

The next issue of Electric Velocipede–a double-sized extravaganza–is out soon, featuring my story “Dear Annabehls.” It’s an epistolary story set in the same universe as my story “Snatch Me Another,” where our world is trying to come to grips with a device that allows us to “snatch” items from alternate dimensions. This technology raises assorted problems, both serious and mundane, that lead people to write to newspaper advice columnist Dear Annabehl, who has all the answers (sort of).

My fellow Altered Fluidians, K. Tempest Bradford and Matthew Kressel, share the table of contents with two great stories. (This is the second magazine this month [Interzone being the other] to feature three Fluidians). I’m also pleased to be in the same issue with Rick Bowes, Barbara Krasnoff and Darin Bradley.

John Klima did a beautiful job with the cover. I love the colors. Take a look:

After a 23-year wait, I experienced a fanboy’s dream-come-true last night watching–at last! at last!–the adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s Watchmen on the big screen. And what a spectacular movie it is! All the kudos in the world are due to Zack Snyder for his (mostly) faithful adaptation of the novel–even improving on the ending, in my opinion.

When I read the graphic novel back in 1986, it stunned me in its portrayal of iconic superheroes as flawed, broken human beings. Sadistic, impotent, pathetic, abusive, out of touch, addicted, fascistic. They’re tasked with watching over us, but who, the story asks, watches the Watchmen? The Watchmen graphic novel went on to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel and was recently named one of the Top 100 Novels of the 20th century by Time magazine.

The plot is dense and demands the viewer’s attention. It’s set in the mid-1980’s in an alternate timeline where superheroes are commonplace and President Nixon is still in office following the U.S.’s victory in Vietnam due to the intervention of Dr. Manhattan, a godlike, 10-foot tall, nude, blue-skinned super-being. Ultimately, after some abuses, Nixon outlaws superheroes, some of whom are forced into retirement, like the schlubby Nite Owl (played convincingly by Patrick Wilson). Others are relegated to operating underground, like the demented Rorschach, a psychopathic killing machine (brilliantly portrayed by Jackie Earle Haley). Meanwhile, the Cold War with the Soviet Union continues to escalate and the world teeters on the precipice of nuclear armageddon. All of this is summarized brilliantly–just in the film’s rousing opening credits–set to the sound of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changing.” (One of the movie’s few flaws are some of the obvious and intrusive song selections, though this one really worked.)

When one of their colleagues, the sadistic, cigar-chomping Comedian, is brutally murdered, Rorshach becomes convinced that there is a serial killer on the loose targeting retired superheroes. He seeks out his former colleagues, including the Nite Owl (an impotent/loser nice guy), Dr. Manhattan (an omnipotent being who sees his past, present and future simultaneously), Silk Spectre (a heroine trying to live up to the image of her mother, the former Silk Spectre), and Ozymandias (corporate bigwig and the smartest man on Earth). Who is behind the killings and what is his/her agenda? Therein lies the mystery. And it’s a winding, breathtaking road to the shocking answers.

Some viewers may have issues with the nonlinear plot. Its through-line, a noir whodunit/whydunit, takes many side-trips along the way, revealing the origins of several characters in flashback, and following the enigmatic Dr. Manhattan–who is no longer even interested in mankind–all the way to Mars where he philosophizes eloquently about the significance of humanity in the cosmic scheme of things. While some critics may complain about these detours, for me, they provide the heart and soul of the story, plumbing the depths of these flawed characters.

Despite the massive media blitz, Watchmen is as noncommercial a movie as you will see. Deep, ambitious, thought-provoking and utterly beautiful, the movie, like the graphic novel, raises the superhero genre to a new level.

After decades of different scripts (I remember reading a pretty decent one in the early 1990’s that sits somewhere in my attic) and endless litigation over the distribution rights, Zack Snyder has done what was previously thought impossible. At last –at last!–he’s brought Alan Moore’s masterpiece to life.

