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Bellwether is one of Connie Willis' non-SF satirical (even farcical at times) comedies. It took me a couple of reads, about 10 years apart, to really appreciate it. Here’s my evolving take on this unique novel: The bellwether sheep, who leads the flockBellwether Read #1, sometime around 2005: 3 stars. I'm a big Connie Willis, but she can be a little uneven. She seems to have two primary modes: farce/comedy of errors (usually with a little romance mixed in), and incredibly detailed and well-rese...
Baaaaaaaa!I'm caught in a horrible quandary. On the one hand, this is a purely wonderful and madcap whirlwind of farcical trendsetting, and I mean that most literally, in that it's ABOUT the madcap whirlwind of farcical trendsetting, and yet for all its humor, its chaos, its insight into human and animal behavior, and even how fads rule the sciences, I have to admit that this isn't *actually* science fiction.It is a fantastic novella, though. :) It's funny on so many different levels, and there'...
Insecure, ill-dressed chaos theorist desires intelligent, insightful, incandescent trends researcher. Must be SC. Yes, this is a romance novel, of sorts. With socially awkward scientists and stuff. But it has something that most romance novels only aspire to: it’s laugh out loud funny. And smart. And sneaky: under the disguise of the boy meets girl plot, you might find out more than you bargained for about science, and about what makes us human. It is what The Big Bang Theory should have been
https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2017/...I owe bellwether a review. Bellwether is a book that I inevitably turn to when I want something that is light, clever, literate and sweet. Sandra Foster has been studying fads, specifically trying to identify what started the bobbed hair craze at some time in the 1920s. The company administrative assistant, Flip, is pretty much the worst ever, and one day when she mis-delivers a 'perishable' (not 'fragile,' as Pip says) to Sandra, Sandra finds herself t...
I really have almost nothing to say about Bellwether itself, though the "all time favourites" shelf probably says enough, but this reread was an unusual one and I don't have any other social media site on which to share it. Quite a few people here will already know that Dorian, a Dublin friend, was in a serious accident back in February, and is still in hospital, technically in a coma, although she has woken up. The prognosis is not great, but of course brain injuries are always a big unknown. B...
Connie Willis has long been one of my favorite authors; her masterpiece Doomsday Book remains one of the most powerful reading experiences of my life. With Bellwether, she’s in her screwball comedy mode, and the result is totally delightful, filled with her impeccably-conceived plotting, truly funny dialogue, and no small amount of heart. As always, she’s fascinated by the manner in which random acts and chaos conspire to coalesce into life-changing moments, and even when she’s approaching these...
Not science fiction but rather fiction about science, akin to the distinction between a girlfriend and a friend that’s a girl. And like the difference between a platonic and an amorous relationship, this book is fun without too many complications. It's about trend analysis, meaning a sociological study of fads, and chaos theory and how they interrelate. It's also well written, chatty and a light, enjoyable read. I'll read more of her work.
My main problem with Connie Willis books is that they usually have great characters and an interesting plot, but are thick with too much narrative padding, typically in the form of "funny bits" about bureaucratic incompetence and miscommunication due to mishaps with modern technology, and exhaustively-researched recitation of facts tangentially related to the story (famous last words and the Titanic disaster in Passage; facts of life during the Blitz in Blackout/All Clear; etc.). I go back and f...
bell·weth·er - [ bél wèt͟hər ]1. indicator of future developments or trends2. leader3. a sheep that leads the rest of the flock, usually wearing a bell around its neck"Bennett told me you're working on fads analysis. Why did you decide to work with fads?""Everybody else was doing it."Sandra Foster works for the HiTek corporation studying fads. How do fads start? Why do some things catch fire while others fizzle? And how can HiTek get in on the action? Purely by accident, she meets Bennett O'Reil...
"Fashion!Turn to the leftFashion!Turn to the rightOooh, fashion!"lyrics by David BowieDr. Sandra Foster is studying trends, where did they start, who started them and can she create the next big trend. Unfortunately she has a unhelpful assistant...Teenage mind-setWhat’s this?”“A birthday present for Dr. Damati’s little girl.”She had already pulled it out and was examining it curiously.“It’s a book,” I said.“Didn’t they have the video?”Management - We are here to help you“What’s Management up to?...
