James Van Pelt (born 1954 in Akron, Ohio) is an American science fiction author who began publishing in the mid-90s.
In 1999, Van Pelt was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.
"The Last of the O-Forms" (2002), a short story, was a finalist for the Nebula Award.
Strangers and Beggars, the first collection, was recognized as a Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association.
His first novel, Summer of the Apocalypse, was published by Fairwood Press in 2006.