Rating: 
Summary: Interesting compilation
Review: "Spice Pogrom," a tale of space aliens, intergalactic diplomacy, and true love, is by itself worth the price of the book. Some stories are clever and often funny, others are touching and serious, but Connie Willis rarely disappoints.
Rating:
Summary: A fun and intelligent book
Review: These short stories are gems. Connie Willis has a talent for looking at things in a slightly skewed way and portraying an entire extrapolation of an aspect of our world in a short space. She also has a great sense of humor, and is an expert at plot, character development and style. My favourite story was "Spice Pogrom," a screwball comedy that takes place on a space station. I think it would make a great movie. It has action, dialogue, and visual images that really stand out. It is also extremely funny, and I laughed my way through it. In summary, a fun, intelligent book!
Rating:
Summary: Masterful short stories
Review: A collection of stories by Connie Willis, one of the modern masters of the science fiction short. "The Last of the Winnebagos" -- I remember reading this story years ago and not caring for it that much. Rereadiug it ten years later, I find it much more appealing. In one sense it is a mystery story; in another it is a cautionary tale. The way that Willis weaves together the two-- the tale of the dead dog and the new, authoritarian society--is fresh and clever. Sentimental? Yes. But in the best way. "Even the Queen" -- One of my favorite stories, not just because it flirts with taboo, but because it is written with such an easy and joyous manner. Willis' comic stories are like those by Wodehouse--she is never content with a single gag, but can mix in wordplay, pop references, slapstick, and play off the old cliches in new and unpredictable ways. "Schwarzchild Radius" -- Just so as you don't get the impression that I worship the paper that Willis types upon, I will gladly admit that I don't care for this particular story. I believe that this was one of the first stories in which she portrays a physics concept in characters and setting. Later on, in "Blued Moon" and "At the Rialto," the same method, when used with comedy, works to much better effect. "Ado" -- One of the comedies that has not aged well, due partly to the backlash against "Political Correctness" of which this story was only a small part. There are parts that are still funny, like the running battle between the teacher and the sun worshipping student fought with Bible versus, but the end less litany of offended organizations goes stale about halfway through. "Spice Pogrom" -- This is the kind of comedy that will never die; well, at least I hope it won't, because, like Willis, I am enamoured of the screwball as nothing else. Yes, it may seem as formulaic as any pulp adventure, but it has at its core some thing that no mere adventure story has, and that is a true sense of romance. We may want to be the Lone Ranger, but we know in our hearts that we can not ride Silver. On the other hand, with a little wit and luck, we are able to be romantic and silly--it is closer to us. "Winter's Tale" -- One of the reasons Will is appeals to me so is that I share so many of her interests--screwballs, Wodehouse, and Shakespeare. Here the scholar in Willis truly shows, similar to her wonderful novel Doomsday Book. A great story and a history lesson--what more can you ask for? "Chance" -- This is as close to a mainstream tale as you will ever see in a genre publication (it first appeared in Asimov's) but it is the kind of story that is popping up with more regularity in small-press literary and mainstream magazines. "In the Late Cretacious" -- This is another one that did not age too well. Basically, it tries to put a comparison between academic competition and the evolution of dinosaurs, along with a running joke on parking. Bits are funny, but the whole is tired. "Time Out" -- Another one in a similar vein, although in the end it feels more like "Space Pogrom" then "Ado." The comedy is present, but more organic--not relying so much on repetition, as it does character. And, while it is a story about time travel, it is also, and more importantly, a story about time. "Jack" -- Another war story, but one that I was able to relate to. Loosely related to Dracula, this has some interesting points about war and its effect on people. Much more subtle than normal Willis fare. "At the Rialto" -- I like this story. Of course I do--I'm a sucker for quantum physics--but even I have problems following the pattern and ideas here. In this case, Willis worked hard on her research. At least you can read it without understanding everything. A very good collection on the whole, and definitely worth your time.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad, but not for those short on time!
Review: Connie Willis is a good writer, good at telling funny and/or moving stories about us people and our problems and triumphs. Hard-SF fans should definitely look elsewhere; all the science and sociology and future-speculation in these stories is completely in the service of the human emotions and predicaments she wants to explore. This is SF really only by accident. I would have enjoyed the book more if the stories had been shorter and tighter, and perhaps if I hadn't read them all at once. At least three of them are rather similar "screwball comedies", and those three stories are 27, 60, and 98 (! ) pages long. I think she could have done what she wanted to do in half, or even a third, of the length, without hurting the qualities of the stories. But that may just be because I'm a busy Daddy without spare hours to spend savoring every page. I'm not going to rush out and buy all the rest of her books, but I probably will read more eventually.