Smart, funny, serendipitous. Frustratingly amusing and eye-rolling in its terrifyingly accurate depictions of the intersection of research, grants, and corporate buzzword bingo. "Are you sure? She doesn't look too bright.""If she was, the others wouldn't follow her," I said.I loved the chapter introductions of past fads which is what our intrepid heroine Sandra is researching. hair wreaths (1870-90)---Ghoulish Victorian handicraft fad in which the hair of a deceased loved one (or assortment of l...
I'm not sure why it is supposed to be SF, but I liked the interconnection of trend followers, sheep flocks and 'overworked' mail manager in such a weird, chaotic and in the end totally logic way.Like with all her books I was fascinated by Willis' fascination of a topic I would have never thought of (in this case trend analysis) and learned a lot. She is so intelligent and well versed - and she takes the piss in such a polite and friendly way that I'm still convinced deep down that she must be Br...
A very different take on marketing and trends than the one presented in William Gibson's "Pattern Recognition!" Still, this book has some similarities: they're both non-sci-fi novels by authors known for their science fiction, and they both deal, thematically, with the human tendency toward ‘fads.' However, where Gibson's character Cayce has an almost psychic attunement to these trends, Willis' narrator is a much less glamorous, stressed-out researcher who's trying to understand how and why tren...
This is a formulaic love story set in what is supposed to be a research institution. The author has clearly done a lot of reading and found a lot of trivia about fads, and drops short infobites about fads in history into the text throughout. Unfortunately the plot moves slowly, the writing is competent in a breezey way and the researchers don't appear to do any real research. As a researcher myself I was disappointed in the shallow portrayal of science. Apart from the rather unlikely ways in whi...
*2.5 stars*Underwhelming from Connie Willis, one of my long-time favorite authors. This book is less sci-fi (in fact, I didn't even shelve it as such), and more realistic fiction or speculative fiction, or even romantic comedy. It's really hard to describe this book. It is sort of a rambling narrative about trends (actually pretty interesting), interpersonal relationships, and office environments with some chick-lit thrown in. It is a weird mix, and though I had no problem listening to it (due t...
Prior to picking this up, I'd read and greatly enjoyed two of Willis' other books: To Say Nothing of the Dog and The Doomsday Book. However, despite the science fiction packaging, this one is a completely different kettle of fish -- and not in a good way. It's basically a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy blended with an unsuccessful social satire. The heroine is a sociologist working for some kind of research firm (how this firm actually makes money is entirely unclear) who is attempting to isola...
2021I was in the mood for something non-stressful this week, so I picked this up. I continue to adore this book. Basically, see my review below. And the last third of this just makes me happy.2013So, I actually read this late last night. I picked it up, and did not put it down.I love everything about this book. I love that it gets science right. I love how it characterizes bureaucracy. I love how it's told. I love the details. I love the relationship and how it develops between Ben and Sandy. I
25 May 2021I chose wisely. Willis is a kind writer, and she has a firm grasp of what chaos feels like in the day to day. She doesn't say that everything will be better, only that some things will be.Well, okay, this is a screwball comedy, so everything is better for everyone. But Doomsday Book manages to retain optimism even in the face of terrible loss. Comfort and joy are marvelous gifts to share.***24 May 2021I just wanted something wholesome and pleasant. It was suggested that I read somethi...
This is a romantic comedy with a big idea, which makes it still a SF work in my view, even without overtly SF elements. It was published in 1996 and was Nebula and Locus award nominee. I read is as a part of monthly reading for June 2020 at Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels group. The title, Bellwether, means a sheep that got something that makes the rest of the flock follow it.The protagonist, Sandra Foster is a sociologist (majored in sociology and statistics) working in R&D at HiTek, an allus...
As you may know, I have an up-and-down relationship with Connie Willis books. I think some of them are astoundingly good. I think some of them are very weak. So I always start a new one wondering which it's going to be. And then there's Bellwether, which is barely even science fiction, and it's fun, but a bit forgettable. This one didn't disappoint me, but it wasn't anything more than fine.Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. Yo...