I'm on the mailing list of Subterranean Press, a publisher of gourmet and collectible editions of science fiction and fantasy. I was thrilled when they recently announced that they will be publishing limited editions of two new Connie Willis books-- Blackout, and All Clear. Yes, the author of To Say Nothing of the Dog, Fire Watch, Bellweather...Here's what Subterranean has to say about the first one:
"Blackout is the opening movement of a vast, absorbing two-volume novel that may well prove to be Connie Willis's masterpiece. Like her multi-award winningThe Doomsday Book, this marvelous new work marries the intricate mechanics of time travel to the gritty - and dangerous - realities of actual human history. The narrative opens in Oxford, England in 2060, where a trio of time traveling scholars prepares to depart for various corners of the Second World War. Their mission: to observe, from a "safe" vantage point, the day-to-day nature of life during a critical historical moment, As the action ranges from the evacuation of Dunkirk to the manor houses of rural England to the quotidian horrors of London during the Blitz, the objective nature of their roles gradually changes. Cut off from the safety net of the future and caught up in the "chaotic system" that is history, they are forced to participate, in unexpected ways, in the defining events of the era.
Blackout is an ingeniously constructed time travel novel and a grand entertainment. More than that, it is a moving, exquisitely detailed portrait of a world under siege, a world dominated by chaos, uncertainty, and the threat of imminent extinction. It is the rare sort of book that transcends the limits of genre, offering pleasure, insight, and illumination on virtually every page."
I'm not sure I want a limited edition, but I do want this book! February 2nd, 2010... All Clear, the second book, is due six months later.
"Blackout is the opening movement of a vast, absorbing two-volume novel that may well prove to be Connie Willis's masterpiece. Like her multi-award winningThe Doomsday Book, this marvelous new work marries the intricate mechanics of time travel to the gritty - and dangerous - realities of actual human history. The narrative opens in Oxford, England in 2060, where a trio of time traveling scholars prepares to depart for various corners of the Second World War. Their mission: to observe, from a "safe" vantage point, the day-to-day nature of life during a critical historical moment, As the action ranges from the evacuation of Dunkirk to the manor houses of rural England to the quotidian horrors of London during the Blitz, the objective nature of their roles gradually changes. Cut off from the safety net of the future and caught up in the "chaotic system" that is history, they are forced to participate, in unexpected ways, in the defining events of the era.
Blackout is an ingeniously constructed time travel novel and a grand entertainment. More than that, it is a moving, exquisitely detailed portrait of a world under siege, a world dominated by chaos, uncertainty, and the threat of imminent extinction. It is the rare sort of book that transcends the limits of genre, offering pleasure, insight, and illumination on virtually every page."
I'm not sure I want a limited edition, but I do want this book! February 2nd, 2010... All Clear, the second book, is due six months later.
Oooohhh! Going to have to pre-order those. I still remember sobbing in a motel bathroom in Shasta, CA while reading The Doomsday Book...
ReplyDeleteJust love Subterranean's work with her -- loved her YA and All Seated on the Ground but I do think that the extra-special limited edition will not be coming home with me!
ReplyDeleteWe did an interview with CW a few years ago. She is scary brilliant.
Charlotte, I didn't realize you were a Connie Willis fan! I love her books so very very much, and I am psyched for the next one.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen her talk about how she accidentally married her husband because of Lord of the Rings?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCYd0eI_MJ4
New Connie Willis? Please pardon me while I run outside to WHOOP!
ReplyDeleteNettle, thank you so much for sharing that link. Completely charming!
Oh boy, what a treat to look forward to - whooping may be required here too. And I've got to go and look at Nettle's link.
ReplyDeleteI need a new Connie Willis book so badly that I may have to order it from the US, because I don't think I can wait until it *might* be available here.