Kevin Godby

I recently ordered a used, hardcover edition of Metaplanetary: A Novel of Interplanetary Civil War by Tony Daniel from a seller on Amazon.com‘s marketplace. A few days later, I received the following email from the seller:

I just wanted to advise you that your package was mailed to you by me, a SECOND time! The original package that I mailed to you was opened for inspection by the USA Postal Service, under their Homeland Security procedures, or to see if it was, in fact “media mail” or unauthorized mailing items and the address label somehow got destroyed and was finally sent back to me for repair.

I have repackaged your item and you should get it in a very short time. The Postal Service has agreed to reimburse me for the first postage fee paid so all is not lost.

I’m very sorry that this has held up you delivery and I hope you receive it soon. Could you please let me know when your item arrives so I can cross it off my long list of things to worry about?

I’m not sure how it’s possible to confuse a cardboard-wrapped hardcover book with a bomb or anything else the Department of Homeland Security would be concerned with, but my book did eventually arrive.