Welcome!

You've found your way to the site of Nico Martinez Nocito, a Nebula and Rhysling finalist who writes queer, speculative poetry and fiction! I'm so glad to have you here.

Use the links in the navigation bar above to learn more about me, check out a full bibliography of my published fiction and poetry, discover where to read my writing, and more. If you're interested in keeping up to date on my writing, subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Bluesky and Instagram!

Award Eligibility

My poetry and short fiction is eligible for awards including the Nebula, Hugo, and Rhysling. My top poems and short story for awards consideration are included below; you can check out all my works published in 2026 on my Awards Eligibility page (coming soon!).

POETRY: The Mermaid Speaks of Social Justice from the Bathtub, 41 lines (Strange Horizons, May 2026)
Weird fantasy, complicity in societal injustice, mermaids?

Change requires examination of the initial errors,
   of the circumstances from   then
   that led to the injustice   of now.

SHORT FICTION: My Ma's Hatred Grows Cavities Every Summer, 1000 words (The Rumpus, September 2026)
Medical & body horror, twisted families, trans revenge

She would get a terrible, terrible glimpse of the pain she’d forced onto me every day.
And after that?
I could not say that I cared.

POETRY: trans/formative, 20 lines (OTHERSIDE, September 2026)
Fierce & dreamy, changing yourself until the world can no longer hold you️

so what
if, when we reassemble our vibrant bodies,
our eyes are crooked, or our hair
has turned to scales?

POETRY: SOLD: One Soul, Gently Used, 60 lines (Haven Spec, June 2026)
Fantasy bargains, anti-capitalist commentary, narrative poetry

A soul is a valuable commodity
even with a body still, unfortunately, attached.

Stardust & Verse: SFF Poetry Reviews

Stardust & Verse is a new speculative poetry review blog where I highlight incredible free-to-read SFF poems. Each month, I share reviews of 15+ speculative fiction magazines and an interview with a SFF poet. I hope you'll consider checking out Stardust & Verse here .