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PM's Outspoken Authors #27
The First Law of Thermodynamics
James Patrick Kelly is known for finding the future unnervingly nearby, and he enters with his deep empathy and dry humor at the ready. A longtime favorite of SF readers is at the top of his game here. In the title story, a college acid trip becomes a window into an unexpected and apparently unavoidable future. In “Itsy Bitsy Spider” a disappointed woman’s robotic girlhood takes her by the hand and leads her back to the destiny that eluded her. Two short plays render alien invasion terrifyingly mundane and death annoyingly impermanent. “The Best Christmas Ever” is celebrated by sims and droids instead of the usual jolly elves. Our Outspoken Interview and a bibliography round out this long-awaited new collection.
Praise
“A quintessentially protean writer; no single adjective suffices for the whole. . . . I continue to be regularly surprised by where he goes and what he’s doing with his fiction.”
—Karen Joy Fowler
“He changes our attitudes and our perceptions and even our understanding of what the short story can be, and he does it in stories which are disturbing, clever, affecting, funny and unique in every sense of the word.”
—Connie Willis
“Kelly’s special genius is in writing stories that are so human that they wrench and warm your heart at the same moment.”
—Cory Doctorow
“James Patrick Kelly has written some of my very favorite short stories. As a matter of fact, I get anxious when I haven’t read a Kelly story in a while. Can’t we just clone him?”
—Kelly Link, author of Get in Trouble
“Against all law and likelihood, (he goes on) reinventing himself each time out, always questioning the basic premise of what a science fiction story can be, or a James Patrick Kelly story, or a story in the first place.”
—Jonathan Lethem
Praise
“A quintessentially protean writer; no single adjective suffices for the whole. . . . I continue to be regularly surprised by where he goes and what he’s doing with his fiction.”
—Karen Joy Fowler
“He changes our attitudes and our perceptions and even our understanding of what the short story can be, and he does it in stories which are disturbing, clever, affecting, funny and unique in every sense of the word.”
—Connie Willis
“Kelly’s special genius is in writing stories that are so human that they wrench and warm your heart at the same moment.”
—Cory Doctorow
“James Patrick Kelly has written some of my very favorite short stories. As a matter of fact, I get anxious when I haven’t read a Kelly story in a while. Can’t we just clone him?”
—Kelly Link, author of Get in Trouble
“Against all law and likelihood, (he goes on) reinventing himself each time out, always questioning the basic premise of what a science fiction story can be, or a James Patrick Kelly story, or a story in the first place.”
—Jonathan Lethem
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 31, 2021
73 people want to read
About the author
James Patrick Kelly
435 books142 followersJames Patrick Kelly (please, call him Jim) has had an eclectic writing career. He has written novels, short stories, essays, reviews, poetry, plays and planetarium shows. His short novel Burn won the Science Fiction Writers of America's Nebula Award in 2007. He has won the World Science Fiction Society’s Hugo Award twice: in 1996, for his novelette “Think Like A Dinosaur” and in 2000, for his novelette, “Ten to the Sixteenth to One.” His fiction has been translated into eighteen languages. He produces two podcasts: James Patrick Kelly's StoryPod on Audible and the Free Reads Podcast (Yes, it’s free). His most recent publishing venture is the ezine James Patrick Kelly’s Strangeways. His website is www.jimkelly.net.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 30, 2022
No. 27 in the PM Press Outspoken Authors series. Kelly kindly signed my copy at ChiCon this year.
A nice gathering of some of Kelly's lesser known stories including a play, an essay, and a interview conducted by Terry Bisson. Two of the items are original to this book.
- Someone Else's Problem.*
The uninterested and uninvolved will inherit the Earth, or whatever is left. A play in one act.
- Itsy Bitsy Spider.
High-tech nursing homes don't make dealing with a senile parent--and a unhappy past--any easier.
- Encounter with a Gadget Guy.
James Patrick Kelly answers a wide range of seemingly unrelated questions posed by terry Bisson.
- The First law of Thermodynamics.
"The brown acid that is circulating around us, is specifically not too good" but the blue magic will bend time. And Roger Maris wants his record back.
- Donut Hole.*
There is good news and bad news. The good news is that we were able to put you back together. The bad news is that there seems to be a part missing.
- Who Owns Cyberpunk?
An essay about the history of cyberpunk and the battle over what it is.
- The Best Christmas Ever.
One of the most depressing stories I have ever read. Take that Frank Capra!
* original to this volume
A nice gathering of some of Kelly's lesser known stories including a play, an essay, and a interview conducted by Terry Bisson. Two of the items are original to this book.
