It's a great day when I can finally hit the Upload button for a video! (I had hoped to have this one out last week, but I had too many interruptions.) :D
Thank you so much for highlighting the works of Connie Willis. So many SF readers ignore her, though she's one of our greats, perhaps because her works are often lighter. I feel like SF readers don't respect those who write softer SF, and who are willing to put emotions into their books. Optimism shouldn't be a dirty word in SF and we sorely need more of it.
Thank you for the very kind words! I'm just trying to broaden the discussion to include books and authors that are rarely discussed on BookTube, but should be.
You’ve been a true inspiration for me when it comes to giving authors a try. I watched your videos on Dan Simmons last year and just finished Summer of Night a few days ago. Thank you for recommending him! You’re doing great work.
Thank you! Your words mean a lot to me. That's why I started my channel -- to bring deserving but overlooked authors back into the popular conversation about books.
@thelibraryladder I read the Hyperion Canto's because of that video (Dutch translation). What an amazing series, so thank you very much for making these videos!
I first encountered Connie Willis‘s writing about 45 years ago. I have been hungrily awaiting every new installment ever since. Thank you, Miss Willis, for all you’ve given us!
I remember when you announced at the beginning of last year that you were going to do career overviews of Dan Simmons and Connie Willis. I love both authors and the Simmons overview followed immediately after your community page post. SO GLAD the Connie Willis one has now appeared! 🤗 Although I live in Scotland, the city of Glasgow has twice hosted the annual SF Worldcon. Connie Willis attended both times, in 1995 and 2005. 😌 SF Worldcon is coming back to Glasgow for a third time this August - I really hope Connie Willis attends again! 🤞
I hope she does attend! I wish I could be there too. I've never been to a Worldcon, and I've been intending to track down my ancestry in Scotland for decades (my family is linked to Clan Wallace centuries back). I intended to make this video last summer, but when I discovered she was publishing a new novel in the fall (The Road to Roswell), I decided to wait so I could include it.
@@thelibraryladder In the video you mentioned that neither of Willis's career retrospective collections contained two of your favourite short stories by her. Out of curiosity, which two stories are those? I have ALL of her short stories, including the uncollected ones (about 15 years ago I tracked down print copies of the magazines and anthologies in which her uncollected work appeared). One of my favourites of her uncollected work is "Homing Pigeon" (1979) which only ever appeared in an issue of _Galileo_ magazine.
I think you might have misinterpreted my remark. I was referring to the novellas Inside Job and All Seated on the Ground, which are included in her 'Best of' collection, but not in The Winds of Marble Arch and Other Stories. I'm impressed that you've managed to track down and read all of her stories. In addition to her own collections, I've read a few stories she wrote for themed anthologies containing other authors. But I've never read her uncollected stories such as Homing Pigeon. It's why I expressed frustration in the video at the lack of a comprehensive, multi-volume collection of all her short fiction. :)
Thanks! I wish I had been at Club Med. Alas, it's just the result of hours of yard work on a sunny day (at the height of grass and tree pollen season -- thus the hoarseness of my voice).
Thanks for mentioning my favorite holiday story collection - how could I not enjoy an author whose favorite Christmas movie is the same as mine! You are so right about not binging Willis' work, though, as mega-doses of madcap dialog can become exhausting. But I'm always happy when I read or re-read something by Connie Willis. 👏
Coincidentally, I'm currently reading Doomsday Book, barely on chapter 5 (my first Willis). After your video I'm excited to add the rest of her Oxford books to the top of the tbr, and in publication order 😅
Great timing! I hope you enjoy her books as much as I do. You definitely should read the novelette Fire Watch before starting the final books in the series (Blackout/All Clear). There are some important linkages.
Excellent in-depth overview of Willis’s works! I’m tempted to try the time-travel series, but I’ll have to wait for the right time. 😊 I am usually not crazy about heavy dialogue, and I appreciate your caution about that device in Willis’s writing. Would you ever consider a time-travel recommendations video? Time-travel is one of my “buzz words,” and I would love hear a list of your favorites!
Thanks, Johanna! My recommendation for you would be to start with her short fiction -- either her 'Best of' collection or her 2017 Christmas story collection. The 'Best of' one has the added benefit of including the novelette Fire Watch, the first installment in her Oxford time travel series. Re: your question -- I started making a list last year of the best time travel stories (both from my perspective and from the perspective of impact on the genre) in anticipation of turning it into a video. It's still in the formative, development stage of production, though. Maybe later this year...?
I picked up an e-copy of Doomsday Book last year, not knowing its length or reputation or anything. I thought I would read a few pages in an idle moment. Next thing I knew I was spat out after being swallowed whole for about two highly emotionally fraught days. The Black Death felt so real and present that I went on to read Defoe's A Journal of the Plague Year immediately afterwards and the two combined were a highlight of last year for me. Thanks for this and all your videos - I currently have The Crystal Cave out from the library because of you, ready for as soon as I finish Benjamin Myers' "Cuddy".
You probably won't see this comment because I'm commenting on a 2 month old video. I just wanted to say I really loved your coverage on the Eternal Champion Series and hope that someday you may continue it. I got into Micheal Moorcock because of those videos.
Thanks for the encouragement! Due to outside factors, my video output has slowed over the past year, so it’s taken me longer to get to the next installment of my Eternal Champion coverage. I hope to get to the fifth video in the series in the coming months. (The fourth one is the steampunk video I uploaded last December that had a segment on Moorcock’s Oswald Bastable novels. It wasn’t labeled as an Eternal Champion video, though, and some people might not have realized the connection.)
Excellent narrative, LL, your writing/commentary skill far exceeds that of many. Well done sir! As undeniable evidence that I've been living under a rock, Connie Willis has hitherto been completely unknown to me. Until now. Thanks for another in-depth and insightful expose'. Cheers.
Thank you! Willis was very prolific in the 1980s and 90s, but her writing output has slowed significantly over the past 20 years (e.g., a gap of 12 years between her two most recent novels), which might explain her current lack of popular attention. The quality of her writing has remained very high, though.
I adore Connie Willis novels, she is underrated by many readers. Another author I'm reading right now is L. E. Modesitt and he is another underrated author. Enjoy all of your video, especially Neal Stephenson. Thank you
Spot on. I’ve read the Oxford series and the “best of” short stories. She is one of sci fi’s best. And you are also correct that you shouldn’t binge her books. Thanks for making a video about this underrepresented author.
