A Lot Like Christmas: Stories

It’s almost impossible to create a new classic story, particularly where Christmas is concerned. Can you strike the right tone that’s emotional without being cheesy, nostalgic without being schmaltzy, and timeless without feeling stodgy? Well, Connie Willis can, and she’s done so with ease with her new collection, A Lot Like Christmas.

An expanded version of her marvelous short story collection Miracle and other Christmas Stories, A Lot Like Christmas is the best of holiday frivolity mixed with sharp, witty, wonderfully human science fiction. Mostly dominated by stories infused with the optimism of Christmas — with only the occasional touch of Twilight Zone-style retribution to the naughty and generally deserving — this is humor and heart done right.

There’s even a story in here where a woman believes aliens have invaded and taken over because people are being unusually nice and polite to each other at Christmastime. How hilarious is that?

From Dickens characters to the magi reimagined, from high-tech designer Christmases to a holiday murder mystery, this collection has everything. If you’re looking for the true meaning of Christmas, this book is an excellent place to start looking.