Rating:
Summary: Kleenex required
Review: God, "The last of the Winnebagos" has to be the saddest story ever written. I hardly ever cry when I read books; during this one, I *wept*. I had to go shut myself in another room because it was embarassing in front of my family. If you undertake to read this, make sure you have ample privacy, a box of Kleenex, and your dog right beside you. As to the other stories--Even the Queen is hilarious, and Ado is frighteningly possible. There's plenty here. I'm not going to discuss the rest of it 'cause I'm off to buy Connie Willis' other books!
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!
Review: I first got to know Connie Willis through her novels, and I just can't stop reading her work. Everything seems REAL -- the characters, the settings, the situations. And then Willis hits you with an epiphany, or maybe it comes on as a slow realization, and then an incredibly profound insight into human nature dawns on you and you're forever changed. In the introduction to *Impossible Things,* Gardner Dozois says: "In one of her story introductions here, Connie says that Shakespeare wrote about Human Issues, as opposed to narrow sectarian concerns: 'fear and ambition and guilt and regret and love--the issues that trouble and delight all of us.' Connie writes about those Human Issues too." Indeed she does, which is why her work feels tangible and connected to the emotions each of us experience every day in our very un-scifi lives. The stories in this collection will make you think and laugh and cry -- the true sign that something is good, as my mother would say. "The Last of the Winnebagos" is haunting, building to a powerful ending that left me stunned for days. "Spice Pogrom" has a very different feel, a madcap comedy of mistaken identity and delightfully outrageous situations -- a description that also fits "At The Rialto." Willis has something for everyone -- quantum physics, time theory, alternate history, Shakespeare, the grim realities of war, screwball comedy, true love -- written in such a way that you'll be captivated in every case. *Impossible Things* is impossible to put down. Connie Willis makes reading thought-provoking literature such as this a pure delight, and an experience that won't easily be forgotten.
Rating: 
Summary: Connie Willis, in small doses, is still fun!
Review: I got hooked on Connie Willis after reading 'To Say Nothing Of The Dog.' I'm sure those of you who've read that wonderful book can see why. Mrs. Willis has a witticism with characters and events that is thoroughly enjoyable. She also loves to play around with current scientific theory and bounce between characters and...oh, let's say chaos theory. In 'Impossible Things' - a short story collection by Connie Willis - we get to see a lot of both. The first story, The Last Of The Winnebagos, is the typical story that we expect from this author (throw in a reference to an ancient society or tribe but put it in a ridiculous context - here referring to the behemoth RV, not the Native American tribe by the same name). Mrs. Willis throws us into the driver's seat of the future and shows us the Nazism possibilities of a society who's gotten a bit carried away with themselves (here being the SPCA!). The next story, Even The Queen, centers around "women's issues." Mainly their menstrual cycles and how they might be seen by future generations (can we really change that much? Mrs. Willis doesn't think so either). 'Schwarzchild Radius' is an interesting look at the development of that theory by the title author. Schwarzchild is a radioman in WW II and has a theory about Black Holes and Event Horizons that intrigues the master of mathematics himself, Albert Einstein (mentioned only as a correspondence here). Is Schwarzchild himself at the event horizon with the other men at the front? Or does it just seem that way? They certainly can't get any information to those who desperately need it. Frustration reigns. 'Ado' is a comedic look at censorship in the extreme. What makes it so entertaining is Mrs. Willis' interpretation of where our school system is headed with books being banned, censored or generally denied admittance into the hands of readers. 'Spice Pogrom' is probably one of the more entertaining reads in this collection. Mainly because it focuses on an alien culture visiting Earth and our misunderstandings of them, or us, or whatever. Language, culture and futuristic high comedy all figure heavily into the theme of this story as you visit Sony, an orbiting mass in space that is pushed to the limit for living space and those with attention deficit disorders! 'Winter's Tale' is the story of 'what-if.' What if Shakespeare hadn't really died as we think he did? What if Marlowe had written more? What if our understanding of where the major players in English Literature are based on false pretenses? Then you'll want to read this serious Shakespearean tale that is sure to leave you scratching your head. 'Chance' is Mrs. Willis' attempt at the 'chick novella.' Chance meetings, unfortunate marriages, and (again) chaos theory, all figure in here. 'In The Late Cretaceous' is a similar tale to 'Ado' but this time the author looks at our school system from the point of losing classes/curriculums and how teachers would feel (in varying degrees) about this. Why do we need to know about the Dinosaurs? What difference could it make if I know that a T-Rex's Jaw was five feet long with seven inch teeth? The difference is comedic and serious all at the same time. 'Time Out' is a fun look at temporal mechanics and how one man's test on a small town school goes awry after wives start leaving husbands and a case of Chicken Pox runs ramped through the children and staff and parents. Funny stuff. 'Jack' is an interesting look at how Vampires might have taken advantage of the 'nearly dead' during WW II in London (during the German bombing raids). Or is it that the man who sees this 'Jack' is simply exhausted and can't think straight. I leave it to you to decide, and so does Mrs. Willis. 'At The Rialto' is "The gem at the end," as I like to call it. Probably the funniest of the reads in the book, this story focuses on Dr. Ruth Barringer, a quantum physicist, who is trying to find out where the lectures on the 'Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle' are being held. And if you don't know what that is, don't worry; you will by the end of this entertaining short story. Enjoy them all, that would be my advice. I loved the beginning and the end of the book, but the stories in the middle dragged at times. But well worth my reading time, I'd warrant.
