deck.halls@bells/holly

“A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.” —Garrison Keillor, Leaving Home, “Exiles” (1987)

Do you feel that Christmas has become overblown? Has the joyous time of year become more work than fun, more flash than spirit? Does the term “Keeping up with the Joneses” echo in the back of your head?

I don’t know about you, but as each year goes by Christmas loses a little of the sparkle that captivated me in days past, and the commercial, competitive factor—the “you’ve got a tree but I’ve got a forest” mentality—encroaches like suburbia upon pristine nature. You’ve probably had the same feeling (unless you live with Stuart Little’s family) and harbor sentimental feelings for those good old days when it seemed like Christmas would never come.

But have you ever thought to yourself: “This would make a great SF story”? Didn’t think so. No need to fret, though. That’s why we’ve got Connie Willis around to take the small absurdities of life and use them to tickle our funny bones.

This holiday season, Willis has prepared an excellent novella for Asimov’s that is sure to get you into the holiday spirit. You’re sure to see December for the ludicrously fun time of year that it is, despite its hectic nature and the screaming crowds of the one-day-only sales. And best of all, Asimov’s has made the full text of the story available online! If my little recommendation catches your fancy, hop over and have a look at “deck.halls@boughs/holly.”

Willis’s story follows the affairs of professional Christmas designer Linny