Impossible Things [Anglais] [Poche]

Willis ( Lincoln's Dreams ) demonstrates her sly wit and quirky perspective in this solid collection of 11 previously published science fiction pieces. Romance becomes entangled with interplanetary negotiations when a Navy linguist and the neglected fiancee of an officious NASA diplomat try to keep a visiting alien happy--even though language problems obscure whether the powers-that-be are arranging a space program or a spice pogrom. In a story that will look like SF only to readers who have steered clear of higher education lately, a consultant promoting "relevantness" and modern pedagogical theory nips at the heels of professors teaching paleontology at a state university. During the Battle of Britain, a Civil Defense worker gains a disturbing insight into himself and the war from a mysterious volunteer who has an uncanny ability to locate bombing victims buried under rubble. Willis's fondness for Shakespeare translates into two stories: one considers how much text would be left intact if all right-wing, left-wing and special-interest groups could delete the bits of which they do not approve; the other tackles the old conundrum, If Shakespeare wasn't Shakespeare, who was?
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

YA?This must-have collection includes several of Willis's prize-winning (Hugo and Nebula) stories. Any library buffeted by the winds of censorship needs to include "Ado," a hilarious send-up in which the attempt to please everyone is carried to its logical extreme. "Spice Pogrom" makes it clear exactly how difficult real communication is, and "Schwarzchild Radius" is a fascinating whole-language addition to the physics curriculum. "Even the Queen," however, is the indispensable selection. The author's introductions to each piece are a lovely bonus.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Eleven short stories by one of sf's most exciting new voices explores topics that range from Shakespeare to feminism to quantum physics. Most of these stories have only seen magazine publication.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ranging in style from biting satire to speculative history, Willis' second collection of short fiction displays a versatility of form and conception few in the genre can match. A frequent sf award recipient throughout the last decade, Willis opens with her Hugo- and Nebula-winning "Last of the Winnebagos," a brilliant though sobering peek into a future devoid of either RVs or man's best friend. Here, in following a photographer's detective-style leaps of discovery, Willis reveals an almost razor-sharp wit--an edge that cuts just as effectively even in her less serious, more satirical pieces. "Spice Pogrom," for instance, is a hilarious pastiche of Hollywood screwball comedies in which materialistic aliens with unpronounceable names misunderstand almost every communication with their human hosts. Some tales, such as "Ado," in which ubiquitous political correctness leaves only a page of Shakespeare uncensored for an English class, deserve immediate recognition as classics. Gardner Dozois' laudatory introduction justifiably cites this as one of the best short story collections of the year. An impressive showcase for a major sf talent. Carl Hays

A collection of science fiction tales by the winner of six Nebula and two Hugo awards features a tale of an outrageous colony in outer space, a distraught woman obsessed with the past, and creatures who roam London during the Blitz.