Would you believe me if I said I slowed my video production schedule to give you more time to catch up on your TBR list? :D (Nah, I don't believe it either.) I hope you enjoy her works as much as I do!
Thank you for another video about yet another author whom I'd never heard of. How do you find time to read/re-read so many books?? Have you looked at China Miéville's or Jeff Vandermeer's work at all? Have you considered featuring Weird or New Weird fiction?
Thanks! Retrospectives like this one can take me as long as a year to produce. I started my re-read of Willis' works last summer, and I began preparing for my next video (a retrospective of Jack Vance's works) a year ago last spring. Vance was a very prolific writer, so I've tried to read at least one of his series or short fiction collections every month. I'm a big fan of Mieville's works and I've quite enjoyed other New Weird authors such as M. John Harrison and Mary Gentle. I also enjoy the work the Vandermeers have done as anthology editors, but I've never completely connected with their own works. There's a good chance I'll do an overview of the history of weird fiction at some point, as I'm pretty familiar with its early history and authors, but I'll need to brush up on more of the recent history.
@@thelibraryladder All you've said just reaffirms my amazement at how much you read, because it sounds like you're reading on top of what you're doing for these videos. Thanks for all of the effort you put into making such accessible and edifying content. I was reading through The Dying Earth quadrilogy, and I've stalled on Rhialto the Marvellous. Neal Stephenson got in the way. I finally read Anathem, in part because of where you ranked it in your video of him. I'm a big fan of Miéville. Anything by Harrison or Gentle that you'd recommend?
I have a lot of fun making these videos, and my hope is that viewers like you find them useful. My intent has always been to focus on authors and works that don't get a lot of attention on BookTube. I don't want to make redundant content that adds to the existing echo chamber of discussion centered on a relatively small set of (mostly) recent books and authors. I do read a lot of those recent books, but I don't really discuss them in my videos because I don't think my contribution to the discussion would add much to what others have already said. If I ever decide to do occasional livestreams here on my channel (which I'm contemplating), I'd probably broaden my focus to cover a wider range of books, authors and genres in those livestreams. As to how much I read, I try to read at least a couple of hours every day. In recent years, I've found audiobooks to be helpful because I can listen to them while doing mindless tasks such as mowing the lawn, cooking or cleaning. M. John Harrison's Viriconium series (starting with The Pastel City) is a classic that was heavily inspired by Vance's Dying Earth, but darker and without the sly humor of Vance. Mary Gentle's Ash is another great read, although it can be a little challenging because it's written as a dense hybrid of fantasy, historical fiction and scholarly journal.
Sir, Your channel is extremely valuable and provides insight not only to book readers but to the world at large. It is truly inspiring. I am sure your videos have already spread to countries outside the United States. It is always a pleasure to watch and gain something new from your videos. Keep up the excellent work on this amazing channel!
Wonderful, Nev! I'd suggest starting small with her 'Best of' collection of short fiction, though, to get a feel for her writing style and whether it works for you. The collection also includes the first story in her Oxford time travel series, the novelette Fire Watch.
I would love to hear your opinion on authors such as David Eddings, Steven Erikson, Glen Cook, and Mark Lawrence. Omitting Eddings, curious to hear your view on these "grim dark" legends.
I think early Eddings (Belgariad/Malloreon) can be a great introduction to the genre. His books are very formulaic, but for newcomers to the genre, it likely won't be noticeable and would provide them a fun roadmap to common tropes. I'm planning a future video about Cook (although not this year -- too many other videos ahead of it in my production queue). I'm in the middle of reading Malazan, so my opinions are still forming. I started reading it 20+ years ago, but I set it aside after the first couple of books when I realized the series wouldn't be finished for several more years. I recently restarted the series and am enjoying it. Likewise, I haven't read enough by Lawrence to have a firm opinion. I didn't enjoy Prince of Thorns as much as I hoped I would. In general, I enjoy grimdark fiction best when it has characters who I can empathize with and root for, and where there's at least a glimmer of hope for redemption. I'm not much of a fan of nihilistic stories.
@@thelibraryladder Appreciate the response, I tend to point out the Belgariad, Belgarath the Sorcerer, and Polgara to those interested in discovering chronicle fantasy fiction. Anne McCaffrey as well. The Pern series is another great starting point for new interests. Thanks for the great videos.
@@ErikaScroggins Thanks for your question. I use Davinci Resolve, which I really like. I’d never done any video editing before starting my channel a couple of years ago, and I’ve been teaching myself how to do it ever since.
The thing that struck me about her academic paper about Emily Dickinson was the footnote to another footnote that references 'Night of the Cooters', a story about an off-course Martian ship that lands in Pachuco, Texas, by Howard Waldrop. The fact that she offhandedly mentions Waldrop's homage to actor Slim Pickens is just a delightful joke among the handful of us in the know.
@@thelibraryladder Howard Waldrop is an undeservedly obscure author who passed away recently. The story is in his collection 'Night of the Cooters: More Neat Stories'. It is available, used, and is worth a read. A short film of the story was released in 2022, produced by George R.R. Martin, staring Vincent D'onofio.
Thanks! Timely indeed! As I mentioned in the video, I think the first part of Passages requires some patience from readers, but the payoff in the end is rewarding.
This channel is so special, interesting, and relaxing to watch. Very glad I found it. Please tell me you also do audiobooks - I would buy them all. 😆 Also, do you have a Goodreads account we can add?
Thank you for your kind comment! I'm not a professional audiobook narrator, although in response to viewer requests, I've recorded a few classic short stories for fun here on my channel. They can be found in my Audiobooks playlist. I might record more in the future. I don't have an active Goodreads account where I post book reviews. However, I'm currently exploring the possibility of creating a Substack site where I'd discuss a wider range of books and other topics than I do on this channel.
@@thelibraryladder Thanks! I see the playlist now and look forward to listening later today. In addition to Substack, I recommend/would be excited if you started a Patreon. I can tell that a lot of time goes into your videos here. Patreon could be a place where you post quicker and/or less edited discussions on books and more story readings. I know I would become a member if you did!
Thanks for the vote of support! You hit the nail on the head with your reference to time. My goal for my YT channel is to create a kind of permanent reference tool for readers (and teachers, librarians, publishers, etc.), which is why I tend to put a lot of effort into each video I make. It's time-consuming, though, and I often don't have much time to devote to it (hence my inconsistent upload schedule). There also are a lot of books and authors that I'd like to discuss, but that I know I'll never get to on my channel, either because they don't fit within my channel's scope or because the effort of making videos about them exceeds their potential value. With Substack (as with Patreon), I'd be able to craft a wider range of content more quickly and easily, which could take the form of written essays, photo articles, podcasts and live-streamed video discussions that don't rely on the vagaries of YT's algorithm to reach an audience. It would supplement my channel, not replace it. I'd also likely use it as a proving ground to field test ideas for future videos for my channel.
