Well, once again I have Carl to thank for getting me to pull a book out of my TBR (this time for The 2013 Science Fiction Experience) that I ended up loving. This book has eleven stories, three of which were Hugo and/or Nebula award winners. But, if you ask me, these stories are all winners.
A couple of years ago, I started to keep a short story journal that simply lists the names of the stories and a 1-5 rating (5 being love). This is mainly just because I am terrible with remembering story names and it saves me time when I want to find a story I know I enjoyed before. Well, most anthologies have one or two DNFs, a couple of ones and twos and then mostly threes and fours with one or two exceptional fives. This collection, as recorded in my journal, has no stories below a three. It broke down like this
3: "In the Late Cretaceous"
3+: "Schwarzschild Radius", "Chance"
4: "The Last of the Winnebagos" (with a possible +), "Even the Queen", "Winter's Tale", "At the Rialto"
4+: "Time Out", "Jack"
5: "Ado", "Spice Pogrom"
Every one of these stories drew me in. They are all well-crafted and I enjoyed the broad range of subjects that she presented -- from quantum physics to menstruation. "Jack" was probably my favorite story to read as it was set during the Blitz and I think she just does a fantastic job every time she writes in that time period. The story didn't get a five though because I thought one tiny aspect of it was a bit cheesy. (If anyone is familiar with the story, I would love to chat about it!) "Ado" and "Spice Pogrom" were comedies and I thought they were hilarious. "Spice Pogrom" was probably really a 4/4+ story but I had so much fun reading it that I gave it full marks. Some of the reviewers on LibraryThing really didn't like her sense of humor (and yet they claimed to have loved To Say Nothing of the Dog -- go figure!) but I really enjoyed it. I think I do best with science fiction when there's an element of humor involved, like with Douglas Adams and Jasper Fforde.
It sounds like some of these stories will be in her newest collection (out in early July)--"At the Rialto", "The Last of the Winnebagos" and "Even the Queen"--but not my favorites so it's still worth looking for this older collection if you're in the mood for some fantastic tales.
Imagining eleven impossible things,
K
I have this collection but it's a while since I read it. I'll read Jack at lunch maybe! I do love Connie Willis (though I think she could use an editor these days).
ReplyDeleteHere's what has been bugging me for YEARS now--the title of "Even the Queen." I am SURE that title comes from a story set in Victorian times, in which a young girl gets her first period and is utterly horrified, because her mother hasn't told her a thing. The maid winds up explaining and says that it happens to every woman. The distraught girl asks, "Even the Queen?" What book or story WAS that? I can't remember and it's been bothering me ever since I read it!
I'm slowly working my way through Connie Willis. I only read my first book of hers maybe two years ago? This was my first time with her short stories too and I'll definitely read more of them!
DeleteAs for Even the Queen ... I don't think it was familiar to me before I read this story. Maybe someone else will recognize it!
I saw the cover of this collection earlier this year and immediately added it to my mental list of books to track down. I'm even more excited about it given your assessment of the quality of the stories.
ReplyDeleteI've embraced short fiction even more passionately this year and need to start keeping track of my rating separately, even though I have them all in the reviews I am posting.
Just got finished reading the seven short stories nominated for the Nebula Award this year and they were great. A review will be up tomorrow, mid-day, over on SF Signal. All seven are available free online and I would highly recommend giving them a try.
Ahh yes, I can totally see you falling for this cover! And I wish I had been tracking my short stories earlier because I always wish I could go back and find a certain story. Alas, I'll just have to sort out the good and bad again and note the good ones going forward.
DeleteOh, and I was totally meaning to go read those short stories. I'll check them and your review out!
Oh, it's been a long time since I read this collection. Definitely adding it to my vacation reading pile! The only story that sticks in my head is "Even the Queen," because of her very funny, ironic-on-so-many-levels treatment of a subject no one ever treats. I shall make a point of rereading "Jack" first. :)
ReplyDeleteEven the Queen was so funny, especially the ending. And the waitress at the restaurant ... and the two grandmas. What am I saying? It was funny and definitely a good presentation of a taboo topic.
DeleteI actually spent half the day reading Impossible Things! I've come down with a cold--woke up OK and by 10 felt horrible, so I've been laying on the couch a lot. So I did read Jack. I don't know what to think! I'm confused.
ReplyDeleteConfused about what? And I hope you're feeling better!
DeleteI love Connie Willis so much, so I'm delighted to see you really enjoyed this collection. I have read it before, though I've just checked and am shocked to see I don't own it. I must get it! lol I do enjoy both her novels and her short stories so much. Her sense of humour makes me laugh. Thanks for this lovely post. If your library has Winds of Marble Arch, it's her collection of short stories that Subterranean Press brought out a few years ago - amazing collection. There are no more copies for sale, and no softcover version was seen (or if there was, it went out of print fast). Most of her short fiction is collected there, and it is powerful and good.
ReplyDeleteMy library does have Winds of Marble Arch so I will get a hold put on it soon! There are very few authors where I enjoy short fiction and novels equally so I'm glad to find this is the case with Willis.
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