Douglas Cohen, the editor who chose “The Fortuitous Meeting of Gerard van Oost and Oludara” from the Realms of Fantasy Magazine slush pile, recently published a retrospective on issue #93 of the magazine, the one in which the story was published.

In his retrospective, he has many kind words to say about the story, and gives an interesting look at the process which led from slush to a selection as a finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Novelette.

In honor of the retrospective, here’s a picture of me with Douglas and Shawna McCarthy (founder of Realms of Fantasy and Fiction Editor at the time of the story’s publication) at the Nebula banquet in 2011.  If I’m not mistaken, Realms of Fantasy recorded nine finalists (and two wins) for the Nebula Award during its run, with two of the finalists that year: mine and “How Interesting: A Tiny Man” by Harlan Ellison (a winner). It was a very special night for all three of us, one of my most unforgettable moments.

Thanks so much, Douglas!