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!