Chapter One Hundred Fifteen: Blackout and All Clear

Okay, so it has only been a year since I read Blackout and All Clear for the first time, but they are so compelling that, when searching for books that would totally and completely absorb me in their universe, I could think of nothing better-suited to the task of complete distraction than this story--told over two books--by Connie Willis.  These books make the most sense if you've already read Willis's Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog, which set some of the stage for time travel as Willis writes about it in those novels and in these, but I think you could enjoy Blackout and All Clear without having read the other time travel stories.  It's hard for me to put my finger on what exactly it is about these stories that makes them so irresistible to me.  The characters are likable, yes, and the plot is original; the settings are interesting and there is plenty of action... but I think this is one of those stories that is greater than the sum of its parts.  I fully admit that it may not be as magical a story for everyone as it is for me, but if you like time travel stories I'd say you should at least give it a try.