- Someone Else's Problem.*
The uninterested and uninvolved will inherit the Earth, or whatever is left. A play in one act.
- Itsy Bitsy Spider.
High-tech nursing homes don't make dealing with a senile parent--and a unhappy past--any easier.
- Encounter with a Gadget Guy.
James Patrick Kelly answers a wide range of seemingly unrelated questions posed by terry Bisson.
- The First law of Thermodynamics.
"The brown acid that is circulating around us, is specifically not too good" but the blue magic will bend time. And Roger Maris wants his record back.
- Donut Hole.*
There is good news and bad news. The good news is that we were able to put you back together. The bad news is that there seems to be a part missing.
- Who Owns Cyberpunk?
An essay about the history of cyberpunk and the battle over what it is.
- The Best Christmas Ever.
One of the most depressing stories I have ever read. Take that Frank Capra!
* original to this volume
November 27, 2024
A Superb Literary Cornucopia of Fact and Fiction from James Patrick Kelly
James Patrick Kelly’s “The First Law of Thermodynamics” is a surprisingly terse, yet elegant, literary cornucopia of fact and fiction, featuring some short plays, short stories, an interview and a fine critical analysis of one science fiction genre. I recommend it highly as a superb introduction to his work, especially when he tends to be overlooked, in comparison with notable contemporaries like Greg Bear, Bruce Sterling, John Shirley, and especially, William Gibson. He's been thought correctly as an important figure associated with the cyberpunk literary movement, which he discusses at length in a fine essay on what exactly is cyberpunk (“Who Owns Cyberpunk?”). Equally commendable is his interview with fellow speculative fiction writer Terry Bisson (“Encounter with a Gadget Guy”). So too are his short plays “Someone Else’s Problem” and “Donut Hole”.
In fairness to Jim Kelly – as those of us who know him refer to him – his writing has gone leap years beyond what one might regard as traditional cyberpunk science fiction. This is especially true for the three stories included in this pithy volume. “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, the first story, is a memorable homage in part to acting and playwriting. The second story – which is the title of this book – “The First Law of Thermodynamics is a clever look at personal relationships that deals with telepathy. Jim saves the best for last in a rather memorable Christmas-themed tale, “The Best Christmas Ever”, that some will regard as among his classic works of short fiction. I recommend making a fast trek online or to a nearby bookstore that will carry copies of Jim Kelly’s literary treasure.
James Patrick Kelly’s “The First Law of Thermodynamics” is a surprisingly terse, yet elegant, literary cornucopia of fact and fiction, featuring some short plays, short stories, an interview and a fine critical analysis of one science fiction genre. I recommend it highly as a superb introduction to his work, especially when he tends to be overlooked, in comparison with notable contemporaries like Greg Bear, Bruce Sterling, John Shirley, and especially, William Gibson. He's been thought correctly as an important figure associated with the cyberpunk literary movement, which he discusses at length in a fine essay on what exactly is cyberpunk (“Who Owns Cyberpunk?”). Equally commendable is his interview with fellow speculative fiction writer Terry Bisson (“Encounter with a Gadget Guy”). So too are his short plays “Someone Else’s Problem” and “Donut Hole”.
In fairness to Jim Kelly – as those of us who know him refer to him – his writing has gone leap years beyond what one might regard as traditional cyberpunk science fiction. This is especially true for the three stories included in this pithy volume. “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, the first story, is a memorable homage in part to acting and playwriting. The second story – which is the title of this book – “The First Law of Thermodynamics is a clever look at personal relationships that deals with telepathy. Jim saves the best for last in a rather memorable Christmas-themed tale, “The Best Christmas Ever”, that some will regard as among his classic works of short fiction. I recommend making a fast trek online or to a nearby bookstore that will carry copies of Jim Kelly’s literary treasure.
December 27, 2025
There were very few false notes in this series, and this definitely isn't one of them. This is, again, a collection showcasing an author at peak power, skilled, articulate and moving. Almost every story is top-notch, as is the interview and the article on cyberpunk. Get it, you owe it to yourselves.
December 27, 2021
These small PM Press single-author books are quite fun. A few short stories, a snarky interview with the author, sometimes a non-fiction essay, and a complete bibliography of their work. It's a nice introduction to the author.
June 10, 2022
Liked everything except the titular story.
April 13, 2025
Cute stories and decent interview and write up on cyberpunk but definitely not enough politics Nevermind rad poli to be part of this series. Seems very thrown together.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews