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Dec 16, 2009

Shelley rated it:

For some reason, it took me awhile to get into the title story. It's classic Connie and once I picked it back up after vacation, it flew. But it's still not my favorite.

I did immediately love Cash Crop. It was an early story, so haunted, very reminiscint of Daisy, in the Sun. I wasn't surprised by the twist, but I had thought she was a carrier. Still, this was gorgeous. I thought it was my favorite, until I read the next new story.

Curse of the Kings was creepy and scary a More...

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Dec 17, 2009

Jamie rated it:

A great collection. My favorite stories are Fire Watch, Even the Queen, Newsletter, Inn, and The Soul Selects Her Own Society. I love her fascination with Christmas and with The Blitz.

Stories included:
The Winds of Marble Arch
Blued Moon
Just Like the Ones We Used to Know
Daisy, in the Sun
A Letter from the Clearys
Newsletter
Fire Watch
Nonstop to Portales
Ado
All My Darling Daughters
In the Late Cretaceous
The Curse of Ki More...

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Feb 18, 2010

Thomas rated it:

Ms. Willis has done a lot of research into the bombings of London during World War II. This is evident through her inclusion of three (three!) different stories in this collection that have some connection to that theme. “The Winds of Marble Arch” is one; “Night Watch” is another; and “Jack” rounds out that triptych of stories.

Now, am I complaining? Heck no! Ms. Willis is a fine, extraordinary writer, and she has a knack for writing stories that are a lot like those zany romantic More...

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Nov 14, 2008

Sus rated it:

Connie Willis makes me crazy. How can she be so prolific, and so brilliant, and such a masterful craftsman, and make it all look so easy? (All right, yes: the middle two explain the last.)

This collection of short fiction, while a door-stopper, is amazing. (Actually, my biggest complaint is that the Subterranean Press designer did a pretty unprofessional job with the cover font. Let that be the last I speak of it.) Connie Willis, now, writes in -- could we call them several diffe More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Apr 10, 2008

Mara rated it:

I'm not usually a big fan of short stories, but of course I'll read anything Connie Willis writes. Even the ones that have been published before are fun to read again. I was thrilled to see "Firewatch" included in this collection, and felt the ending as strongly this time as I did the first time I read it. Other stories, like "Blued Moon" and "At the Rialto" carry Willis' trademark corporate stupidity and mangled language, but others, like "A Letter from the Cl More...

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Jan 01, 2008

Punk rated it:

SF, Short Stories. This isn't the definitive Connie Willis collection -- it's missing a few stories from Miracle and Other Christmas Stories and Impossible Things -- but it's close.

Of the ones I hadn't read before, I liked Nonstop to Portales, a bus of tourists in the middle of nowhere; Ado, in the future, teaching Shakespeare will only take a minute; In the Late Cretaceous, a university's paleontology department has to evolve or die; The Last of the Winnebagos, a future where dogs a More...

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Jan 08, 2010

Kaethe rated it:

I'm about halfway through this collection. Willis is amazing. She is the best writer of screwball comedy alive, but she also has amazing range and depth. The title story is a clear-eyed story about love in middle age, while "The Curse of Kings" is a short thriller as full of twists as Law and Order, and "Even the Queen" is just one of the best stories ever written.
Now I got to look up some Jack Williamson, because of Willis things he's a good writer, he must be great.
More...

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Dec 04, 2011

Adrienne rated it:

As usual, short story anthologies are notoriously difficult for me to read, since I never love all of the stories and skip the ones that don't grab my interest. Still, this one showed a very wide variety of the types of writing that Connie Willis can do.

Here are the ones that I read, with commentary about those that stood out. I didn't make it through all of them since it's quite a big book.

Stories I loved:
- The Last of the Winnebagos: Loved it. Loved. Almost made m More...

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Nov 08, 2010

Glorious.Clio rated it:

Some stories in this collection are repeats of stories in other collections. I'm not repeating them here, sorry!

"The Winds of Marble Arch" is the story that the collection is named for. It was a good story- set in London, and told the story that... pretty much suffering can be felt. It lingers. Not my favorite of her work, but made for a good mystery.

"Blued Moon," is utterly zany and fun! One of her "screwball comedy" stories. They always More...

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Apr 03, 2011

Rosalyn rated it:

I will read just about anything Connie Willis has written, simply because she is a fabulous writer (and okay, after reading her introduction to this collection of short stories, I realize I'm also drawn to her because we share a lot of interests). However, I don't *love* everything she's written (I could never recommend Lincoln's Dreams or Passage to anyone I liked)--but Doomsday Book is beautiful (if wrenching) and To Say Nothing of the Dog (set in the same world as Doomsday Book) has got to be More...

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Apr 25, 2009

Jess rated it:

I'm giving this one five stars, not because all the stories were perfect, but because taken as a whole, the collection presents a fabulous variety. Some of the stories are science fiction (like "Cash Crop"), some are contemporary with odd little twists (like "Just Like the Ones We Used to Know"), some have time travel (like "Fire Watch," which has the added bonus of a Doomsday Book reference), and one is so downright creepy I'd like to forget it. Some short story More...

