James Van Pelt
An interviewer asked the author if he wanted to be the next Stephen King: he said, "No, I want to be the first James Van Pelt."
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James Van Pelt fell in love with Zenna Henderson, Ray Bradbury, Ursula le Guin, Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey and a host of others when he started reading. In elementary school, he told his mom he wanted to grow up to be a Ray Bradbury, like Bradbury was a job instead of a person. His work has appeared in Asimov's, Analog, Clarkesworld and many other venues. Stories have been reprinted in Year's Best anthologies and gathered in five of his collections. He has been a finalist for the Nebula, the Sturgeon Award, and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. He recently retired from teaching high school English (37 years), to write full time.
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Far From the Emerald Isle
Published Sep 25, 2019 · 5,040 words (19 minutes) · 204 views
Science Fiction Irish Mythology gremlins leprechauns
A space ship traveling for 4,000 years requires a lot of maintenance, but who does the emergency work when the crew is asleep? Engineers Anise and Sierra discover there is more going on in their starship then they ever trained for or expected.
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Carrying the News for a Dead Paperboy
Published Sep 18, 2019 · 6,784 words (25 minutes) · 251 views
Fantasy Horror Mystery halloween ghosts samhain Irish Mythology
October and Halloween are just around the corner. You can feel it in the evening breeze that's a little cooler, and there's a tone shift in the rustling of leaves as they begin the change from summer green to autumn colors. And, of course, the ghosts are waking, as they do in this story. Their night to walk freely is coming.
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Fiction
Two in the Multiverse
Published Sep 11, 2019 · 5,096 words (19 minutes) · 195 views
Literary Fiction Philosophy relationships sex
Long philosophical chats about the meaning of relationships, distance running, a bonfire, kegs of beer, and a moment of flaming transcendence.
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Fiction
No Small Change
Published Sep 5, 2019 · 1,877 words (7 minutes) · 252 views
Fantasy coming of age super powers
Everyone has a superpower. It might not be something amazing like flying or x-ray vision, but the powers are there just the same. Some people spend their entire lives trying to find their power, while the two friends in this story find theirs in a Dairy Queen.
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Fiction
Where Did You Come From, Where Did You Go?
Published Aug 28, 2019 · 2,536 words (10 minutes) · 2 likes · 355 views
Science Fiction time travel Adolf Hitler
If you could go back in time to kill Adolf Hitler before his atrocities, would you do it? Would you still do it if you had to kill William Shakespeare to get to Hitler? Those are big, philosophical questions, perhaps too big for a short tale to tackle, but everyone can relate to the weirdness of substitute teachers, although maybe not like the one in this story.
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Fiction
The Lies
Published Aug 21, 2019 · 1,217 words (5 minutes) · 323 views
Horror Science Fiction apocalyptic epidemic pandemic
The magnificent short story writer, Bruce Holland Rogers, said that he wrote his award-winning tale, "The Dead Boy at Your Window," from a writing prompt. The prompt was, "Begin a story with a lie." I used that prompt for this short, apocalyptic piece.
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Fiction
Its Hour Come Round
Published Aug 14, 2019 · 6,696 words (25 minutes) · 239 views
What is the purpose of prison? Reformation or punishment? For many, we send our frightening offenders to incarceration so they can learn the errors of their way. In isolation from humanity, they will contemplate their offenses and decide not to offend again. But for the worst criminals, the rapists and murderers and evil, there's a darker, more powerful motivation to punish and torment. The urge to hurt is strong.
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Fiction
Perceptual Set
Published Aug 7, 2019 · 8,359 words (31 minutes) · 320 views
Science Fiction Romance space travel First Encounter romantic science fiction asteroid mining
People claim to see the Virgin Mary in water stains on a church wall, and every oddly shaped rock on Mars looks like an animal or an artifact to people who want proof that aliens exist. They have a perceptual set to interpret what they see the way they want it to be. But what if the face sculpted into the side of an asteroid deep in space actually is a face? What will it mean for humanity, and what does that face have to do with cheesecake?
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Fiction
The Last of the O-Forms
Published Jul 31, 2019 · 6,295 words (23 minutes) · 5 likes · 519 views
Horror Science Fiction dystopian epidemic mutation pandemic
Dr. Trevin’s Traveling Zoological Extravaganza raked in the cash in the early days of the DNA-mutating plague—it was even featured in Newsweek! But now that mutated animals roam every city and town, Trevin and Caprice (a preternaturally smart 12-year-old) will need to resort to more desperate measures to stay relevant.
This Nebula-finalist story originally appeared in Asimov’s in 2004. Author James Van Pelt, an English teacher turned full-time writer, has also been nominated for the Sturgeon and Campbell awards, and published dozens of short stories and novels.
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Fiction
The Last Age Should Show Your Heart
Published Jul 19, 2019 · 3,225 words (12 minutes) · 352 views
Literary Fiction Science Fiction Romance literary poetry End of the world
What will the ending moment of the universe be like, when the suns have cooled and the only observers are the machines whose duties long outlived their masters?
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