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Doomsday Book

Connie Willis
Nebula 1992, Hugo 1993

A book in two time periods with two sets of characters, two cultures and two distinct levels of interest. I found the twenty-first century half of the book tedious, pedantic and extremely slow-moving. I found the fourteenth century half incredibly interesting, educational and uplifting.

Reading about the time in the past is like really being there - you can almost feel the cold wind, hear the church bell chime and smell the decaying odors. Reading about the time in the future is like wishing you were somewhere else.

Though the historial past embodies physical suffering, ignorant attitudes and autocratic social structure while the future version of our world is clean, well-ordered, and almost antiseptic; the past has heart white the effete future wallows in meaninglessness. This may not be the author's intention but rather a byproduct from passionate study and interest in this particular historical period.

A recommendation? Skim 2054, savor and reread 1320.

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