@@thelibraryladder I think TH-cam flagged my response because I included a link to a site that has helped me edit more quickly/efficiently at the end. I thought I would let you know that you may need to look at those flagged comments on your channel instead of typing it all again. Typical TH-cam being difficult… 😅
The response you referenced isn't showing up in my 'Held for review' section where YT sends flagged comments. I'm not surprised, though, because sometimes it can take a week or more for a flagged comment to appear there. I don't know what causes the delay...other than YT being difficult. :)
Thanks for this overview. You are right with your recommendation on spacing out the reading of her works . I bought a job lot of her books and quickly devoured the Oxford series, but found other book length stories a bit harder to get into because of the meticulous setup. Persistence definitely rewards in all cases though 😊
Thanks! I did a comprehensive reread of her works over the past year in preparation for this video, so I experienced first-hand the potential downside of binge reading them. They're great, but the rom-com pattern becomes pretty apparent with frequent repetition.
I loved Doomsday Book when I read it recently, but I really wish I'd gone into it with a better idea of what it was going to be dealing with (especially for the modern day storyline). I was listening to it on audiobook on my way home for Christmas towards the end of the pandemic, and sometimes it was just not a very fun experience. I am a big fan of time travel stories in general (love anytime an SFF story has an excuse to be happening in the past and we get a view of what day-to-day life and the people could have been like), and I felt like she did an excellent job of bringing in everything I love about more serious time travel novels.
Another great video. I have been aware of Connie Willis's work for a while, especially her time travel stories but I always seemed to wait and wait to try her books but this video has rekindled my interest for the Oxford Time Travel stories and her short fiction as well. Now, I don't think I will wait long to give them a try.
No, you haven't missed one. I've just been very slow this year in producing videos due to a variety of factors, most of them outside my control. Thanks for checking! (P.S.: My next video has been filmed and I'll be editing it this weekend, with an upload target of Monday or Tuesday.)
Where did you find out about her childhood influences? Interviews? Articles? I loved the Betsy-Tacy books and have never met anyone else who remembers them. I read the first in the 3rd grade, so that's quite early in reading development.
She's mentioned various influences on her writing in interviews and speeches she's given over the years as well as in the forewords to some of her short fiction collections. I introduced my kids to the Betsy-Tacy stories when they were very young, and they loved them.
I know of Connie Willis. I've been seeing her name for years, but I know that I haven't read anything by her. You do make her works sound interesting though. I totally enjoyed your review of her.
Your voice is so cool, you should narrate audiobooks or something. I loved this video. If you have any suggestions about norse mythology literature please make a video about it. Keep up the great work. ⭐
Thanks! For fun, I've narrated a few classic short stories here on my channel (they're located in the Audiobooks playlist). Also, thanks for the suggestion about Norse mythology. In fact, I just finished reading The Long Ships, by Frans Bengtsson, a classic novel about 10th century Vikings. It's historical fiction, but it was written in a style imitating that of epic Norse myths. It's a fun read if you like understated humor.
Thanks! From the beginning, I've fully intended to make a video about Fantasy Press. My challenge has been finding the time to make it. I have too many planned videos in my production queue and not enough free time to work on them all. For efficiency's sake, I might combine several specialty presses (e.g., Fantasy Press, Shasta, FPCI, Prime Press) into one video. Stay tuned, I'll eventually get to it. :D
I just read my first Connie Willis book last month, Doomsday Book, and enjoyed it so much. Written in 1992, it reflected so much of what the world just went through in the pandemic. I can see people getting tired of miscommunication or obstacles getting in the way, but I found the story gripping, in both perspectives. Being a serious novel, there was a surprisingly comedic undertone to it. I was going to say, but you beat me to it, I bet she was a Wodehouse fan. A big fan myself, I think I'll love the next book in the series.
Thanks! I'm a Wodehouse fan, so if you're one too, I think you'll really enjoy To Say Nothing of the Dog. I can't think of many SF tales quite like it. Before moving on to Blackout/All Clear, though, you should read her 1982 novelette Fire Watch, which ties directly to the events and characters in the duology. It's found in a lot of SF anthologies in addition to her 'Best of' collection.
Having been familiar with her for decades, I am always shocked how few people know her work despite all the awards. My guess is it’s mostly short story. Harlan Ellison runs into this issue too, but he has Star Trek to pull him up.
Most of her awards are for short fiction, but nearly all of her novels have also won major awards (e.g., all four installments in her Oxford time travel series won the Hugo, and three of them won the Nebula). Her slow writing pace might have caused her to drop off readers' radar in recent years. I hope this video helps build awareness of her works.
I don't think its unusual for prolific writers to have similar protagonists/characters/themes in their stories. It's funny you mentioned Heinlein's YA novels because I devoured those when I discovered them in my grade school's library. After several novels, I definitely felt like the protagonists were inter changeable or the same person, just in a diff story with a diff name. Had a similar feeling when binge reading Anne McCaffrey. It happens ;)
I agree with you. I think many authors end up writing multiple characters that are basically variations of the author's own personality, because that's who they know best (or who they want readers to know best).
Great video - reminded me that I should actually bump up the Doomsday book onto the TBR. She really needs a new snappy special edition to get TH-cam excited again about her
A friend gave me his copy of the Doomsday book because he couldn't get into it. I ended up getting so sucked into it that I was staying up late, getting up early (which I never do) and reading with a throbbing headache due to lack of sleep because I just wanted to know what would happen next. I hope you enjoy it a little less than I did and actually sleep.
!! The lack of other titles (particularly the Oxford ones) in the library really surprises and disappoints me. Did the library have them in electronic format (ebook or audio) instead? Many libraries are substantially culling their shelves and replacing physical books with electronic versions. It's often more expensive in the long run for libraries to go that route, but it responds to user demands for more electronic media while freeing up space in library branches that can be converted to other uses.
@@thelibraryladder I prefer paper books so I don't look into Ebooks. I've noticed how my local library culls there shelves pretty quickly so I try to visit there book sales. I'm now up to 3 library cards trying to expand my selection and it seems to be helping.