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Sep 16, 2011

Michelle rated it:

This is a wonderful collection of short stories/novellas by Connie Willis that fall in the fantasy/science fiction/speculative fiction genres. The title story "Winds of Marble Arch" keys off of the London Underground where Tom experiences flashes from the past from the Blitz and other horrors which seem to be affecting his current life but finds that hope is present, if he looks hard enough. She makes fun of the Christmas newsletter in "Newsletter" adding in an alien takeo More...

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Mar 16, 2011

Julia rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Nov 17, 2009

Jon rated it:

3.17 stars to be exact. For mini-reviews of all the short stories, please see the comments associated with my status updates.

My six favorite stories were:

The Blued Moon - This was laugh out loud hilarious. It reminded me of my favorite episode of Fawlty Towers.

A Letter from the Clearys - Post-apocalyptic stressed out family with a non-barking dog making do on the slopes of the Peak.

The Last of the Winnebagos - Good mystery and interesting alte More...

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Apr 21, 2011

Jessi rated it:

I picked this tomb up predominately because of the story, "The Firewatch," which ties into Willis' time travellers of Oxford series. Like all of her writing, this story was fabulous. It is the tale of a man from 2060 who finds himself fighting to save St. Paul's cathedral during the London Blitz. It was heart-wrending and funny and intriguing. I ended up reading a few of the other stories as well and enjoyed all of those that I read. I found the story "The Last Winnebago" to More...

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Jun 26, 2010

Josh rated it:

A collection of the short works of Connie Willis. Her skill as a short story writer is shown off to high form. She is sometimes serious, sometimes very sad, but always gripping and readable. It took me a long time to get all the way through all the stories because I do find that her writing style is similar enough that I feel like I'm reading the same story each time (she has lots of people looking for things often). But they are still very good, just best in small doses (like ice cream).

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Nov 24, 2008

Steve rated it:

Connie Willis is one of my favorite authors, so this was a no-brainer for me to read. Unfortunately, it's a compilation of existing stories, most of which are in other collections already, so I'd read a lot of it already. I do hear that she's working on a new book (or further along than I'd last heard) set in the world of my favorite novels of hers (the time travel stories), so this will have to tide me over until then.

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Apr 13, 2009

Ellen rated it:

I was disappointed that most of these stories have actually appeared in other collections, so I only had about half a dozen new ones to read (which did not justify the inconvenience of reading such a gigantic book). "The Winds of Marble Arch" was my favorite new one; the others were unmemorable.

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Mar 15, 2010

Debbie rated it:

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was a bit of a race to finish this 700-page library book by the library due date. Being a collection of short stories didn't help as there were so many convenient stopping places!

This large collection was classic Willis and really showed off her breadth of both style and subjects. Some of the darker stories were my least favorite but I think that is mainly because, for me, Willis is usually a "comfort read."

I'm going t More...

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Jan 09, 2011

Cindy rated it:

ok, I've been living under a rock. I just learned of ms willis earlier this year. I promptly added some of her books to my library TBR list.

MK - after reading your 2 reviews, I bumped her up on my list and got this one from the library. I've only read 3 stories, but she is so what I am in the mood for!!!

as with any short story collection, there are hits and misses. but I do like her style of writing!

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Apr 25, 2010

Wealhtheow rated it:

I love Connie Willis, but her rapid-fire dialog and interweaving plots start to feel a little tiring after the fifth or sixth short story in a row. This is definitely not a book to read all in one week.

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Oct 18, 2011

Wendy rated it:

This was a HUGE book of short stories and novellas. They were in the Connie Willis style of missed opportunities and close calls. Confusion and miscommunication. But they weren't as frustrating (or as good!) as her novels. They all had an element of sf but not over the top. You felt like they could happen to you.

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Jan 01, 2009

Martha rated it:

Well up to the usual Connie Willis standard, which is very high! Besides the stories themselves, I enjoyed her introduction very much, in which she talks about her favorite things....

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Feb 14, 2009

Maria rated it:

Love Connie Willis. The title story in this collection left something to be desired, but the stories just got better from there. Definitely worth picking up.

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Nov 23, 2010

Susan rated it:

I've been trying to get hold of this one for ages so was delighted to find it on audible. It's a long short story. Disappointing though. Atmospheric but repetitive.

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Jul 20, 2010

Caro rated it:

700 pages of short stories and novellas, showing the range of her interests (academia, WWII, pets,, movies) as well as her recurring themes (compassion, mourning for lost things). Like all collections, this includes better and lesser stories, but the best are so good.

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Dec 05, 2010

Lee rated it:

Actually, I could not finish it...had just read another one by her and needed to take a break. Good author though

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Feb 02, 2009

September rated it:

This book had kind of a rambling style. It was a good read but a little "out there" at times.

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Nov 11, 2009

Deedee rated it:

This is a collection of almost all of Connie Willis's shorter works, written 2008 or before.

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Sep 08, 2010

Shannon rated it:

This is a collection of Connie Willis' short stories. I will probably not finish them all, but they are a fun group. I enjoyed "Blued Moon", set in Chugwater, Wy, in which the story followed the idea of "once in a blue moon" that happens all at the same time. Another memorable one showed vignettes of what could happen if everyone in the US sang 'White Christmas" all at once. I think that one was made into a made-for-tv movie.

Pick this up if you are a fa More...

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