Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Publisher Unknown (1969)
Description
Rob, a professional debunker, is watching yet another performance by a supposed psychic. But as she calls forth the spirit entity known as Isus, another voice suddenly interrupts. And this one is so unexpected and so real, even the hardened skeptic finds he can't help but believe.
User reviews
LibraryThing member AsYouKnow_Bob
Great stuff: Connie Willis at the top of her game. Personally, I'm not too sure about the denouement, but the McGuffin that sets things in motion made me laugh out loud.
LibraryThing member helgagrace
A nice bit of fluff.
LibraryThing member brendajanefrank
BEWARE SPOILER. Being an H.L. Mencken fan, I loved this novella by Connie Willis. The premise is simple, Mencken, long dead, seems to “channel” himself into individuals with views abhorrent to him. Then, he uses these individuals to spout classic Mencken views in public forums, surprising all
Show More
attendees and, most of all, the person he uses to channel himself. The only hitch is by using this technique, Mencken is proving channeling to be authentic, an activity that he debunks as fraudulent. A real dilemma! Show Less
LibraryThing member lilithcat
Rob is a professional skeptic. He makes a living debunking psychics, channelers, mediums and other frauds. One day, his employee, Kildy Ross, urges him to go see Auriaura Keller, who channels a spirit named "Isus", but she won't tell him what's so different about this woman. They go, and, what a
As they attended in their own names, and being known in their profession, Keller appears at the office and blames Rob for what has happened. In the midst of her ranting, she again begins to talk about "quacks and crooks". But it's her reference to a trial in Dayton, and "boobus Americanus" that causes Rob to realize she's spouting H.L. Mencken. Why would she fake channeling the skeptic's skeptic? And is Kildy in on it? Is she "a beautiful, calculating woman who seduces the hero into helping her with a scam"? Or is it real? And if it's real, what a can of worms!
A very engaging, clever and amusing novella.
Show More
surprise! In the midst of the usual New Age b.s. from this so-called spirit, a second voice interrupts, calling the proceedings "hokum" and Keller a "snakecharming preacher". What the heck is going on?As they attended in their own names, and being known in their profession, Keller appears at the office and blames Rob for what has happened. In the midst of her ranting, she again begins to talk about "quacks and crooks". But it's her reference to a trial in Dayton, and "boobus Americanus" that causes Rob to realize she's spouting H.L. Mencken. Why would she fake channeling the skeptic's skeptic? And is Kildy in on it? Is she "a beautiful, calculating woman who seduces the hero into helping her with a scam"? Or is it real? And if it's real, what a can of worms!
A very engaging, clever and amusing novella.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
Hilarious little novella based around a paradox:
Can the existence of a disembodied spirit prove that a 'channeler' claiming to communicate with spirits is a fraud?
Our protagonist, Rob, is a freelance journalist and professional skeptic. His assistant, Kildy, is a gorgeous and wealthy Hollywood type
It's Kildy who's picked out the latest target for an exposé: The New Age charlatan Ariaura, who channels the spirit 'Isus' and sells her adoring audience overpriced swag.
But when Ariaura, mid-lecture, starts spouting shocking and off-script announcements that seems like they could only have come from the mind of the notorious atheist and skeptic H.L. Mencken (deceased), Rob has to worry - is Kildy setting him up?
As expected from Connie Willis, extra-fun.
Can the existence of a disembodied spirit prove that a 'channeler' claiming to communicate with spirits is a fraud?
Our protagonist, Rob, is a freelance journalist and professional skeptic. His assistant, Kildy, is a gorgeous and wealthy Hollywood type
Show More
moonlighting in the field. Rob has a crush on Kildy, but fears she's far out of his league.It's Kildy who's picked out the latest target for an exposé: The New Age charlatan Ariaura, who channels the spirit 'Isus' and sells her adoring audience overpriced swag.
But when Ariaura, mid-lecture, starts spouting shocking and off-script announcements that seems like they could only have come from the mind of the notorious atheist and skeptic H.L. Mencken (deceased), Rob has to worry - is Kildy setting him up?
As expected from Connie Willis, extra-fun.
Show Less
LibraryThing member sdramsey
As usual, reading anything by Connie Willis makes me wish I'd written it. I consider that the highest compliment I can pay a writer. :)
LibraryThing member LisCarey
Rob's a professional debunker, publisher of a skeptic/debunker magazine. At the insistence of his too-good-to-be-true, beautiful, former actress assistant, Kildy, he attends a performance of a hot new channeler. It's all very normal and boring, with the alleged spirit, Isus, spouting typical
Is Ariaunna channeling H.L. Mencken?