You might want to recheck the numbers on this: it appears that SFWA Grand Master Harlan Ellison won 67 major awards, including (but not limited to) 11 Hugo Awards, 18 Locus Awards, 5 Nebula Awards, & 6 Bram Stocker Awards, amongst numerous British Fantasy Awards, British Science Fiction Awards, World Fantasy Awards, Writers Guild Awards from numerous different countries, Poe Awards, Bradbury Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Screenwriting Awards, etc.
Thanks for your comment. I wasn't throwing any shade on Ellison's significant accomplishments. He wrote more widely in genres outside of science fiction than Willis and, as a result, many of his awards are for his horror and fantasy output. In an apples-to-apples comparison of major awards for their science fiction works, Willis outnumbers him 19 to 18 by my count. :)
❤😊 love this!!!! Been waiting for this for awhile. Thank you!🙏 this puts a different spin on on my experience to say nothing of the dog…. Also interesting that you say she doesnt enjoy creating the book….
Thanks, Whitney! As you know, this was on my list of planned videos for last year, so I have a lot of catching up to do to get back on schedule. You might try Willis' 'Best of' collection of short fiction. The novella Fire Watch in it provides a very different introduction to the Oxford time travelers than TSNoTD. I also think you might really appreciate her stories The Soul Selects Her Own Society, and The Last of the Winnebagos, among others. Willis has said she loves creating books, just not writing them. :D
@@thelibraryladder thanks!! I had alteady added willis’s best of to my cart. (Good call!) i also plan to get to blackout very soon. I loved inside job (found it at the library awhile ago) and she is the only author i’ve ever met and she is very kind, love her fans.
Definitely read Fire Watch before starting Blackout. It's in her Best Of collection. Plot points in the novelette tie directly into the later duology. I should have mentioned that in the video.
I sit hear wondering to myself why Connie is almost never brought up in discussions or people of my generation, millenials (especially the tail end of it) and younger. People still talk about Le Guin, Asimov, Gibson, Butler, White etc for obvious reasons and the current generation of writers including some stinkers (looking at you Rebecca Kuang). But considering her accolades, it is odd to me I can't recall a disccusion where someone brings up Connie's name, espeically with "Remake" and the current issues with AI. But it reminds me when I picked a Geoff Ryman newest book, "Him" on a whim earlier this year despite never having heard of him and only going off a blurb in the Guardian (not my usual source for book recommendations) and found it absolutly wonderful. And I'm just left wondering, why are some writers even when still alive sort of get passed over in discussions when it is clear that quality is not the issue nor is themes and topics especially as generations churn over.
I've wondered the exact same thing, and you've basically summarized my channel's reason for existence -- i.e., to bring overlooked authors and books back into the conversation. You might give Ryman's novel Air a try. It's a fascinating sociological thought experiment, and it won the A.C. Clarke award about 20 years ago.
I read Doomsday Book last year and found it so incredibly frustrating, it was just people running around not getting anything accomplished in the present timeline, and trying to convince the reader that what was going on couldn’t possibly be happening and trying to call people who wouldn’t call back! I was pulling my hair out by the end. 😅I appreciate your videos and found this one very enjoyable but perhaps Ms. Willis is not for me.
I'm very sorry to hear that, but I can understand your reaction to that aspect of the novel. I felt similarly in the first half of her novel Passage -- there was just too much ineffectual communication and hamster wheel spinning by certain characters. It was exhausting to read. You might give her short fiction a try, though. The stylistic quirks of some of her novels are less prevalent there. I think her 'Best of' and Christmas collections make great entry points.
Was it just too close to real? It just seemed like the kind of thing that people really do. Shortsighted CYA behavior that makes things worse is not SF, just daily fact.
I think the inefficient/unproductive/petty/fixated behaviors of some characters in Doomsday Book is very realistic, but the contrast with most SFF writing can be jarring -- most authors simply describe those kinds of behaviors in summary rather than in fine detail (if they include them at all). For me, the main difference between Doomsday Book and Passage in how some of those behaviors were written is that in Passage, characters repeat behaviors that don't really advance the story (and Willis also repeatedly describes necessary but unimportant repetitive character actions). In contrast, in Doomsday Book, those kinds of actions add natural seeming inefficiency to the story while still advancing the plot and slowly dialing up the uncertainty and tension. That was my experience at least.
I'm sorry my voice is so raspy in this video. I hope it's not distracting. The grass pollen count was very high on the day I filmed it. 😥
I get it. I live in Texas, and the various pollens are off the charts. Just glad to see a new post.
I think your voice is great raspy, it adds to the masculine energy...
Wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't mentioned it.. You're one of the great voices on TH-cam..
Further proof that you have a top notch voice for ebook narration, at any and all seasons! 🤩
I was wondering why you sounded extra manly. I hope you feel better soon
It's always a good day when Library Ladder posts a new video!!!
It's a great day when I can finally hit the Upload button for a video! (I had hoped to have this one out last week, but I had too many interruptions.) :D
Thank you so much for highlighting the works of Connie Willis. So many SF readers ignore her, though she's one of our greats, perhaps because her works are often lighter. I feel like SF readers don't respect those who write softer SF, and who are willing to put emotions into their books. Optimism shouldn't be a dirty word in SF and we sorely need more of it.
Thanks! I agree. Optimism shouldn't be dirty word in any genre.
I’m so grateful for this. A trusted friend recommended CW to me ages ago, but I didn’t know where to begin. Now I do.
I'm so glad you found it helpful!
Comment for the algorithm. You're still one of the best booktubers on here.
Thank you for the very kind words! I'm just trying to broaden the discussion to include books and authors that are rarely discussed on BookTube, but should be.
You’ve been a true inspiration for me when it comes to giving authors a try. I watched your videos on Dan Simmons last year and just finished Summer of Night a few days ago. Thank you for recommending him! You’re doing great work.
Thank you! Your words mean a lot to me. That's why I started my channel -- to bring deserving but overlooked authors back into the popular conversation about books.
@thelibraryladder I read the Hyperion Canto's because of that video (Dutch translation). What an amazing series, so thank you very much for making these videos!
Thank you for this. Willis is a master. Her name must be spread far and wide.
I couldn't agree more! Thanks for watching!
I first encountered Connie Willis‘s writing about 45 years ago. I have been hungrily awaiting every new installment ever since. Thank you, Miss Willis, for all you’ve given us!
She's been a must-read author for me as well ever since I read Doomsday Book 30+ years ago.
