10. Impossible Things

by Connie Willis (461 pgs)

Rating: 4

For some reason it took me an excessive amount of time to get through Impossible Things. Most of the stories were highly entertaining, some of them were a little long, and all of them required thoughtful reading. I think perhaps my problem is that I've read a lot of Connie Willis books over a relatively short span of time.

"The Last of the Winnebagos"
Driving has become even more hazardous to one's health and PETA has finally won the war on sanity.

"Even the Queen"
I think this might be my favorite. Feminism gone terribly wrong and tricky issues with the monthly visitor.

"Schwarzschild Radius"
WWII and the Russian front. A doomed soldier corresponds with Einstein and a radioman gets lost in his memories.

"Ado"
blatant attack on PC and groups who insist on Political Correctness and about damn time too.

"Spice Pogrom"
One of the longer stories about interspecies communication. How does an alien think, really, and will we be able to understand them even if they can learn English? And somehow a love story.

"Winter's Tale"
Also very good. It's about the theory that Shakespeare didn't actually write his plays. This is a story that posits one way, if it were true, that it could have come about.

"Chance"
A bittersweet story about second chances. If we could go back and change one thing in our lives would we do it knowing that who we are now would cease to be?

"In the Late Cretaceous"
Kind of an amusing comment on academia. What happens when the worst of the business world, academic worlds, and teaching come together.

"Time Out"
Rather sweet, really weird. It's about time travel. Anything more would give something away.

"Jack"
WWII again. Britain this time. Apparently the brits had wardens that were semi-volunteer citizens who put out fires and searched for bodies in London after bombs were dropped. Some people were particularly good at finding bodies in the rubble. This gives it all a sinister twist.

"At the Rialto"
Something about quantum physics. yeeeeeeeeah...I didn't get it. Or I kinda did but I feel like I missed the punch-line.