Rating:
Summary: Connie Willis, in small doses, is still fun!
Review: I got hooked on Connie Willis after reading `To Say Nothing Of The Dog.' I'm sure those of you who've read that wonderful book can see why. Mrs. Willis has a witticism with characters and events that is thoroughly enjoyable. She also loves to play around with current scientific theory and bounce between characters and...oh, let's say chaos theory. In `Impossible Things' - a short story collection by Connie Willis - we get to see a lot of both. The first story, The Last Of The Winnebagos, is the typical story that we expect from this author (throw in a reference to an ancient society or tribe but put it in a ridiculous context - here referring to the behemoth RV, not the Native American tribe by the same name). Mrs. Willis throws us into the driver's seat of the future and shows us the Nazism possibilities of a society who's gotten a bit carried away with themselves (here being the SPCA!). The next story, Even The Queen, centers around "women's issues." Mainly their menstrual cycles and how they might be seen by future generations (can we really change that much? Mrs. Willis doesn't think so either). `Schwarzchild Radius' is an interesting look at the development of that theory by the title author. Schwarzchild is a radioman in WW II and has a theory about Black Holes and Event Horizons that intrigues the master of mathematics himself, Albert Einstein (mentioned only as a correspondence here). Is Schwarzchild himself at the event horizon with the other men at the front? Or does it just seem that way? They certainly can't get any information to those who desperately need it. Frustration reigns. `Ado' is a comedic look at censorship in the extreme. What makes it so entertaining is Mrs. Willis' interpretation of where our school system is headed with books being banned, censored or generally denied admittance into the hands of readers. `Spice Pogrom' is probably one of the more entertaining reads in this collection. Mainly because it focuses on an alien culture visiting Earth and our misunderstandings of them, or us, or whatever. Language, culture and futuristic high comedy all figure heavily into the theme of this story as you visit Sony, an orbiting mass in space that is pushed to the limit for living space and those with attention deficit disorders! `Winter's Tale' is the story of `what-if.' What if Shakespeare hadn't really died as we think he did? What if Marlowe had written more? What if our understanding of where the major players in English Literature are based on false pretenses? Then you'll want to read this serious Shakespearean tale that is sure to leave you scratching your head. `Chance' is Mrs. Willis' attempt at the `chick novella.' Chance meetings, unfortunate marriages, and (again) chaos theory, all figure in here. `In The Late Cretaceous' is a similar tale to `Ado' but this time the author looks at our school system from the point of losing classes/curriculums and how teachers would feel (in varying degrees) about this. Why do we need to know about the Dinosaurs? What difference could it make if I know that a T-Rex's Jaw was five feet long with seven inch teeth? The difference is comedic and serious all at the same time. `Time Out' is a fun look at temporal mechanics and how one man's test on a small town school goes awry after wives start leaving husbands and a case of Chicken Pox runs ramped through the children and staff and parents. Funny stuff. `Jack' is an interesting look at how Vampires might have taken advantage of the `nearly dead' during WW II in London (during the German bombing raids). Or is it that the man who sees this `Jack' is simply exhausted and can't think straight. I leave it to you to decide, and so does Mrs. Willis. `At The Rialto' is "The gem at the end," as I like to call it. Probably the funniest of the reads in the book, this story focuses on Dr. Ruth Barringer, a quantum physicist, who is trying to find out where the lectures on the `Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle' are being held. And if you don't know what that is, don't worry; you will by the end of this entertaining short story. Enjoy them all, that would be my advice. I loved the beginning and the end of the book, but the stories in the middle dragged at times. But well worth my reading time, I'd warrant.
Rating:
Summary: Imaginative and Wide-Flung
Review: I had to fight back tears as I finished "The Last of the Winnebagos" and laughed out loud over "Even the Queen". As interesting and varied as the stories, Connie's introductions are witty and enjoyable. A great read!
Rating:
Summary: An impressive array of impossible things....
Review: I have to admit, the more I read Connie Willis' stuff, the more I enjoy her. The short stories in here display a very nice range, from frenetic to despairing, and they're all handled well. "The Last of the Winnebagos" is really a very moving story, much more than I thought it would be since I'm not a dog person. "Even the Queen" and "In the Late Cretaceous" were hilarious - the latter indicates that she must have worked in academia at some time in her life... "Jack" is an interesting piece, especially since she lets us figure out Jack's secret long before any characters do. There are a few rough points here and there - "The Schwarzschild Radius" and "Spice Pogram" come to mind, but they're easily made up for by the other stories in the book. Good reading for a long night with some hot chocolate....
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