I remember when you announced at the beginning of last year that you were going to do career overviews of Dan Simmons and Connie Willis. I love both authors and the Simmons overview followed immediately after your community page post. SO GLAD the Connie Willis one has now appeared! 🤗 Although I live in Scotland, the city of Glasgow has twice hosted the annual SF Worldcon. Connie Willis attended both times, in 1995 and 2005. 😌 SF Worldcon is coming back to Glasgow for a third time this August - I really hope Connie Willis attends again! 🤞
I hope she does attend! I wish I could be there too. I've never been to a Worldcon, and I've been intending to track down my ancestry in Scotland for decades (my family is linked to Clan Wallace centuries back).
I intended to make this video last summer, but when I discovered she was publishing a new novel in the fall (The Road to Roswell), I decided to wait so I could include it.
@@thelibraryladder In the video you mentioned that neither of Willis's career retrospective collections contained two of your favourite short stories by her.
Out of curiosity, which two stories are those?
I have ALL of her short stories, including the uncollected ones (about 15 years ago I tracked down print copies of the magazines and anthologies in which her uncollected work appeared).
One of my favourites of her uncollected work is "Homing Pigeon" (1979) which only ever appeared in an issue of _Galileo_ magazine.
I think you might have misinterpreted my remark. I was referring to the novellas Inside Job and All Seated on the Ground, which are included in her 'Best of' collection, but not in The Winds of Marble Arch and Other Stories.
I'm impressed that you've managed to track down and read all of her stories. In addition to her own collections, I've read a few stories she wrote for themed anthologies containing other authors. But I've never read her uncollected stories such as Homing Pigeon. It's why I expressed frustration in the video at the lack of a comprehensive, multi-volume collection of all her short fiction. :)
lookin like you just got back from club med, man. so glad you're back with another banger. thank you for your unpeered work.
Thanks! I wish I had been at Club Med. Alas, it's just the result of hours of yard work on a sunny day (at the height of grass and tree pollen season -- thus the hoarseness of my voice).
@@thelibraryladder 😃
Thanks for mentioning my favorite holiday story collection - how could I not enjoy an author whose favorite Christmas movie is the same as mine! You are so right about not binging Willis' work, though, as mega-doses of madcap dialog can become exhausting. But I'm always happy when I read or re-read something by Connie Willis. 👏
Thanks! It's always great finding other people who love It's a Wonderful Life! ;D
Coincidentally, I'm currently reading Doomsday Book, barely on chapter 5 (my first Willis).
After your video I'm excited to add the rest of her Oxford books to the top of the tbr, and in publication order 😅
Great timing! I hope you enjoy her books as much as I do. You definitely should read the novelette Fire Watch before starting the final books in the series (Blackout/All Clear). There are some important linkages.
@@thelibraryladder Will do. After introducing me to Simmons' overlooked books, I'm in for all your recs!
Thank you for this gem of a channel 🥰
Excellent in-depth overview of Willis’s works! I’m tempted to try the time-travel series, but I’ll have to wait for the right time. 😊 I am usually not crazy about heavy dialogue, and I appreciate your caution about that device in Willis’s writing.
Would you ever consider a time-travel recommendations video? Time-travel is one of my “buzz words,” and I would love hear a list of your favorites!
Thanks, Johanna! My recommendation for you would be to start with her short fiction -- either her 'Best of' collection or her 2017 Christmas story collection. The 'Best of' one has the added benefit of including the novelette Fire Watch, the first installment in her Oxford time travel series.
Re: your question -- I started making a list last year of the best time travel stories (both from my perspective and from the perspective of impact on the genre) in anticipation of turning it into a video. It's still in the formative, development stage of production, though. Maybe later this year...?
To Say Nothing of the Dog is one of my favorite books of all time BECAUSE of its frothy quality. I find it so refreshing in Science fiction.
I completely agree! I'm also a big fan of P.G. Wodehouse, Kenneth Grahame and the other authors that she was paying homage to in the novel.
I picked up an e-copy of Doomsday Book last year, not knowing its length or reputation or anything. I thought I would read a few pages in an idle moment. Next thing I knew I was spat out after being swallowed whole for about two highly emotionally fraught days. The Black Death felt so real and present that I went on to read Defoe's A Journal of the Plague Year immediately afterwards and the two combined were a highlight of last year for me. Thanks for this and all your videos - I currently have The Crystal Cave out from the library because of you, ready for as soon as I finish Benjamin Myers' "Cuddy".
Thanks! I love the historical realism of Willis' time travel stories. I hope you enjoy Stewart's The Crystal Cave as much as I do!
You probably won't see this comment because I'm commenting on a 2 month old video. I just wanted to say I really loved your coverage on the Eternal Champion Series and hope that someday you may continue it. I got into Micheal Moorcock because of those videos.
Thanks for the encouragement! Due to outside factors, my video output has slowed over the past year, so it’s taken me longer to get to the next installment of my Eternal Champion coverage. I hope to get to the fifth video in the series in the coming months. (The fourth one is the steampunk video I uploaded last December that had a segment on Moorcock’s Oswald Bastable novels. It wasn’t labeled as an Eternal Champion video, though, and some people might not have realized the connection.)
Excellent narrative, LL, your writing/commentary skill far exceeds that of many. Well done sir! As undeniable evidence that I've been living under a rock, Connie Willis has hitherto been completely unknown to me. Until now. Thanks for another in-depth and insightful expose'. Cheers.
Thank you! Willis was very prolific in the 1980s and 90s, but her writing output has slowed significantly over the past 20 years (e.g., a gap of 12 years between her two most recent novels), which might explain her current lack of popular attention. The quality of her writing has remained very high, though.
Always love when a new video pops into my feed
Thanks! I love when I'm finally able to finish a video and upload it! :D
I adore Connie Willis novels, she is underrated by many readers. Another author I'm reading right now is L. E. Modesitt and he is another underrated author. Enjoy all of your video, especially Neal Stephenson. Thank you
Spot on. I’ve read the Oxford series and the “best of” short stories. She is one of sci fi’s best. And you are also correct that you shouldn’t binge her books. Thanks for making a video about this underrepresented author.
Yet another author you've introduced me to and got me interested in. Thanks, and I'm looking forward to digging into Willis's oeuvre!
Would you believe me if I said I slowed my video production schedule to give you more time to catch up on your TBR list? :D
(Nah, I don't believe it either.)
I hope you enjoy her works as much as I do!
Awesome video as always :)
A fascinating video! I must check out some of her "non-Oxford" work.
I’m really starting to love this channel.
Thanks! I'm so glad you've found my videos useful.