I returned last evening from a wonderful trip to Gettysburg with a group of committed writers (or is that writers who should be committed?) — most of whom are in my writing group, Altered Fluid. We stayed in two sprawling farmhouses — both allegedly haunted — and much writing was done by all. I started a new short story (I’m about 2000 words in) inspired by my recent trip to the Galapagos Islands, and revised another new story, which I submitted to Abyss and Apex. I also strongly encouraged my collaborator, E.C. Myers, to finish the next set of revisions on our new short story, which I’m quite excited about. (I told you I’d take credit for your efforts over the weekend, partner. Get used to it!) Despite all the screaming and cursing, productivity was assisted by the intermittent internet connection.

The highlight of the weekend was a tour of the battlefields given to us by Civil War expert and historical spec fic writer Devin Poore. The man knows more about Gettysburg than anyone I know.

Our attempt to commune with the Civil War spirits proved a bust–although a light bulb did suspiciously go out during our seance, presided over by horror and fantasy scribe Kris Dikeman.

Overall, I had a terrific time. Photos of the retreat/battlefield tour can be seen here:

In other news, the cover to Interzone #221 has been posted. And it looks absolutely stunning. The issue features fantastic stories (which I’m lucky to have already read) from three members of Altered Fluid: Marvelous Matthew Kressel, Almighty Alaya Dawn Johnson and Powerful Paul Berger. Kudos to all three!

Sam Tomaino of SF Revu recently posted his recommendations of stories he believes should be nominated for the Hugo Award. To my surprise, he included two of my stories among his recommendations: “Snatch Me Another” from Abyss and Apex in the Short Story category, and “The Scent of Their Arrival” from Interzone #214 in the Best Novelette category. Needless to say, I’m thrilled that he found my work Hugo-worthy.

He writes as follows:

“A brilliant novelette by Mercurio D. Rivera, “The Scent of Their Arrival” . The inhabitants of another planet wonder why communications from a ship orbiting their planet have been unsuccessful. The problem is that their race communicates by scent. We see the messages from the ship and they are from a future Earth which has been invaded by a race of vampire-like beings. Further, this planet appears to be ruled by inhabitants who are either “supernatualists” or “naturalists”. They cooperate and share power. The story of both Earth and this planet develops in an exciting way with a great finish.

“‘Snatch Me Another’ by Mercurio D. Rivera is an amazing short story. In about 4000 words, he introduces us to a brand new idea and manages to write a great story about it. Kristina and Lindy live in a world in which an invention called the Snatcher allows people to snatch a copy of anything they want from some alternate dimension. Need some paper plates for a birthday party? Put in a sample and snatch a dozen from a dozen other worlds. Want a near-to-original of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night? It’s in the system and can be had easily. Need a replacement for you dead son? Pop a lock of his hair into the Snatcher! This one came up on me unawares.”

Thanks for the kind words, Mr. Tomaino!

I’m pleased to report that Locus Magazine placed my Abyss and Apex story, “Snatch Me Another,” about a device that allows items to be pulled across from alternate dimensions, on its year-end Recommended List. Many thanks to Locus‘s editors and reviewers for acknowledging the story.

In other news, I also recently learned my story, “The Scent of Their Arrival,” which appeared in Interzone #219, made the “long list” of nominated stories for the British Science Fiction Award for Best Short Fiction, though it did not make the final cut. This is my second time being “long-listed” for a BSFA. (My 2006 Interzone story, “Longing for Langalana” was the first). Thanks so much to the BSFA members who nominated the story.

Matt Kressel has been doing some great work preparing an online lottery in support of the Shirley Jackson Award. If his previous efforts along with Ellen Datlow in support of the KGB Fantastic Fiction readings is any indication, there should be some amazing items up for auction. The lottery takes between Feb 9th and the 23rd. Details are here:

http://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org/lottery/about/

2008 turned out to be the weakest year for movies that I can recall.  While Hollywood typically saves its best flicks for December, I found this year’s crop of Oscar contenders disappointingly fallow.  As a result, my top-10 list excludes some notable movies, including the beautifully photographed The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, showered with 13 Oscar nominations, which can best be described as Forest Gump without a soul.  Unfortunately, its superb cinematography cannot overcome the black hole at its center: Benjamin Button himself, a distant, blank-slate character who exudes little to no emotion for the entirety of a lifetime aged in reverse.  In a similar vein, best-picture nominee, The Reader, ultimately frustrates the viewer with the silence of its protagonist (played as an adult by Ralph Fiennes), who learns that the woman he once loved—a terrific Kate Winslet—is being prosecuted for Nazi war crimes.  Another World War II-based drama, Valkyrie, features a laughably miscast Tom Cruise as a one-eyed, one-armed rebel Nazi—who looks, speaks and acts like a modern-day, white-bread American.  Sean Penn, in contrast, disappears into the role of San Francisco’s gay politician, Harvey Milk, in the Oscar-nominated Milk, but despite some wonderful performances, the film never breaks free of the bio-pic formula or the stilted info-dumpish dialogue so common to that genre.  Revolutionary Road provides some solid dramatic moments and fine performances, but I could not relate to the tortured existence of the married couple played by a reunited Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio (Oh, the oppression of suburbia!).  I found myself wishing that the characters would just stop whining and get a hobby.  Finally, Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino, is nothing more than tepid, third-rate Dirty Harry-fare that asks us to celebrate the curmudgeonly cuteness of a gun-toting, racist septuagenarian.  No thanks.

Here are my ten favorite picks from the year’s weak field:

10. Cloverfield. Living up to the promise of its clever viral marketing campaign, the year’s best horror movie delivers pulse-pounding thrills and genuine terror.  A going-away party is disrupted by the invasion of New York City, sending a group of yuppies fleeing into the streets and subway tunnels.  Adopting the “found footage” conceit of The Blair Witch Project, we witness the destruction of Manhattan in a grainy, herky-jerky video shot through a hand-held camera carried by one of the panicked partygoers.  Interspersed scenes of two of the characters on a romantic date preceding the attack actually provide some poignant moments given what we know is in store for them.  Yes, I used the word “poignant” in my review of a monster movie.  That alone makes it top-ten-worthy.

9.   Iron Man. Robert Downey plays amoral millionaire arms dealer Tony Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow his loyal Girl Friday, Pepper Potts, in the year’s best popcorn movie. The sheer force of Downey’s charisma seems to propel the gold-suited Avenger through the skies in this entertaining, high-energy adaptation of the Marvel comic book.

8.   Frost/Nixon. Ron Howard’s superlative political drama captures the face-off between Richard Nixon and British lightweight interviewer David Frost—both in front of the camera and behind it—in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the president’s resignation.  Surprisingly tense and always compelling, it features riveting performances by Frank Langella and Michael Sheen.

7.  Vicki Christina Barcelona. In one of his better efforts, Woody Allen tells the breezy tale of two American women touring Spain (Scarlet Johannson and Rebecca Hall) and their involvement with a Spanish artist/gigolo (a terrific Javier Bardem).  The film explores the different conceptions of love espoused by each of the players and the difficulties they face when they try to embrace a new way of life.  Penelope Cruz steals the movie as Bardem’s tempestuous—bordering on psychotic—ex-wife who falls into a ménage trios with Johannson and Bardem.

6.  The Wrestler. Mickey Rourke gives a tour de force performance as an ailing, down-on-his-luck professional wrestler in the sunset of his career, in this dark, engrossing character study of a man unable to let go of his past.  Marisa Tomei is outstanding as his loyal confidant, a stripper with reservations about his romantic overtures.

5.  Doubt. Set in the Bronx in the 1960’s, John Patrick Shanley’s utterly engrossing adaptation of his Pulitzer-Prize winning play focuses on two Catholic school nuns (Amy Adams, Merryl Streep) who suspect—despite no hard evidence—that a charismatic priest in their parish (Philip Seymour Hoffman) has abused a young African American student.  Streep gives an Oscar-worthy performance—what else is new?—as the school principal, a cynical disciplinarian whose glare sends a shiver down the spines of the entire student body.  Watching Streep and Seymour Hoffman square off with such great material is alone worth the price of admission.  There’s no doubt about it; Doubt features the best ensemble acting of any movie this year.

4.  The Dark Knight. Unlike other superhero movies, Christopher Nolan’s superb action-thriller doesn’t merely explore the struggle between good and evil; it immerses itself in all the moral grays in between.  It is the exploration of these moral complexities and compromises—Batman, prosecutor Harvey Dent and Commissioner Gordon each draw the line differently in battling the Joker’s terrorism—that raises this movie above the average popcorn-fare.  Christian Bale effectively growls his way through the sequel as the caped crusader, but it is Heath Ledger’s Joker, a sociopathic agent of chaos, who steals the movie.

