The Last of the O-Forms & Other Stories [Paperback]

James Van Pelt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2005

Jim Van Pelt's first collection, Strangers and Beggars, was voted one of the Best Books of 2003 by the American Library Association. Now, in this new collection, Van Pelt continues to explore the ever-changing boundaries of science fiction, fantasy and horror. The Last of the O-Forms is an important collection filled with stories that transport us to far-flung worlds and to the harder-to-find inner worlds that define the human condition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In the stories of Van Pelt's Strangers and Beggars (2002), civilization as we know it may have gone to smash, but for the characters, tomorrow is still another day. Same here. In the title story, a menagerie of mutant animals is losing business because humans are mutating, too, and don't want to be reminded; on the other hand, humans are mutating, too, so . . . In "A Flock of Birds," perhaps 50,000 people remain in the U.S. after a big biowar, but some other creatures are unaffected--and more. The ghost story "Do Good," about a high-school assistant principal nearing retirement, skirts the maudlin to become heartwarming. Three futuristic crime tales, three stories of sports and games to come, a Lovecraft pastiche set in the Old West, a couple of yarns--one sf, the other a ghost story--spun out of classic movies, and three more stories are just as satisfying for their realistically developed milieus and actions as for their surprises and ironies. They're colorful and flavorful, too: terrific stories. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

A supple, inventive, and ambitious writer who handles any genre with expert ease -- Gardner Dozois, editor of The Year's Best SF

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Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Fairwood Press, Inc; First Edition edition (August 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974657352
• ISBN-13: 978-0974657356
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,019,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Van Pelt teaches high school and college English in western Colorado. He has been publishing fiction since 1990, with numerous appearances in most of the major science fiction and fantasy magazines, including , Talebones, Realms of Fantasy, Analog, Asimov's, Weird Tales, SCIFI.COM, and many anthologies, including several "year's best" collections. His first collection of stories, Strangers and Beggars was released in 2002, and was recognized as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association. His second collection, The Last of the O-Forms and Other Stories, which includes the Nebula finalist title story, was released in August 2005 and was a finalist for the Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award. His novel, Summer of the Apocalypse was released November, 2006. The Radio Magician and Other Stories appeared in September of 2009 and received the Colorado Book Award in 2010.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Another knockout for James Van Pelt, November 2, 2005

By 

Ethan Storeng - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last of the O-Forms & Other Stories (Paperback)

Having been one of VanP elt'S students, I may be a bit biased by his brilliance in the classroom, but I think that anyone wióuld agree that that brilliance shines forth in his writing. This is yet another remarkable collection of brilliantly conjured and meticulously crafted short stories that capture the imagination, thrill the dark side in us all, make us laugh out loud, and, at times, challenge our very perception of the mundanities with which we are daily presented. I would recommend this read for just about anyone in search of a fascinating read, as well as his previous collection, Strangers and Beggars.