This was fantastic! I am going to try and start Fire Watch this weekend. I'm super excited to dive into her works!
Thank you for another video about yet another author whom I'd never heard of. How do you find time to read/re-read so many books?? Have you looked at China Miéville's or Jeff Vandermeer's work at all? Have you considered featuring Weird or New Weird fiction?
Thanks! Retrospectives like this one can take me as long as a year to produce. I started my re-read of Willis' works last summer, and I began preparing for my next video (a retrospective of Jack Vance's works) a year ago last spring. Vance was a very prolific writer, so I've tried to read at least one of his series or short fiction collections every month.
I'm a big fan of Mieville's works and I've quite enjoyed other New Weird authors such as M. John Harrison and Mary Gentle. I also enjoy the work the Vandermeers have done as anthology editors, but I've never completely connected with their own works. There's a good chance I'll do an overview of the history of weird fiction at some point, as I'm pretty familiar with its early history and authors, but I'll need to brush up on more of the recent history.
@@thelibraryladder All you've said just reaffirms my amazement at how much you read, because it sounds like you're reading on top of what you're doing for these videos. Thanks for all of the effort you put into making such accessible and edifying content.
I was reading through The Dying Earth quadrilogy, and I've stalled on Rhialto the Marvellous. Neal Stephenson got in the way. I finally read Anathem, in part because of where you ranked it in your video of him.
I'm a big fan of Miéville. Anything by Harrison or Gentle that you'd recommend?
I have a lot of fun making these videos, and my hope is that viewers like you find them useful. My intent has always been to focus on authors and works that don't get a lot of attention on BookTube. I don't want to make redundant content that adds to the existing echo chamber of discussion centered on a relatively small set of (mostly) recent books and authors. I do read a lot of those recent books, but I don't really discuss them in my videos because I don't think my contribution to the discussion would add much to what others have already said. If I ever decide to do occasional livestreams here on my channel (which I'm contemplating), I'd probably broaden my focus to cover a wider range of books, authors and genres in those livestreams.
As to how much I read, I try to read at least a couple of hours every day. In recent years, I've found audiobooks to be helpful because I can listen to them while doing mindless tasks such as mowing the lawn, cooking or cleaning.
M. John Harrison's Viriconium series (starting with The Pastel City) is a classic that was heavily inspired by Vance's Dying Earth, but darker and without the sly humor of Vance. Mary Gentle's Ash is another great read, although it can be a little challenging because it's written as a dense hybrid of fantasy, historical fiction and scholarly journal.
Sir, Your channel is extremely valuable and provides insight not only to book readers but to the world at large. It is truly inspiring. I am sure your videos have already spread to countries outside the United States. It is always a pleasure to watch and gain something new from your videos.
Keep up the excellent work on this amazing channel!
Thank you for your very kind words! About 40% of my viewers are located outside the US, which makes me very happy. I have many more videos planned. :)
Dammit! Now I have a whole new chunk of books to collect and read!
Wonderful, Nev! I'd suggest starting small with her 'Best of' collection of short fiction, though, to get a feel for her writing style and whether it works for you. The collection also includes the first story in her Oxford time travel series, the novelette Fire Watch.
Wow this was really interesting Bridger. I’ve never heard of Connie Willis at all.
I'm so glad I was able to introduce you to her works, Chas. She's a wonderful writer.
I would love to hear your opinion on authors such as David Eddings, Steven Erikson, Glen Cook, and Mark Lawrence. Omitting Eddings, curious to hear your view on these "grim dark" legends.
I think early Eddings (Belgariad/Malloreon) can be a great introduction to the genre. His books are very formulaic, but for newcomers to the genre, it likely won't be noticeable and would provide them a fun roadmap to common tropes.
I'm planning a future video about Cook (although not this year -- too many other videos ahead of it in my production queue).
I'm in the middle of reading Malazan, so my opinions are still forming. I started reading it 20+ years ago, but I set it aside after the first couple of books when I realized the series wouldn't be finished for several more years. I recently restarted the series and am enjoying it.
Likewise, I haven't read enough by Lawrence to have a firm opinion. I didn't enjoy Prince of Thorns as much as I hoped I would.
In general, I enjoy grimdark fiction best when it has characters who I can empathize with and root for, and where there's at least a glimmer of hope for redemption. I'm not much of a fan of nihilistic stories.
@@thelibraryladder Appreciate the response, I tend to point out the Belgariad, Belgarath the Sorcerer, and Polgara to those interested in discovering chronicle fantasy fiction. Anne McCaffrey as well. The Pern series is another great starting point for new interests. Thanks for the great videos.
May i ask what editing software do you use?
@@ErikaScroggins Thanks for your question. I use Davinci Resolve, which I really like. I’d never done any video editing before starting my channel a couple of years ago, and I’ve been teaching myself how to do it ever since.
The thing that struck me about her academic paper about Emily Dickinson was the footnote to another footnote that references 'Night of the Cooters', a story about an off-course Martian ship that lands in Pachuco, Texas, by Howard Waldrop. The fact that she offhandedly mentions Waldrop's homage to actor Slim Pickens is just a delightful joke among the handful of us in the know.
I've never read 'Night of the Cooters.' Thanks for sharing that tidbit!
@@thelibraryladder Howard Waldrop is an undeservedly obscure author who passed away recently. The story is in his collection 'Night of the Cooters: More Neat Stories'. It is available, used, and is worth a read. A short film of the story was released in 2022, produced by George R.R. Martin, staring Vincent D'onofio.
Yeah! Connie.
excellent overview Willis has been on my TBR for ages I might have to move her up a few notches
Thank you for the wonderful video essay! And it's timely for me as well - I am just finishing 'Road to Roswell' and 'Passages' is four down on my TBR.
Thanks! Timely indeed! As I mentioned in the video, I think the first part of Passages requires some patience from readers, but the payoff in the end is rewarding.
This channel is so special, interesting, and relaxing to watch. Very glad I found it. Please tell me you also do audiobooks - I would buy them all. 😆
Also, do you have a Goodreads account we can add?
Thank you for your kind comment! I'm not a professional audiobook narrator, although in response to viewer requests, I've recorded a few classic short stories for fun here on my channel. They can be found in my Audiobooks playlist. I might record more in the future.
I don't have an active Goodreads account where I post book reviews. However, I'm currently exploring the possibility of creating a Substack site where I'd discuss a wider range of books and other topics than I do on this channel.
@@thelibraryladder Thanks! I see the playlist now and look forward to listening later today.
