Other Kelly

by Genevieve Valentine

Kelly's friends were all getting a little sick of Kelly, even before the doppelganger showed up. And sure, it probably wants to kill her; they're just trying to decide if that's worse...or better.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Short Stories, Speculative Fiction, Contemporary, Science Fiction

24 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 22, 2024

About the author

Genevieve Valentine has sold more than three dozen short stories; her fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, Journal of Mythic Arts, Fantasy Magazine, Lightspeed, and Apex, and in the anthologies Federations, The Living Dead 2, The Way of the Wizard, Running with the Pack, Teeth, and more.

Her nonfiction has appeared in Lightspeed, Tor.com, and Fantasy Magazine, and she is the co-author of Geek Wisdom (out in Summer 2011 from Quirk Books).

Her first novel, Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti, is forthcoming from Prime Books in May 2011. You can learn more about it at the Circus Tresualti website.

Her appetite for bad movies is insatiable, a tragedy she tracks on her blog.

Reviews

[Netanella · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very strange story that felt kind of off. Probably how most of the friends felt about each other, and about the Other Kelly, a doppelgänger of the original Kelly, who just silently showed up one day and started hanging out without really doing anything.

Not quite sure how all this works. Surreal.

[The Litt Librarian]

I'm slightly confused about the ending. Did the narrator become the new Kelly?

[Radwa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the concept of doppelgangers, but I was so confused by this and I didn't get the ending

[Hanneleele]

One of those confusing ones where you go in the comments/reviews to see what other people think and they all also say they are confused and that's very unhelpful. So I'm gonna write down my idea which is that the narrator is also a Kelly? Or at least a doppelganger?

Other than the speculative part of it (which is intriguing) the friend group just felt sad. They all seem to dislike Kelly while Kelly mostly seems depressed and burnt out from her shitty job and shitty apartment and being stuck in the entire shitty situation. Which sure can be depressing for other people to be around but seems kinda mean to dislike someone for? Though i guess i've known people who are clearly clinically depressed but deal with it by making everyone else feel absolutely miserable in every interaction which doesn't make you want to spend time with them even if they might like company and support and you might want to give it - if it just didn't ruin your mood for the entire day. So maybe there's some of that going on? But none of them seem to like each other anyway and as a boardgame lover having a regular game night (this is the absolute dream that i haven't managed to pull together in years!) while everyone hates games seems truly horrific to me. As a gamer I wouldn't want to game with people who hate games and/or are so competitive they'll never forgive if they lose. All that effort (organising a regular game night) for what? Misery?

Perhaps Other Kelly did take over and ditched the miserable friend group. I hope she quit her job at least...

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When my coat molded over the winter,” she said, “I bought that other one. I hung it up in the same place. It’s molded. But the landlord didn’t fix the first leak and he won’t fix this one either, and it’s not like I can move out, and it’s not like another closet will appear, and it’s…I don’t have any other place. If I buy another coat, it will be the same thing. But eventually it doesn’t matter about the leak or the mold, because where else am I supposed to put my coat? At some point you just run out of places. It feels like that.”

This story had some great element of speculative fiction and an interesting perspective on what it means to be person. I enjoyed it for what it was but it loses a star for the very abrupt ending without a lot of closure. I'm not a fan of endings that just stop . I'd recommend this to self proclaimed philosophers because you'll be thinking about it long after you finish.

[Corrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other Kelly by author Genevie Valentine is a short story you can read for free on the Tor.com site https://reactormag.com/other-kelly-ge...

Kelly’s friends were all getting a little sick of Kelly, even before the doppelganger showed up. And sure, it probably wants to kill her; they’re just trying to decide if that’s worse…or better.

A story that left me befuddled.

My ongoing quest to get current with the Tor short stories.

3.4 stars

[Kam Yung Soh · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather rambling story about a group of presumed friends who don't really seem to like each other, and especially Kelly, who appears to be always late or doing things they rather not discover. One day, they discover another Kelly in their midst who doesn't talk or do much. And then, the story ends, without much of a resolution.

[Ava · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kept waiting door contextual clues onto what is/who is the Other Kelly. and the story would have been so much better with just a little explanation on what she might be, who she might be or even what to expect really about her. too much left out of the story for us to guess at, which makes the story less captivating that it could've been.

[Şeyda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was confusing as everyone else comments. This is a miserable group of friends who just happens to be at the same room but doesnt care about each other?? Idk. Kelly’s words about her aparment and coat seemed to feel like she’s depressed and i feel like the other kelly is her depression personified but who the hell knows at this point right?

[Alex Sarll]

Doppelganger stories often irritate me, but I liked this twist, told not by the victim or a close companion, but by another member of a wider social group, in which the victim is the most annoying member, whereas the double may be uncanny but is at least less exasperating...

[sarah rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://reactormag.com/other-kelly-ge...

if someone could tell me wtf i just read i just might give u a kiss on the cheek

(also i was casually playing with my cat w all the lights off Bc Laser… then i read this… 🙂‍↔️ nope)

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

Definitely weird, and felt a little bit scattered as far as narrative went. Didn't completely love it, but I think I got what it was trying to do.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a very confusing ending after decent and unique set up.

[Tayler K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Not sure I "get" it. Not sure if there's supposed to be anything to get...

[MollyK · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://reactormag.com/other-kelly-ge...

I really liked the character dynamics and what I took to be social commentary.
I loved this moment so much

I had seen myself, once. I’d gone to the Met on a free Friday because I was trying to meet people who weren’t the people I already knew. I didn’t—I was bad at meeting people, it’s how I’d ended up with the people I already knew, Kelly had pulled people toward us until we were all locked in orbit and I had absolutely no idea how you started that all over again from scratch—and it was so embarrassing to be there alone that after a while I’d just kept turning into whatever gallery was empty.

However, I feel like I’m missing the big picture and the message.