Paul's burn to the ground if need be so that we don't change the future?'

He asks himself ethical questions: 'What are the consequences of what we do, if there are consequences? And how do we dare do anything without knowing them? Must we interfere boldly, hoping we do not bring about all our downfalls? Or must we do nothing at all, not interfere, stand by and watch St. Unlike his fellow wardens, he knows how much destruction London will see. Emotionally, he is drawn completely into the world of the fire watchers, crushing on a young woman who appears to be living in an underground bomb shelter, caring for a cat, exhausting himself on night watches. In 'Fire Watch' (1983), possibly her finest story, John Bartholomew, a young historian from a near-future Oxford University, travels back in time to observe the Blitz in London at the famed St. Her stories are about what people do when they find themselves in extreme, challenging or surprising situations. Willis, who was named a Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master in 2011, is an excellent gateway writer for readers new to SFF. 'The Best of Connie Willis' feels like an awfully short and spare title for such a wide-ranging imagination.Īfter all, the 10 stories in this collection include both one of the most poignant World War II time-travel tales and, I feel completely confident in writing this, the greatest alien-first-contact-at-Christmas story ever.Įach of these 10 stories won either a Hugo or Nebula Award, the science-fiction and fantasy world's biggest prizes, or both.

Fire Watch by Connie Willis