In addition to Substack, I recommend/would be excited if you started a Patreon. I can tell that a lot of time goes into your videos here. Patreon could be a place where you post quicker and/or less edited discussions on books and more story readings. I know I would become a member if you did!
Thanks for the vote of support! You hit the nail on the head with your reference to time. My goal for my YT channel is to create a kind of permanent reference tool for readers (and teachers, librarians, publishers, etc.), which is why I tend to put a lot of effort into each video I make. It's time-consuming, though, and I often don't have much time to devote to it (hence my inconsistent upload schedule). There also are a lot of books and authors that I'd like to discuss, but that I know I'll never get to on my channel, either because they don't fit within my channel's scope or because the effort of making videos about them exceeds their potential value.
With Substack (as with Patreon), I'd be able to craft a wider range of content more quickly and easily, which could take the form of written essays, photo articles, podcasts and live-streamed video discussions that don't rely on the vagaries of YT's algorithm to reach an audience. It would supplement my channel, not replace it. I'd also likely use it as a proving ground to field test ideas for future videos for my channel.
@@thelibraryladder I think TH-cam flagged my response because I included a link to a site that has helped me edit more quickly/efficiently at the end. I thought I would let you know that you may need to look at those flagged comments on your channel instead of typing it all again.
Typical TH-cam being difficult… 😅
The response you referenced isn't showing up in my 'Held for review' section where YT sends flagged comments. I'm not surprised, though, because sometimes it can take a week or more for a flagged comment to appear there. I don't know what causes the delay...other than YT being difficult. :)
Thanks for this overview. You are right with your recommendation on spacing out the reading of her works . I bought a job lot of her books and quickly devoured the Oxford series, but found other book length stories a bit harder to get into because of the meticulous setup. Persistence definitely rewards in all cases though 😊
Thanks! I did a comprehensive reread of her works over the past year in preparation for this video, so I experienced first-hand the potential downside of binge reading them. They're great, but the rom-com pattern becomes pretty apparent with frequent repetition.
Really enjoy Connie Willis. Thanks for your commentary on her books.
Thanks! She's woefully underrepresented in discussions on BookTube, and this video is my attempt to get more people talking about her books.
I loved Doomsday Book when I read it recently, but I really wish I'd gone into it with a better idea of what it was going to be dealing with (especially for the modern day storyline). I was listening to it on audiobook on my way home for Christmas towards the end of the pandemic, and sometimes it was just not a very fun experience.
I am a big fan of time travel stories in general (love anytime an SFF story has an excuse to be happening in the past and we get a view of what day-to-day life and the people could have been like), and I felt like she did an excellent job of bringing in everything I love about more serious time travel novels.
She takes the history part of time travel seriously, which adds significantly to my enjoyment of her stories.
Another great video. I have been aware of Connie Willis's work for a while, especially her time travel stories but I always seemed to wait and wait to try her books but this video has rekindled my interest for the Oxford Time Travel stories and her short fiction as well. Now, I don't think I will wait long to give them a try.
Thanks! My recommendation would be to start with her 'Best of' collection of short fiction, which includes the first time travel story, Fire Watch.
Was there a video released between this one and the King Arthur videos. I could have swore I missed one.
No, you haven't missed one. I've just been very slow this year in producing videos due to a variety of factors, most of them outside my control. Thanks for checking! (P.S.: My next video has been filmed and I'll be editing it this weekend, with an upload target of Monday or Tuesday.)
Where did you find out about her childhood influences? Interviews? Articles? I loved the Betsy-Tacy books and have never met anyone else who remembers them. I read the first in the 3rd grade, so that's quite early in reading development.
She's mentioned various influences on her writing in interviews and speeches she's given over the years as well as in the forewords to some of her short fiction collections.
I introduced my kids to the Betsy-Tacy stories when they were very young, and they loved them.
I know of Connie Willis. I've been seeing her name for years, but I know that I haven't read anything by her. You do make her works sound interesting though. I totally enjoyed your review of her.
Thanks! Her 'Best of' collection is a great place to start and includes the first entry in her Oxford Time Travel series.
I love your videos. Thanks so much.
Your voice is so cool, you should narrate audiobooks or something.
I loved this video. If you have any suggestions about norse mythology literature please make a video about it.
Keep up the great work. ⭐
Thanks! For fun, I've narrated a few classic short stories here on my channel (they're located in the Audiobooks playlist).
Also, thanks for the suggestion about Norse mythology. In fact, I just finished reading The Long Ships, by Frans Bengtsson, a classic novel about 10th century Vikings. It's historical fiction, but it was written in a style imitating that of epic Norse myths. It's a fun read if you like understated humor.
I really enjoyed your deep dive on Gnome press. I'd be super excited to hear your take on Fantasy Press. Thanks for the awesome videos!
Thanks! From the beginning, I've fully intended to make a video about Fantasy Press. My challenge has been finding the time to make it. I have too many planned videos in my production queue and not enough free time to work on them all. For efficiency's sake, I might combine several specialty presses (e.g., Fantasy Press, Shasta, FPCI, Prime Press) into one video. Stay tuned, I'll eventually get to it. :D
@@thelibraryladderI completely know the feeling my friend. ;-)
I just read my first Connie Willis book last month, Doomsday Book, and enjoyed it so much. Written in 1992, it reflected so much of what the world just went through in the pandemic. I can see people getting tired of miscommunication or obstacles getting in the way, but I found the story gripping, in both perspectives.
Being a serious novel, there was a surprisingly comedic undertone to it. I was going to say, but you beat me to it, I bet she was a Wodehouse fan. A big fan myself, I think I'll love the next book in the series.
Thanks! I'm a Wodehouse fan, so if you're one too, I think you'll really enjoy To Say Nothing of the Dog. I can't think of many SF tales quite like it.
Before moving on to Blackout/All Clear, though, you should read her 1982 novelette Fire Watch, which ties directly to the events and characters in the duology. It's found in a lot of SF anthologies in addition to her 'Best of' collection.
Having been familiar with her for decades, I am always shocked how few people know her work despite all the awards. My guess is it’s mostly short story. Harlan Ellison runs into this issue too, but he has Star Trek to pull him up.
Most of her awards are for short fiction, but nearly all of her novels have also won major awards (e.g., all four installments in her Oxford time travel series won the Hugo, and three of them won the Nebula). Her slow writing pace might have caused her to drop off readers' radar in recent years. I hope this video helps build awareness of her works.
