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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Fiction
Finding Orson
Published Mar 25, 2020 · 6,301 words (23 minutes) · 90 views
Fantasy teaching high school Romeo and juliet english class
Patty is a gifted teacher, literally. She sees the emotional aura around her students. All would be well until Orson, a quiet, sullen boy's aura turns startlingly, distressingly black.
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Fiction
The Small Astral Object Genius
Published Mar 19, 2020 · 5,744 words (21 minutes) · 64 views
Science Fiction first contact astronomy family relations
Dustin spends most of his time in his room, sending his Peek-a-boo into space, hoping to catch a good picture of a distant star or planet. At school he'll trade with his friends for the best shots. Is the technology behind the Peek-a-boos real or a scam on credulous children? Will his parents ever be happy? And what if the Peek-a-boo captures something really strange?
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Fiction
High Stakes Test
Published Mar 11, 2020 · 4,667 words (17 minutes) · 1 like · 61 views
Horror Satire education teaching School standardized testing
Teachers are human and kids aren't abstractions. Academic battles are fought by personalities where things get messy. It's also possible that you have to be careful for what you wish for if all you want is higher test scores.
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Fiction
The Road's End
Published Mar 4, 2020 · 3,069 words (12 minutes) · 1 like · 118 views
Classic Fantasy Literary Fiction sword & sorcery
Alfred Lord Tennyson said about the completion of an epic quest in his poem, "Ulysses," "How dull it is to pause, to make an end, To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!" We often enjoy tales of a wanderer's adventures, but what is their life like afterwards? How does the hero find solace?
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Fiction
Of Late I Have Dreamt of Venus
Published Feb 18, 2020 · 7,647 words (28 minutes) · 133 views
Science Fiction Romance terraforming venus
Although I didn't know the word at the time I wrote this story, it's about an oligarch who attempts to accomplish what no government has the will or drive to do: terraform Venus. This story was included in Gardner Dozois' YEARS BEST SCIENCE FICTION anthology, 25th edition.
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Fiction
Lashawnda at the End
Published Feb 12, 2020 · 6,553 words (24 minutes) · 1 like · 125 views
Science Fiction Romance aging space exploration medicine Biology
Wherever we turn on Earth, life surprises and amazes us with complexity and cleverness. Surely when we find it on other planets, life will present itself in unexpected ways. Biologists Lashawnda and Spencer study the unusual plants on Papaver while their expedition fights to survive a catastrophe.
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Fine Dining in the Apocalypse
Published Feb 5, 2020 · 1,113 words (5 minutes) · 102 views
Science Fiction food apocalyptic apocalypse recipes
Throw a thousand people into the same situation, and you will have a thousand different experiences, even if that situation is the apocalypse. Be our guest, at the end of the world.
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Fiction
This Story Will Win a Hugo
Published Jan 22, 2020 · 6,609 words (25 minutes) · 1 like · 137 views
Humor Science Fiction Romance adventure first contact seti hugo award
When Dustin was a boy, he collected pictures of astral objects like children who used to collect Pokemon cards. Now that he's an adult, he's drawn back to his childhood obsession, looking for civilizations among the other worlds. His work would go so much easier if he wasn't being pestered by an eager science fiction writer.
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Different Worlds
Published Jan 17, 2020 · 4,776 words (18 minutes) · 210 views
Science Fiction dogs alien invasion child
The bond between a child and a dog is special. Dogs are intelligent, loving, empathetic, loyal. Do you really believe that? The aliens do.
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The Saint from Abdijan
Published Jan 8, 2020 · 8,709 words (32 minutes) · 120 views
Fantasy Horror religion africa diamond trade
The pursuit of freedom can take many forms. For some, it is finding truth in the metaphysical. Is there God? Does God care for us? For others, the search can be both more mundane and immediate. It could just be a search for a cursed diamond.
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