Inside Job by Connie Willis

Libraries are a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Connie Willis is one of my favorite writers. She's a (mostly) science fiction writer with a knack for creating high concept books with a comedy of manners feel to them. Her books are light, interesting, usually chock-full of science and a treat to read.

Inside Job is a novella (only 99 pages, Dear Reader) about a professional skeptic and debunker whose assistant comes across a spirit channeler who appears to be spontaneously channeling the spirit of H.L. Mencken. There's your high concept right there- an obvious faker and fraud channeling the spirit of someone who didn't believe in fakers and frauds and the afterlife. Bam!

The story twists only a little and turns only a touch, it unfolds about how you'd think, but it's an enjoyable ride. It took me about an hour to read and it was a charming hour well-spent.

99 pages. The book is one of Subterranean Press's limited edition chapbooks- which usually come out in the 35-40 $ price range. Too much to spend for 99 pages. But free as air if you know how to work a library card catalog.

Yay for libraries!