''Fire Watch'' is a book of
short stories
A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
by
Connie Willis
Constance Elaine Trimmer Willis (born December 31, 1945), commonly known as Connie Willis, is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. She has won eleven Hugo Awards and seven Nebula Awards for particular works—more major SF awards than ...
, first published in 1984, that touches on
time travel
Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a device known a ...
,
nuclear war
Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a War, military conflict or prepared Policy, political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are Weapon of mass destruction, weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conven ...
, the
end of the world, and cornball humour.
The title story, "Fire Watch", is about a time-travelling historian who goes back to
the Blitz
The Blitz (English: "flash") was a Nazi Germany, German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, for eight months, from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941, during the Second World War.
Towards the end of the Battle of Britain in 1940, a co ...
in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. He's miffed because he spent years preparing to travel with
St. Paul
Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...
and gets sent to
St. Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...
in London, instead. This model of time travel also features in Willis's subsequent novels ''
Doomsday Book'', ''
To Say Nothing of the Dog'' and ''
Blackout/All Clear
''Blackout'' and ''All Clear'' are the two volumes that constitute a 2010 science fiction novel by American author Connie Willis. ''Blackout'' was published February 2, 2010 by Spectra. The second part, the conclusion ''All Clear'', was relea ...
'', set in the same continuity.
Contents
*"
Fire Watch"
*"Service for the Burial of the Dead"
*"Lost and Found"
*"All My Darling Daughters"
*"The Father of the Bride"
*"
A Letter from the Clearys
"A Letter from the Clearys" is a science fiction short story by American writer Connie Willis, originally published in the July 1982 issue of the ''Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine'', and later reprinted in the short story collections '' ...
"
*"The Sidon in the Mirror"
*"And Come from Miles Around"
*"Daisy, in the Sun"
*"Mail Order Clone"
*"Samaritan"
*"Blued Moon"
This was Connie Willis's first collection.
Reception
David Pringle
David Pringle (born 1 March 1950) is a Scottish science fiction editor and critic.
Pringle served as the editor of '' Foundation'', an academic journal, from 1980 to 1986, during which time he became one of the prime movers of the collective whi ...
rated ''Fire Watch'' three stars out of four and described Willis as a "talented new writer".
[ David Pringle, ''The Ultimate Guide To Science Fiction''. New York: Pharos Books: St. Martins Press, 1990, (p.120). ]
References
External links
A review
1984 short story collections
Science fiction short story collections
Hugo Award for Best Novelette–winning works
Works by Connie Willis
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