Re:Think Like A Dinosaur

When I first read “Think Like A Dinosaur,” by James Patrick Kelly, and put the book down, all I could think was, Wow. What a wrenching story.

Re: Faith

If you’re a big enough gardening geek to know who Luther Burbank was, you might like “Faith,” by James Patrick Kelly. Or you might be in the mood for a nerdy love story. I just liked the way the title character, Faith, flings a Stephen King book at the floozy in her soon-to-be-ex-husband’s car, putting [...]

Re: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Unlike yesterday, I only found metaphorical spiders in “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” by James Patrick Kelly. Oh, sure, this spider seems cute, but by the time you reach the singing, the story has taken you to uncomfortable places.

Don’t Stop

So far the only short story (and therefore my favorite) I’ve read from the Nebula nominees is “Don’t Stop”, by James Patrick Kelly. Well, actually I’ve listened to the excellent reading and discussion of the story available at Free Reads. (The text is now available at Asimov’s.)

The Pyramid of Amirah

I seem to be on a James Patrick Kelly streak; it turns out that recently Beam Me Up played the reading from Free Reads of “The Pyramid of Amirah.” It’s quite short, which makes it hard for to say more than “it’s a moody, unsettling little story.” Well, October is the right time of year [...]

Serpent

Okay, I feel better. I cracked open my copy of James Patrick Kelly’s latest collection, The Wreck of the Godspeed, and got a few laughs from “Serpent.”  Told from the viewpoint of the serpent in the Garden, it’s worth reading (or listening to) just for the jokes. Like all good jokes, the story has plenty [...]

Unique Visitors

I’ve encountered “Unique Visitors,” by James Patrick Kelly four times now, and each time I’ve had a different reaction.

The Edge of Nowhere

What is it with me and talking dogs? In The Edge of Nowhere, by James Patrick Kelly, three sinister talking dogs show up, looking for a book that doesn’t exist. But then it’s doubtful that anything or anyone in Nowhere exists.

Burn

Have you ever heard the theory that giving away content can encourage people to buy? Well, it worked on me. After I listened to James Patrick Kelly read “Burn” on Free Reads, I bought a copy. In hard-cover. And a collection of his short stories, Strange But Not A Stranger, also in hard-cover. In “Burn,” [...]