From the Bookshelf of Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy…

Doomsday Book (Oxford Time Travel, #1)

Connie Willis

Start date: January 21, 2014

Finish date: February 20, 2014

Discussion: Book Discussions

Discussion leader: Andreas

Why we're reading this: Group Contemporary Novel discussion, January 2014
Hugo Award Winner 1993 (tie)
Nebula Award Winner 1992
#97 …more
[close] Group Contemporary Novel discussion, January 2014
Hugo Award Winner 1993 (tie)
Nebula Award Winner 1992
#97 on NPR's Top 100 SF/F novels of all time (2011 poll) http://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/1390858...
#37 on Locus Magazines Best SciFi novels of the 20th century http://www.locusmag.com/2012/AllCentu...

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What Members Thought

Jul 28, 2012 Andrew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Ok this one has been sitting around for a while and I decided to push ahead and finish it. Now I don't think I am a shallow reader however I will have to admit that I read this book on the strength of the cover - I am a HUGE fan of Michael Whelans' work (he has the ability to mesh the fantastic with the photo realistic so that you know that they are fantasy but still you cannot stop yourself from believing the - after all he created the image of the gunslinger out of the Dark tower series!), and ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Jun 03, 2008 Kivrin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

One of my alltime favorite books.

And upon my latest reread, I found more to love. I've always loved the portion of this book that was set in the past, but this time around I found myself really enjoying the "present" portion which includes an influenza pandemic, masks, protesters, and quite a few acts of stupidity. It was all eerily familiar. We all need a Mr. Dunworthy in our lives. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 28, 2011 Tani rated it really liked it

Shelves: female-author, scifi, historical, 2012

The first 2/3rds was a slog through minutiae, with brief points of interest. The final 1/3rd was absolutely heart-breaking.

1 like · Like · see review

May 27, 2019 Tom rated it it was ok

Shelves: hard-copy

Well, if there's anyone who is going to make time-travel tedious and boring, it'll be Oxford historians. Long arguments of which department is in charge of what, the filling out of forms in triplicate, attempted/missed phone calls and documenting who spoke to whom and when. TEDIOUS. Too many pages dealing with all that and not enough with our time-traveler heroine back in the middle ages.

If we ever do invent time travel, let's not put the Oxford History Department in charge. ...more

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