Artwork by Ben Baldwin
Recommended for a Hugo by Jason Sanford (link).
“The best short stories [in Interzone in 2011] were Mercurio D. Rivera’s ‘For Love’s Delirium Haunts the Fractured Mind’ (July-August), another of his series about the Wergen, an advanced alien race troublingly obsessed with humans who use that obsession to enslave them — here we see a Wergen resistance” — Rich Horton
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“From [Interzone] Issue 235, ‘For Love’s Delirium Haunts the Fractured Mind’, by Mercurio D. Rivera. I’ve enjoyed all of his Wergen stories so far, including ‘Tethered’ from issue 236, but this one was particularly touching and I only allow myself one story per writer in my list of favourites (a silly rule, as it’s all about the story really, but let’s not argue). I particularly liked seeing the ‘love’ concept developed in this, and the ambiguity regarding the Suppressor, the first person perspective providing a powerfully emotional sympathetic view of the Wergen race.” — Ray Cluley
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“[A]nother story told in Rivera’s Wergen universe, two of which have previously been published in Interzone. The Wergen are an intelligent race that react to human body chemistry by being utterly devoted to them. This has caused them to offer themselves as slaves to the humans, who treat them with contempt. Joriander is devoted to Lady Madeline and Master Alex until his brother gives him a drug to counteract the human pheromones. The story of his change and its aftermath are told beautifully by Rivera.” — Sam Tomaino for SF Revu
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“For Love’s Delirium Haunts The Fractured Mind by Mercurio D. Rivera has a fine wordy title, but I’d have preferred something a little less lyrical. Still, it’s an accurate description of the states-of-minds of the Wergens, an alien race who are chemically predisposed to affection towards humans. Joriander is an ambassador for the Wergens, but he is treated as little less than a servant. None of the humans in the story are remotely sympathetic. Lady Madeline comes across as vaguely tolerant, while young ‘Master’ Alex is an uncaring little sod. Joriander still offers them unconditional love, but it’s put to the test when his brother arrives and gives him a chemical inhaler that would inhibit his love for the humans.
The story plays with the idea of whether love is purely chemical, or whether there needs to be a deeper connection. It also shows how humanity would probably behave if we encountered a species who offered us unconditional love – we would turn them into slaves. It might have been interesting to have shown some difference of opinion amongst the humans, but as the viewpoint of the story is entirely from Joriander it succeeds in making them seem like a totally uncaring oppressor.” — Rob McCow
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“A further story in the ‘Wergen’ series, which started with ‘Longing for Langana’ back in 2006. The story is another with a Wergen viewpoint, with Joriander a live-in servant cum nanny in a human household. He is in thrall to his mistress and his young master, and clearly there is something amiss – and we find out when he has revealed to him that there is subtle infamy at work – the Wergen, although technologically far superior, are evidently under biochemical influences, binding them to humans and blinding them to the human’s real intent.
The story fills in background to the Langalana setting, the Wergen psyche and society, and effectively takes the story sequence a step forward.” — Mark Watson for SF Revu
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