The imaginary friends of James Patrick Kelly

By Keith Demanche
HippoPress.com

"Strange But Not A Stranger," by James Patrick Kelly, Golden Gryphon Press, 2002, 297 pages

James Patrick Kelly likes to push the limits. His new collection of stories, "Strange But Not A Stranger," is a showcase of work stretching the boundaries of the modern short story. From short shorts (complete stories under a 1,000 words) to narratives that go in separate time streams; from characters in laughable situations to characters that berate the reader, Kelly's fiction pushes science fiction ever forward.

"Strange But Not A Stranger" includes short stories published since 1996, when his first collection, the much-acclaimed "Think Like A Dinosaur," came out. In the years between, his fiction has matured; as in the deeper themes of stories like "1016 to 1." But throughout this entire book, and throughout his career, the common denominator of Kelly's work is making readers think. A New Hampshire resident, (he's lived here since 1975 and, as he says, intends "to petition the Secretary of State to declare me an honorary native when I die"), he talked to me about the new collection and on writing in general. Of "Strange But Not A Stranger," Kelly said, "It is a snapshot of the best stories from the almost-but-not-quite-I-hope-middle of my career, although it also contains some earlier stuff, including the very first story I'm proud of ("The Cruelest Month"), not to be confused with my very first story."

One of the best stories in the book is the multi-nominated and much-anthologized "Undone." When asked, he admitted it was probably his favorite. "It is set a gajillion years in the future, more or less, and its heroine is able to undo time, that is, if she messes something up, she can skip back five minutes or five weeks and relive that part of her life. Time travel stories are just about guaranteed to twist your head." But only when done right, as the stories in this collection are.

Kelly's stories are fun to read and full of wit. The humor he often infuses into his fiction is smart and cumulative, building up to pay-offs that are funny and thought provoking at the same time. Humor is just one of the ways Kelly finds his audience.

In the afterword to "Strange But Not A Stranger," he talks briefly about writing "Feel The Zaz" for the Sci-fi Channel's "Seeing Eye Theatre." That version of the story is an audioplay (a dramatized version of a story, like a radio show), another avenue of expression for Kelly. I asked him how writing a piece that will be performed is different from the short story. "Technically, narrative and dramatic writing are about as alike as armadillos and penguins. In a story, you can tell readers what they need to know. The author can step up and explain things. In a play, you have to show the audience what's going on through action and dialogue. The playwright might have to write a scene in which Joe is on the couch complaining to his psychiatrist about his unhappy childhood, or else Joe's Dad might drop in for an unexpected visit. But like penguins and armadillos, plays and stories must be alive and move in a purposeful direction."

With short shorts, audioplays, short stories, novels, and plays in his repertoire, Kelly's writing career is sometimes called eclectic. While he enjoys doing research and finding out facts to weave into fiction, he writes mostly to "find out about the universe that we live in and to think about what I've learned." Kelly has managed to fashion a career out of short fiction writing, even though it is not the most lucrative genre. "The thing that attracts me to short stories as opposed to novels is that I get to play with so many more of my imaginary friends."

Appointed to the State Council on the Arts in 1998 by Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, Kelly is one of many people who are trying to promote all forms of art in New Hampshire.
"It's a small state, and it's filled with folks who love the arts," he said. "We've got history and tradition and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world to inspire us. Yet the fact is that most artists in New Hampshire are among the working poor and our state ranks near the bottom nationally in both state funding for the arts and charitable giving. To my mind, one of the best arts organizations in the state is the New Hampshire Writers' Project, which has done a fine job of connecting writers across this state. If you interested in making New Hampshire a more literary state, get in touch with the Writers' Project (www.nhwritersproject.org)."

James Patrick Kelly's latest collection reveals a writer who knows his craft-and who doesn't fear breaking rules to explore new ground or telling stories that make readers think. Science fiction has been striving since its birth to inspire wonder. "Strange But Not A Stranger" is a great example of how well it can be done.

Keith Demanche can be reached at hippo@hippopress.com