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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Death of a Starship Poet
Published Apr 5, 2021 · 5,020 words (19 minutes) · 1 like · 64 views
Mystery Science Fiction Detective Murder poetry transhuman
On a starship in the far future, where humanity is transitioning to the transhuman, life should be trouble-free and idyllic, but even when the need for police and detectives has long been left behind, a poet has been murdered. Jayla, the resident memoirist, is on the case.
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Fiction
The Ice Cream Man
Published Mar 13, 2021 · 5,342 words (20 minutes) · 1 like · 116 views
Science Fiction post-apocalypse mutation what is human
Sequel to the Nebula finalist short story, "The Last of the O-Forms." Forty years after no creature born with a vertebra looks like its parents, the last of the aging (and vanishing) human race strives to make its way in a mutated world.
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Pirate Readers
Published Feb 24, 2021 · 4,326 words (16 minutes) · 1 like · 201 views
Satire Science Fiction high school reading writing Teenagers education teaching Books
People outside of education have no idea what schools are like in the present era of standardized testing, teacher "accountability," and externally applied curriculums and measurements. It's a messy, intrusive, complicated, bureaucratic world where teachers and students try to survive its most dehumanizing aspects. If trends continues, schools like the one in "Pirate Readers" are just around the corner.
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A Real Myth in an Imaginary Time
Published Feb 10, 2021 · 2,196 words (8 minutes) · 191 views
Fantasy Horror Historical mythology desert running
Nothing compares to a solo hike or run into the wilderness by yourself. You feel alone with nature, alone with your thoughts. But you may not be as alone as you think.
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Harvest: Part 1
Published Jan 28, 2021 · 9,420 words (35 minutes) · 133 views
Fantasy Horror Mystery neil young ghosts Murder seance Teenagers
Teenagers balance that fine edge between childhood innocence, if they were lucky enough to have it, and adult worldliness as they inevitably, blindly stumble toward it, and among the many things they have yet to discover is that what they're told and what they believe may not always be true, and the ghosts of our past never really go away.
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Titan Descansos
Published Jan 9, 2021 · 2,085 words (8 minutes) · 187 views
Science Fiction siblings near future first contact space flight
Have you ever seen little crosses or bunches of flowers by the side of the road and recognized the tragedy commemorated there? This is a way to recognize the dead, to mark the spot of their unexpected passing. It seems a very human thing to do. And so, when we go deeper and deeper into space, what parts of our humanity will we take with us. Will we recognize it when we find it?
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Fiction
Neoteric Urban Archaeology
Published Dec 28, 2020 · 1,232 words (5 minutes) · 174 views
Science Fiction first contact Urban science fiction
Part of the joy of archaeology is that every artifact tells a story, but not all archaeology requires an ancient site where the scientist carefully brushes dirt away from a fragile find from the deep past. People leave artifacts and other physical remains wherever they go. Even an abandoned house in a crummy part of the city can contain story treasures.
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Echoing
Published Dec 10, 2020 · 4,602 words (17 minutes) · 206 views
Science Fiction snow storm christmas starship depression drugs home sickness truck
A long-haul truck driver in a snowstorm, a desperate teenager at a holiday house party, and a starship captain lost in the universe meet on Christmas Eve. It's amazing how quickly technology dates a story. You have to remember the once ubiquitous Windows 3.1 starfield screensaver to picture a key image in this tale.
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Christmas Stalking
Published Dec 5, 2020 · 1,834 words (7 minutes) · 258 views
Fantasy Humor christmas Mafia santa clause toys hit man
No one thinks about Santa's economic impact, but you can be sure that some people, some very bad people, aren't happy that he gives all those toys away for free.
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