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kbhenrickson's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
A solid collection of stories overall. I had originally borrowed it from the library to read one novella ("The Last of the Winnebagos"), but ended up reading the whole book. I was surprised to find that I had actually read two of the stories before (well, listened to in various SF story podcasts) and had not connected them to Connie Willis for some reason. After each story, there is a short afterword by the author, which I found interesting.
Favorite stories were (in the order they appear in the collection):
-"A Letter From the Clearys" (I can't describe why I liked it without spoilers)
-"Fire Watch" (if you enjoyed To Say Nothing of the Dog, this novelette was the first story set in that universe)
-"Even the Queen" (this one was a re-read, and the commentary at the end added to my enjoyment of the story)
-"All Seated on the Ground" (the Christmas carol details did get to be a bit much, but I really liked how it ended)
-"The Last of the Winnebagos" - this was probably my favorite of the favorites, but it is also pretty sad. Content warning:animal death
Favorite stories were (in the order they appear in the collection):
-"A Letter From the Clearys" (I can't describe why I liked it without spoilers)
-"Fire Watch" (if you enjoyed To Say Nothing of the Dog, this novelette was the first story set in that universe)
-"Even the Queen" (this one was a re-read, and the commentary at the end added to my enjoyment of the story)
-"All Seated on the Ground" (the Christmas carol details did get to be a bit much, but I really liked how it ended)
-"The Last of the Winnebagos" - this was probably my favorite of the favorites, but it is also pretty sad. Content warning:
inferiorwit's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
mckinseyf's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
3.5
This is one of my first genuine attempts at getting into speculative fiction and although it was a mixed bag, overall I like it and will continue to try more short stories, novellas, and standalone novels.
Favorites:
"At the Rialto" - clever and funny
"Inside Job" - kept me hooked and enjoyed learning about Mencken. The ending was a little unsatisfying but overall still a good time
"All Seated on the Ground" - silly and fun, with good human observation
Pretty good:
"The Soul Selects Her Own Society" and "Even the Queen"
I wasn't really into the rest, but I can see why others would enjoy them.
Favorites:
"At the Rialto" - clever and funny
"Inside Job" - kept me hooked and enjoyed learning about Mencken. The ending was a little unsatisfying but overall still a good time
"All Seated on the Ground" - silly and fun, with good human observation
Pretty good:
"The Soul Selects Her Own Society" and "Even the Queen"
I wasn't really into the rest, but I can see why others would enjoy them.
sarabara's review against another edition
4.0
Some really great stories. Also her speeches at the end. Skipped the Winnebago story.
haligon_ian's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
giacovano's review against another edition
Read just a few stories:
Death on the Nile
Even the Queen
The Winds of Marble Arch
All Seated on the Ground
Death on the Nile
Even the Queen
The Winds of Marble Arch
All Seated on the Ground
meshuggeknitter's review against another edition
4.0
I liked her short stories much more than the two books of hers that I read - Blackout and All Clear , though the genesis of these books could be found in a couple of the short stories included here. I found those books overly wordy and long; maybe the short story form worked better?
mollyd's review against another edition
4.0
I skimmed some of the stories but several were excellent. I particularly liked Death on the Nile, Inside Job, The Winds of Marble Arch, Fire Watch, and All Seated on the Ground.