I don't think its unusual for prolific writers to have similar protagonists/characters/themes in their stories. It's funny you mentioned Heinlein's YA novels because I devoured those when I discovered them in my grade school's library. After several novels, I definitely felt like the protagonists were inter changeable or the same person, just in a diff story with a diff name. Had a similar feeling when binge reading Anne McCaffrey. It happens ;)
I agree with you. I think many authors end up writing multiple characters that are basically variations of the author's own personality, because that's who they know best (or who they want readers to know best).
Great video - reminded me that I should actually bump up the Doomsday book onto the TBR.
She really needs a new snappy special edition to get TH-cam excited again about her
A friend gave me his copy of the Doomsday book because he couldn't get into it. I ended up getting so sucked into it that I was staying up late, getting up early (which I never do) and reading with a throbbing headache due to lack of sleep because I just wanted to know what would happen next. I hope you enjoy it a little less than I did and actually sleep.
I’ve got Doomsday Book and am excited to tackle it in ‘25
Great! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Connie Willis is one of my favorites. Spice Pogrom is hilarious.
I agree!
I enjoyed Cross Talk but haven't found any of her other work at the library.
!! The lack of other titles (particularly the Oxford ones) in the library really surprises and disappoints me. Did the library have them in electronic format (ebook or audio) instead? Many libraries are substantially culling their shelves and replacing physical books with electronic versions. It's often more expensive in the long run for libraries to go that route, but it responds to user demands for more electronic media while freeing up space in library branches that can be converted to other uses.
@@thelibraryladder I prefer paper books so I don't look into Ebooks. I've noticed how my local library culls there shelves pretty quickly so I try to visit there book sales. I'm now up to 3 library cards trying to expand my selection and it seems to be helping.
You might want to recheck the numbers on this: it appears that SFWA Grand Master Harlan Ellison won 67 major awards, including (but not limited to) 11 Hugo Awards, 18 Locus Awards, 5 Nebula Awards, & 6 Bram Stocker Awards, amongst numerous British Fantasy Awards, British Science Fiction Awards, World Fantasy Awards, Writers Guild Awards from numerous different countries, Poe Awards, Bradbury Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Screenwriting Awards, etc.
Thanks for your comment. I wasn't throwing any shade on Ellison's significant accomplishments. He wrote more widely in genres outside of science fiction than Willis and, as a result, many of his awards are for his horror and fantasy output. In an apples-to-apples comparison of major awards for their science fiction works, Willis outnumbers him 19 to 18 by my count. :)
❤😊 love this!!!! Been waiting for this for awhile. Thank you!🙏 this puts a different spin on on my experience to say nothing of the dog…. Also interesting that you say she doesnt enjoy creating the book….
Thanks, Whitney! As you know, this was on my list of planned videos for last year, so I have a lot of catching up to do to get back on schedule. You might try Willis' 'Best of' collection of short fiction. The novella Fire Watch in it provides a very different introduction to the Oxford time travelers than TSNoTD. I also think you might really appreciate her stories The Soul Selects Her Own Society, and The Last of the Winnebagos, among others.
Willis has said she loves creating books, just not writing them. :D
@@thelibraryladder thanks!! I had alteady added willis’s best of to my cart. (Good call!) i also plan to get to blackout very soon. I loved inside job (found it at the library awhile ago) and she is the only author i’ve ever met and she is very kind, love her fans.
Definitely read Fire Watch before starting Blackout. It's in her Best Of collection. Plot points in the novelette tie directly into the later duology. I should have mentioned that in the video.
Another great video :)
Thanks! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
I sit hear wondering to myself why Connie is almost never brought up in discussions or people of my generation, millenials (especially the tail end of it) and younger. People still talk about Le Guin, Asimov, Gibson, Butler, White etc for obvious reasons and the current generation of writers including some stinkers (looking at you Rebecca Kuang). But considering her accolades, it is odd to me I can't recall a disccusion where someone brings up Connie's name, espeically with "Remake" and the current issues with AI. But it reminds me when I picked a Geoff Ryman newest book, "Him" on a whim earlier this year despite never having heard of him and only going off a blurb in the Guardian (not my usual source for book recommendations) and found it absolutly wonderful. And I'm just left wondering, why are some writers even when still alive sort of get passed over in discussions when it is clear that quality is not the issue nor is themes and topics especially as generations churn over.
I've wondered the exact same thing, and you've basically summarized my channel's reason for existence -- i.e., to bring overlooked authors and books back into the conversation.
You might give Ryman's novel Air a try. It's a fascinating sociological thought experiment, and it won the A.C. Clarke award about 20 years ago.
I spent too long trying to work out how DNF resolves into defenestrate. I may be tired.
That’s very funny! :D
It took me a while to figure out many of the BookTube acronyms. (For the record, DNF translates to “did not finish.”)
Ever thought of making some reviews of Frederik Pohl?
Yes, he's on my list, although I'm not sure when I'll get to him. Thanks for the suggestion!
And my to-be-read pile grows a bit taller.
I was hoping my slow video production schedule over the past several months might have given you a chance to whittle down your TBR pile. :D
Walther White at his finest.
I read Doomsday Book last year and found it so incredibly frustrating, it was just people running around not getting anything accomplished in the present timeline, and trying to convince the reader that what was going on couldn’t possibly be happening and trying to call people who wouldn’t call back! I was pulling my hair out by the end. 😅I appreciate your videos and found this one very enjoyable but perhaps Ms. Willis is not for me.
I'm very sorry to hear that, but I can understand your reaction to that aspect of the novel. I felt similarly in the first half of her novel Passage -- there was just too much ineffectual communication and hamster wheel spinning by certain characters. It was exhausting to read. You might give her short fiction a try, though. The stylistic quirks of some of her novels are less prevalent there. I think her 'Best of' and Christmas collections make great entry points.
Was it just too close to real? It just seemed like the kind of thing that people really do. Shortsighted CYA behavior that makes things worse is not SF, just daily fact.
I think the inefficient/unproductive/petty/fixated behaviors of some characters in Doomsday Book is very realistic, but the contrast with most SFF writing can be jarring -- most authors simply describe those kinds of behaviors in summary rather than in fine detail (if they include them at all). For me, the main difference between Doomsday Book and Passage in how some of those behaviors were written is that in Passage, characters repeat behaviors that don't really advance the story (and Willis also repeatedly describes necessary but unimportant repetitive character actions). In contrast, in Doomsday Book, those kinds of actions add natural seeming inefficiency to the story while still advancing the plot and slowly dialing up the uncertainty and tension. That was my experience at least.