Tuesday 1 April 2014

#124. TIME IS THE FIRE : THE BEST OF CONNIE WILLIS By Connie Willis

Published : 2013
Pages : 473
Overall Mark : 9/10

Connie Willis is the recipient of an impressive eleven Hugos and seven Nebulas, among her many other awards. She has won five of those awards for her novels, but the rest have been awarded for her extraordinary short fiction. This collection brings together ten of those award-winning stories in one volume that showcases the depth and breadth of talent of a true grandmaster of the field.

CONNIE WILLIS (1945-)
Connie Willis was born in Denver, Colorado, and earned a BA in English and elementary education from the University of North Colorado. She began writing SF with ‘The Secret of Santa Titicaca’, appearing in Worlds of Fantasy in 1971. A highly decorated author who has won eleven Hugo Awards and seven Nebula Awards for her work, she was recently named an SFWA Grand Master. Willis currently lives in Greeley, Colorado with her family.

VERDICT
This collection of short stories by Connie Willis is a rare treat that allows us readers to witness her wide and varied skills at writing both dramatic and comedic pieces. Every story here is rich in character and a joy to read, especially Fire Watch which started off her wonderful time travel stories, including Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of The Dog. Fans of Willis will enjoy delving further into her writings, while those new to her will be able to get some bite size treats without the necessity of reading a full novel.