Miracle and Other Christmas Stories

The stories range from "The Pony," about a psychotherapist who doesn't believe that Christmas gifts can answer our deepest longings, and "Inn," in which a choir member rehearsing for the Christmas pageant becomes part of the original Christmas story, to "Newsletter," where an invasion of parasitic creatures causes unusually good behavior in their hosts, and "Epiphany," a story of three unlikely Magi following signs through a North American winter toward the returned Jesus Christ. "Miracle" is a comic romance echoing Willis's favorite Yuletide movie, Miracle on 34th Street, and "Catspaw" is a homage to the traditional Christmas murder mystery with a sly, science-fictional twist. The collection also includes "In Coppelius' Toyshop," in which a bad guy is trapped in Toyland, and "Adaptation," a Dickensian story about what it means to keep Christmas in your heart.

Those who want only SF stories may find this collection lacking, but anyone who enjoys complex tales with true Christmas spirit will treasure it. --Nona Vero

Product Description
The winner of multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards, Connie Willis capture the timeless essence of generosity and goodwill in this magical collection if Christmas stories. These eight tales-two of which have never before been published-boldly reimagine the stories of Christmas while celebrating the power of love and compassion. This enchanting treasury includes:

"Miracle," in which a young woman's carefully devised plans to find romance go awry when her guardian angel shows her the true meaning of love
"In Coppelius's Toyshop," where a jaded narcissist finds himself trapped in a crowded toy store at Christmastime
"Epiphany," in which three modern-day wisemen embark on a quest unlike any they've ever experienced
"Inn," where a choir singer gives shelter to a homeless man and his pregnant wife-only to learn later that there's much more to the couple than meets the eye
And more

The stories in this book aren't exactly classical science fiction; there are no beings from other planets, giant creatures, robotics, or anything of that sort. Rather, the tales contain elements that are more supernatural in nature and involve the appearance of various ghosts and other strange phenomena. Although certainly not the traditional sappy Christmas fare, all of the stories have happy endings. Furthermore, Willis's love of Christmas shines through her writing, and thus each story embodies the magic of the Christmas season.

The best way to determine if you'll like this book is to answer the question posed by the title story: which Christmas movie is better, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE or MIRACLE ON 34th STREET? If you chose the latter, read this book!


Absolute Drivel   November 6, 2003
2 out of 14 found this review helpful

I wish I could give this *NO STARS*. Connie, what happened??! I was looking for a nice gift to get my friends for Christmas--I have been a huge Connie Willis fan ever since I opened "Bellwether" and stayed up all night to finish it--and I thought this would be perfect. Her other books are nothing short of brilliant, "To Say Nothing of the Dog" is perfect, so what happened here? I tried desperately to like it, but I was so glad I checked it out of the library before spending money on it buying my very own copy. The stories are nothing short of incredibly clumsy, fanciful and amateurish writing where Connie continually slaps you about the face to remind you of her pure dislike of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". Okay! Enough already! We get the point! I've read better. It's ultimately cheesy. Do yourself a favor and avoid this at all costs. (And to the other reviewers...did you even read this book?)