2012 Puddly Awards
 
 
Follow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on TumblrSubscribe to RSS

Recently Viewed clear list

Powell's Q&A | January 17, 2012

Ryan Boudinot: IMG Powell’s Q&A: Ryan Boudinot

1 comment By Ryan Boudinot

Describe your latest work. Blueprints of the Afterlife is a novel about the following things: giant heads that appear in the sky, a mystical... Continue »
  1. $9.80 Sale Trade Paper add to wish list

    Blueprints of the Afterlife

    Ryan Boudinot 9780802170910
spacer
Free Shipping!

Ships free on qualified orders.
$5.50
Used Mass Market
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
Qty Store Section
4 Burnside Science Fiction and Fantasy- A to Z

More copies of this ISBN

Doomsday Book

by Connie Willis

Doomsday Book Cover

ISBN13: 9780553562736
ISBN10: 0553562738
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

For Kivrin, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi for a woman traveling alone. For her instructors in the twenty-first century, it meant painstaking calculations and careful monitoring of the rendezvous location where Kivrin would be received.

But a crisis strangely linking past and future strands Kivrin in a bygone age as her fellows try desperately to rescue her. In a time of superstition and fear, Kivrin — barely of age herself — finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope during one of history's darkest hours.

Five years in the writing by one of science fiction's most honored authors, Doomsday Book is a storytelling triumph. Connie Willis draws upon her understanding of the universalities of human nature to explore the ageless issues of evil, suffering and the indomitable will of the human spirit.

Review:

"A stunning novel that encompasses both suffering and hope....The best work yet from one of science fiction's best writers." The Denver Post

Review:

"Splendid work...brutal, gripping and genuinely harrowing, the product of diligent research, fine writing and well-honed instincts, that should appeal far beyond the normal science-fiction constituency." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"The world of 1348 burns in the mind's eye, and every character alive that year is a fully recognized being....It becomes possible to feel...that Connie Willis did, in fact, over the five years Doomsday Book took her to write, open a window to another world, and that she saw something there." The Washington Post Book World
back to top

About the Author

Connie Willis has won six Nebula Awards, more than any other writer, and was the first author to win the Nebula in all four categories.
back to top

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 8 comments:
Newly converted, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by Newly converted)
This premise of this book is outstanding, the writing outstanding, and the heart and pathos top notch. I'm grateful to have experienced her skill as a storyteller, and look forward to reading the rest of her books. While unfortunately classified as sci-fi, this book is for anyone interested in historical fiction as well. Please look past the narrow ideas you may have for sci-fi or fantasy and give this book a read!
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
MSRenfrow, August 7, 2010 (view all comments by MSRenfrow)
I read this book years ago. I had gotten to the point where I remembered that I had hated the book, but a lot of my friends had just read it for a book club and were raving, so I decided to purchase a copy and remind myself why I hated it.

Well, I remember now. The book drove me mad because everyone involved in the time travel aspect were absolutely dumber than a bag of rocks. The only logical explanation I can come up with for this lack of brains amongst people who are supposed to be well-educated is that the virus made them stupid.

The only character I have any sympathy for at all is Colin. Not because he isn't stupid, because he is, but he's a teenager with that invincibility complex that grown adults are supposed to have gotten over.

The plot is well written and only drags in a few places. The pace is quick, which means you sometimes are subjected to point of view whiplash. It's a solid novel, if you like reading about complete idiots suffering because of the completely idiotic things they brought upon themselves through their moronic actions.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Dovile, December 23, 2009 (view all comments by Dovile)
A captivating read, the best part of which was the medieval setting. I'm not an expert of medieval England, so to me the descriptions seemed quite believable, and the medieval characters quite were engaging, thoug the plot did take time to develop to something more interesting. I particularly liked the final part of the novel, when the Plague finally strikes the village.

The future setting wasn't particularly interesting, with little developed characters, and served more as a contrast and also for suspense. The novel suffered in a few places due to being written in the eighties. There was little of future technology described, but the lack of mobile phones jarred the most. Half of the problems in the novel could've been solved if the characters used any kind of a mobile communication device.

All in all, this is a novel that is best to be approached with your heart and emotions, and not your mind. Recommended with reservations
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(4 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
View all 8 comments
back to top

Product Details

ISBN:
9780553562736
Author:
Willis, Connie
Publisher:
Spectra Books
Author:
Willis, Connie, (Ed)
Location:
New York :
Subject:
General
Subject:
Fiction
Subject:
Science Fiction - General
Subject:
Science fiction
Subject:
Europe
Subject:
Middle ages
Subject:
Time travel
Subject:
Black death
Subject:
Europe History 476-1492 Fiction.
Subject:
History
Subject:
Science / General
Subject:
Science Fiction and Fantasy-A to Z
Copyright:
1993
Edition Description:
Mass market paperback
Series Volume:
68-254
Publication Date:
19930831
Binding:
MASS MARKET
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
592
Dimensions:
7.00x4.32x1.28 in. .60 lbs.
back to top

Other books you might like

  1. $5.50 Used Mass Market add to wish list

    To Say Nothing of the Dog: Or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last

    Connie Willis 9780553575385
  2. $12.99 Google eBooks add to wish list

    Lost

    Gregory Maguire 9780061748660
  3. $4.50 Used Mass Market add to wish list

    Passage

    Connie Willis 9780553580518
  4. $5.50 Used Mass Market add to wish list

    Bellwether

    Connie Willis 9780553562965
  5. $0.50 Used Mass Market add to wish list

    Timeline

    Michael Crichton 9780345417626
  6. $8.99 Google eBooks add to wish list

    A Fire upon the Deep

    Vernor Vinge 9781429981989
back to top

Related Aisles

Doomsday Book Used Mass Market
0 stars - 0 reviews
$5.50 In Stock
Product details 592 pages Spectra Books - English 9780553562736 Reviews:
"Review" by , "A stunning novel that encompasses both suffering and hope....The best work yet from one of science fiction's best writers."
"Review" by , "Splendid work...brutal, gripping and genuinely harrowing, the product of diligent research, fine writing and well-honed instincts, that should appeal far beyond the normal science-fiction constituency."
"Review" by , "The world of 1348 burns in the mind's eye, and every character alive that year is a fully recognized being....It becomes possible to feel...that Connie Willis did, in fact, over the five years Doomsday Book took her to write, open a window to another world, and that she saw something there."
spacer
spacer
  • back to top
Follow us on...


Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.