Review: Think Like A Dinosaur
With Readercon only a week away it’s time for some catch up reading. First up, guest of honor, James Patrick Kelly’s first short story collection, Think Like A Dinosaur. After finishing it the first thought I had was that I was ashamed it took me so long to get around to reading it. This is a phenominal collection that does a great job of showcasing Kelly’s range as a writer.
The highlight of the collection came as little surprise to me given its hype. The title story, which won the Hugo in 1995, is a gutwrenching tribute to the classic story, the Cold Equations. But what did surprise me is that nearly the entire collection was written at the same level. The dystopias of Pogrom, Mr. Boy and Rat had moments every bit as strong and the characterization didn’t falter in a single tale. Although if I have to single out another story it has to be the First Law of Thermodynamics, which best illustrates the humanism Kelly is known for (according to Wikipedia at least).
I’ll definitely be hunting for Kelly’s other collections at the con next week.
Tags: Hugo, James Patrick Kelly, Pogrom, Rat, Readercon, The Cold Equations, The First Law of Thermodynamics, Think Like A Dinosaur
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