Impossible Things

For the 2021 film, see Impossible Things (film).

Impossible Things

First edition cover
Author	Connie Willis
Genre	Short story collection
Publication date	January 1994
ISBN	0-553-56436-6

Impossible Things is a collection of short stories by American writer Connie Willis, first published in January 1994, ^{[1] [2]} that includes tales of ecological disaster, humorous satire, tragedy, and satirical alternate realities. Its genres range from comedy to tragedy to horror. Three of the stories won Nebula Awards, ^[3] and two won Hugo Awards.

Like her novel Bellwether , the stories In the Late Cretaceous and At the Rialto explore aspects of scientific research. Like All Seated on the Ground , the story Spice Pogrom involves first contact with an intelligent alien species. Like the two-part novel Blackout/All Clear , the story of Jack involves life during The Blitz. The stories Ado and Winter's Tale both refer to William Shakespeare, while Time Out, like her time travel novels, explores the nature of time.

Contents

• "The Last of the Winnebagos" (1988)
• "Even the Queen" (1992)
• "Schwarzschild Radius" (1987)
• "Ado" (1988)
• "Spice Pogrom" (1986)
• "Winter's Tale" (1988)
• "Chance" (1986)
• "In the Late Cretaceous" (1991)
• "Time Out" (1989)
• "Jack" (1991)
• "At the Rialto" (1989)

Awards

Awards for Impossible Things

Year	Story	Award	Result	Ref.
1987	"Spice Pogrom"	Hugo Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[4]
1988	"Schwarzschild Radius"	Nebula Award for Best Novelette	Nominated	[5]
1989	"At the Rialto"	Nebula Award for Best Novelette	Won	[6]
	"The Last of the Winnebagos"	Hugo Award for Best Novella	Won	[7]
		Nebula Award for Best Novella	Won	[8]
1990	"At the Rialto"	Hugo Award for Best Novelette	Nominated	[9]
	"Time Out"	Hugo Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[10]
1992	"In the Late Cretaceous"	Hugo Award for Best Short Story	Nominated	[11]
	"Jack"	Hugo Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[11]
		Nebula Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[12]
1993	"Even the Queen"	Hugo Award for Best Short Story	Won	[13]
		Nebula Award for Best Short Story	Won	[14]
1994	Collection as a whole	Locus Award for Best Collection	Won	[15]

References

1. "Impossible Things" . Booklist . December 15, 1993. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
2. "Impossible Things by Connie Willis". Publishers Weekly . November 29, 1993. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
3. "SFWA Nebula Awards". Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
4. "1987 Hugo Awards". Hugo Award . July 24, 2015. Archived from the original on June 9, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
5. "Nebula Awards 1988". Science Fiction Awards Database . Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
6. "Nebula Awards 1990". Science Fiction Awards Database . Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
7. "1989 Hugo Awards". Hugo Award . July 26, 2007. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
8. "Nebula Awards 1989". Science Fiction Awards Database . Archived from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
9. "1990 Hugo Awards". Hugo Awards . Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
10. "1990 Hugo Awards". Hugo Award . July 26, 2007. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
11. "1992 Hugo Awards". Hugo Award . July 26, 2007. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
12. "Nebula Awards 1992". Science Fiction Awards Database . Retrieved September 24, 2024.
13. "1993 Hugo Awards". Hugo Award . July 26, 2007. Archived from the original on May 29, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
14. "Nebula Awards 1993". Science Fiction Awards Database . Archived from the original on September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
15. "Locus Awards 1994" . Retrieved June 23, 2025.