3.  In Bruges. In this darkest of dark comedies, two hit-men (Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell) hide out in the scenic but dull medieval city of Bruges where they argue, philosophize and sightsee—until one of the men receives orders to kill the other.  The exceptional screenplay manages to make its detestable characters compelling, and shows off the crispest, most obscene and downright clever dialogue of the year.  Who knew that Colin Farrell had the range to generate such belly laughs as a goofy assassin with a potty mouth and a conscience?

2.  WALL-E. In Pixar’s brilliant, robot love story, mankind has abandoned planet Earth after exploiting its resources, leaving behind only clean-up bots like the titular character, WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth Class), a binocular-eyed roving trash compactor who has spent seven centuries compressing garbage into building blocks stacked to create haunting, towering edifices.  In the wondrous, dialogue-free first third of the movie, WALL-E comes close to cinematic perfection as the smitten bot touchingly courts a destructive egg-shaped probe.  The film ultimately veers back toward more traditional storytelling—though laced with biting satire—when WALL-E takes off into space and encounters mankind’s descendents: obese, dim-witted, couch-potato consumers whom some might say are not all that different from us.

1.  Slumdog Millionaire. The year’s most surprising movie is also its best: Danny Boyle’s colorful, hyperkinetic drama tracks the lives of two homeless orphans from childhood to adolescence, forced to survive by hustling their way through a bleak urban existence in India.  Slumdog begins as a brutal movie about amoral street thugs, focusing on murder, torture and the maiming of children, before morphing successfully—don’t ask me how—into an affecting Hollywood love story.  The electric score, the colorful costumes, the utterly foreign setting, the amazing performances by its young actors, and the engaging story all come together to make this unique little picture the best film of the year.

The runners-up:  11.  Bolt (clever animated feature about a loyal dog under the illusion he possesses superpowers, and his heartwarming odyssey across the country to save his beloved master); 12.  Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Judd Apatow’s touching and hilarious comedy about a schlub who escapes to Hawaii after being dumped by his actress girlfriend, only to discover that his ex and her new beau are staying in the same hotel); 13.  Tell No One (edge-of-your-seat, Hitchcockian French thriller about a man’s obsession with his wife’s murder and a mysterious email he receives eight years later that suggests she might still be alive);  14. Man on Wire (hair-raising documentary about a French tightrope-walker and his bold plan to tiptoe between the twin towers); 15. Let the Right One In (slowly paced but effective Swedish flick about a lonely, bullied 12-year-old who develops a crush on the girl next door—only to discover she’s a vampire; the film’s bleak snowbound setting creates a dark, haunting mood).

I recently received word that my story “Snatch Me Another,” which appeared at Abyss and Apex earlier this year was selected by editor Rich Horton to appear in his new anthology, tentatively titled Unplugged: The Year’s Best Online Fiction by Neil Clarke’s Wyrm Publishing.

Here’s the complete table of contents, which includes some heavy hitters.  Needless to say, I’m thrilled to be in their company:

• Beth Bernobich, “Air and Angels” (Subterranean, Spring)
• Mercurio D Rivera, “Snatch Me Another” (Abyss and Apex, First Quarter)
• Nancy Kress, “First Rites” (Baen’s Universe, October)
• Tina Connolly, “The Bitrunners” (Helix, Summer)
• Rebecce Epstein, “When We Were Stardust” (Fantasy, February)
• Jason Stoddard, “Willpower” (Futurismic, December)
• Peter S Beagle, “The Tale of Junko and Sayiri” (IGMS, July)
• David Dumitru, “Little Moon, Too, Goes Round” (Aeon Thirteen)
• Hal Duncan, “The Behold of the Eye” (Lone Star, August)
• Will McIntosh, “Linkworlds” (Strange Horizons, March 17-24)
• Merrie Haskell, “The Girl-Prince” (Coyote Wild, August)
• Brendan DuBois, “Not Enough Stars in the Night” (Cosmos)
• Catherynne M Valente, “A Buyer’s Guide to Maps of Antarctica” (Clarkesworld, May)
• Cory Doctorow, “The Things that Make Me Weak and Strange Get Engineered Away” (Tor.com)