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A review by imbookingit
Even the Queen, & Other Short Stories by Connie Willis
4.0
Somewhat uneven, but overall I enjoyed these stories. All of them were funny and thought provoking.
"Even the Queen" was best the first time I read it, but I still enjoyed it this time through. Even when technology solves a major problem, someone is going to rebel. It'll probably be teenage girls, and it will all be their mother's fault.
"At the Rialto" is a chaotic look at a gathering of scientists interested in Quantum Physics. This one shows off Willis's madcap side. If you enjoyed Willis's Bellwether, you'll like this story.
"Death on the Nile" has some of the pieces of what I loved so much about her novel Passage. It's a look at the line between life and death. Or a vacation so bad it feels like you're on that line.
"Close Encounter" has some of the hospital humor that came to light in Passage. This story had some great moments, and I loved the conclusion, but it wasn't as strong as the first three stories.
"Why the World Didn't End Last Tuesday" was a funny look at the committee planning for the end of the world. It was a little flat-- one joke that was drawn out into a (quite short) story.
If you are a Willis fan, you want to read these stories. If you've considered giving some of her funnier books a try, these aren't a bad place to start. They don't have the complexity of her longer work, but that should be obvious from the format.
"Even the Queen" was best the first time I read it, but I still enjoyed it this time through. Even when technology solves a major problem, someone is going to rebel. It'll probably be teenage girls, and it will all be their mother's fault.
"At the Rialto" is a chaotic look at a gathering of scientists interested in Quantum Physics. This one shows off Willis's madcap side. If you enjoyed Willis's Bellwether, you'll like this story.
"Death on the Nile" has some of the pieces of what I loved so much about her novel Passage. It's a look at the line between life and death. Or a vacation so bad it feels like you're on that line.
"Close Encounter" has some of the hospital humor that came to light in Passage. This story had some great moments, and I loved the conclusion, but it wasn't as strong as the first three stories.
"Why the World Didn't End Last Tuesday" was a funny look at the committee planning for the end of the world. It was a little flat-- one joke that was drawn out into a (quite short) story.
If you are a Willis fan, you want to read these stories. If you've considered giving some of her funnier books a try, these aren't a bad place to start. They don't have the complexity of her longer work, but that should be obvious from the format.