***100 Days of Summer Reading 2023***
Reading Prompt: Any type of romance
Virtual 12 sided dice roll: 8
Definitely my favourite of Connie Willis' books of those that I have read. She was obviously having fun as she wrote this farce. She places the story in the Roswell area, where she can play with all the UFO mythology that has accumulated around it. Our main character, Francie, has arrived there to be the maid of honour for her rather kooky friend Serena. Once Francie arrives at the UFO Museum in Roswell, where the wedding is to take place, it rapidly becomes apparent that the groom, Russell, is yet another nut in Serena's collection. When given the opportunity to go out to Serena's vehicle to fetch something, Francie willingly goes. And is grabbed by an alien. Who looks like a tumbleweed. Who can't vocalize. But who manages to use a tentacle to point to where he wants to be driven.
Once out on the road, they encounter Wade, a hitchhiker who Francie narrowly avoids running down. Soon they are two kidnapping victims. They name the alien Indy (because of his whip-like tentacles and Indiana Jones). When they manage to convince Indy that they must stop for gas, they acquire a third human, Lyle, a conspiracy theorist and UFO true believer. Further additions to the company follow. They (mostly) become convinced that Indy needs their help to accomplish something, but no one is sure quite what that thing is.
Willis obviously believes that communication with an extraterrestrial species won't be easy. Francie starts by talking to Indy, trying to explain things. Eventually they move on to written words and Indy struggles to acquire vocabulary and concepts. An extensive collection of western films provides both, but hampers understanding because Indy doesn't always get the true meaning of situations. It reminded me of the Willis novel Doomsday Book, where a time traveler doesn't speak or understand Middle English as well as she thinks she does.
As phrases from many westerns become part of their lexicon for dealing with Indy, the farce-like elements become more pronounced. The situations are rather wild, but make sense within the context of the novel. You can't help but be amused as they bump from one crisis to the next. Or as Francie begins to catch feelings for Wade. Can you fall in love as you are dragged all over the countryside by a confused alien?
Willis doesn't ridicule UFO believers, although several of her characters judge them as nutty. And since she produces as bona fide alien, you might say she reinforces that worldview. It was a fun road trip. I'm glad I was along for the ride.
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