Or is this a new trick or scam? And if so--whose?
This is a neat little story, with Willis in very good form. The plotting and character development, and attention to detail, are all excellent and entertaining.
Recommended.
I borrowed this book from a friend.
Show More
"insights" and advice--until a different booms out from the psychic "channeling" him. This voice is different, skeptical, belittling--and oddly familiar.Is Ariaunna channeling H.L. Mencken?
Or is this a new trick or scam? And if so--whose?
This is a neat little story, with Willis in very good form. The plotting and character development, and attention to detail, are all excellent and entertaining.
Recommended.
I borrowed this book from a friend.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
Professional skeptic and psychic debunker Rob in in a pickle. His employee, a former movie star, has found a psychic who might just be the real deal. Supposedly, she channels the spirit of Isus, but when she and Rob go to what appears to be a ho-hum, same-old crystals and vibes appearance that gets
This madcap novella is a quick and entertaining read. Basically, my rating boils down to my expectations: I expected to laugh out loud, and was only amused. You might get more mileage out of it, and since it's a quick read and only 99 pages, I say, give it a try!
Show More
interrupted by a being calling the medium a cheat and a fraud, he doesn't know what to make of it. Could the psychic indeed be inhabited by the spirit of H.L. Mencken himself? And if so, how would Rob ever prove it?This madcap novella is a quick and entertaining read. Basically, my rating boils down to my expectations: I expected to laugh out loud, and was only amused. You might get more mileage out of it, and since it's a quick read and only 99 pages, I say, give it a try!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
Funny - plus I learned stuff about Mencken and the Scopes Monkey Trial.
LibraryThing member phyllis2779
More of a novella than a novel. Close to a short story in brief story arc.
LibraryThing member E.J
This was a fantastically witty, funny, fun short read. I just love Connie Willis and she appealed to my sense of the rational as well as my love to hate stupid hat tricks.
LibraryThing member Othemts
This novella is definitely within the Connie Willis mold of obsessive characters working within a slapstick and romantic comedy mold. Whereas Belwether featured scientists obsessed with fads who find love and Passage featured doctors obsessed with near death experiences (who find death), Inside Job
Show More
features professional skeptics obsessed with debunking psychics, mediums, and spiritualists. The narrator edits a skeptics magazine and finds himself helped by a beautiful actress who leaves Hollywood to join him. They find a channeler who seemingly inadvertently begins channeling H.L. Mencken. The wonderful irony here is that Mencken himself berated spiritualists for scamming people so if it’s really him it proves they are legitimate! Kind of a funny, quick read, but not Willis’s best work. Show Less
LibraryThing member kabouter
Welcome to the world of channelers, mediums and skeptics, mixed with the high-society life of Hollywood… It's quite amazing how much story there is, when you consider the length of the book, only 99 pages. I'm not particularly fond of the ending, it doesn't provide much needed information...
LibraryThing member hairballsrus
Most of the time, I really enjoy everything Connie Willis writes. This story however, just never got off the ground. The premise isn't bad, the idea of a psychic channeling a famous debunker of psychics is great, but it never goes anywhere. The punchline was also far too soft. She's done better.
I
I
Show More
AM interested in learning more about H. L. Mencken. Show Less
LibraryThing member anyanwubutler
I fear saying *anything* about the plot of this funny, delightful novella for fear of spoiling this wonderful gem. Just READ IT!!!
LibraryThing member kayceel
- Rob is the editor of a newspaper dedicated to exposing all things “supernatural” as hoaxes, and has an enthusiastic employee (the only employee) in Kildy, a beautiful ex-movie star, who’s quit the life and started working with Rob because she was disgusted with the Hollywood world. When
Show More
they encounter a spiritualist who seems to be inadvertently channeling the famous journalist H.L. Mencken, Rob and Kildy work together to try and expose her as a fraud. Funny, fast-paced, with a bit of romance. A delightful read… Show Less
LibraryThing member kevn57
This is one of the best novella's that I've read and if you are anywhere near as sick as I am about all the BS disinformation we have been bombard with for the past decade, read this amazing fantasy. It's funny and wonderful and makes we want to read more about H. L. Mencken and stuff written by
Show More
him, later watch the monkey trial movie. Finally have a laugh at the Creationism "Museum". Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novella — 2006)
Locus Award (Finalist — Novella — 2006)
Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award (Finalist — 2006)
Original publication date
2005
Local notes
wonderful screwball comedy
Other editions
Inside Job by Connie Willis (Hardcover)