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The Road to Roswell
A delightful novel about alien invasions, conspiracies, and the incredibly silly things people are willing to believe—some of which may actually be true—from the Nebula and Hugo award-winning author of Blackout and All Clear
When level-headed Francie arrives in Roswell, New Mexico, for her college roommate’s UFO-themed wedding—complete with a true-believer bridegroom—she can’t help but roll her eyes at all the wide-eyed talk of aliens, which obviously don’t exist. Imagine her surprise, then, when she is abducted by one.
Odder still, her abductor is far from what the popular media have led her to expect, with a body like a tumbleweed and a mass of lightning-fast tentacles. Nor is Francie the only victim of the alien’s abduction spree. Before long, he has acquired a charming con man named Wade, a sweet little old lady with a casino addiction, a retiree with a huge RV and a love for old Westerns, and a UFO-chasing nutjob who is thoroughly convinced the alien intends to probe them and/or take over the planet.
But the more Francie gets to know the alien, the more convinced she becomes that he’s not an invader. That he’s in trouble and she has to help him. Only she doesn’t know how—or even what the trouble is.
Part alien-abduction adventure, part road trip saga, part romantic comedy, The Road to Roswell is packed full of Men in Black, Elvis impersonators, tourist traps, rattlesnakes, chemtrails, and Close Encounters of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth kind. Can Francie, stuck in a neon green bridesmaid’s dress, save the world—and still make it back for the wedding?
When level-headed Francie arrives in Roswell, New Mexico, for her college roommate’s UFO-themed wedding—complete with a true-believer bridegroom—she can’t help but roll her eyes at all the wide-eyed talk of aliens, which obviously don’t exist. Imagine her surprise, then, when she is abducted by one.
Odder still, her abductor is far from what the popular media have led her to expect, with a body like a tumbleweed and a mass of lightning-fast tentacles. Nor is Francie the only victim of the alien’s abduction spree. Before long, he has acquired a charming con man named Wade, a sweet little old lady with a casino addiction, a retiree with a huge RV and a love for old Westerns, and a UFO-chasing nutjob who is thoroughly convinced the alien intends to probe them and/or take over the planet.
But the more Francie gets to know the alien, the more convinced she becomes that he’s not an invader. That he’s in trouble and she has to help him. Only she doesn’t know how—or even what the trouble is.
Part alien-abduction adventure, part road trip saga, part romantic comedy, The Road to Roswell is packed full of Men in Black, Elvis impersonators, tourist traps, rattlesnakes, chemtrails, and Close Encounters of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth kind. Can Francie, stuck in a neon green bridesmaid’s dress, save the world—and still make it back for the wedding?
399 pages, Hardcover
First published June 27, 2023
About the author
Connie Willis
254 books4,477 followersConstance Elaine Trimmer Willis is an American science fiction writer. She is one of the most honored science fiction writers of the 1980s and 1990s.
She has won, among other awards, ten Hugo Awards and six Nebula Awards. Willis most recently won a Hugo Award for All Seated on the Ground (August 2008). She was the 2011 recipient of the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA).
She lives in Greeley, Colorado with her husband Courtney Willis, a professor of physics at the University of Northern Colorado. She also has one daughter, Cordelia.
Willis is known for her accessible prose and likable characters. She has written several pieces involving time travel by history students and faculty of the future University of Oxford. These pieces include her Hugo Award-winning novels Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog and the short story "Fire Watch," found in the short story collection of the same name.
Willis tends to the comedy of manners style of writing. Her protagonists are typically beset by single-minded people pursuing illogical agendas, such as attempting to organize a bell-ringing session in the middle of a deadly epidemic (Doomsday Book), or frustrating efforts to analyze near-death experiences by putting words in the mouths of interviewees (Passage).
She has won, among other awards, ten Hugo Awards and six Nebula Awards. Willis most recently won a Hugo Award for All Seated on the Ground (August 2008). She was the 2011 recipient of the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA).
She lives in Greeley, Colorado with her husband Courtney Willis, a professor of physics at the University of Northern Colorado. She also has one daughter, Cordelia.
Willis is known for her accessible prose and likable characters. She has written several pieces involving time travel by history students and faculty of the future University of Oxford. These pieces include her Hugo Award-winning novels Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog and the short story "Fire Watch," found in the short story collection of the same name.
Willis tends to the comedy of manners style of writing. Her protagonists are typically beset by single-minded people pursuing illogical agendas, such as attempting to organize a bell-ringing session in the middle of a deadly epidemic (Doomsday Book), or frustrating efforts to analyze near-death experiences by putting words in the mouths of interviewees (Passage).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,442 reviews
September 17, 2023
3.5 stars
At its best, The Road to Roswell is a fun, madcap alien road trip. But at its worst, its page after page of endless dialogue.
I’m serious. That’s pretty much all the book is. And even though the dialogue is entertaining – Connie Willis is a clever and witty lady – there’s not much else sandwiched between it to give the story substance.
But Roswell does have its moments. As the adorable alien, Indy, snatches up one innocent bystander after another, forcing them to join his road-trip quest, you can’t help but smile in amusement. It’s a ragtag group he gathers, and Francie and Wade and all the other sidekicks are just as charming as Indy. The story itself is appealing, too, because it has something for everyone: adventure, romance, humor, and heart.
I only wish Willis had put more into the narrative to occupy my mind. Dialogue is important, sure, but when it’s the only thing an author gives me, the book feels long and I tire of the nonstop talking in my head.
I’ll be back for Book #2, though, since Willis does a good job of NOT wrapping things up. No way will I miss out on more Indy and the gang.
My sincerest appreciation to Connie Willis, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
At its best, The Road to Roswell is a fun, madcap alien road trip. But at its worst, its page after page of endless dialogue.
I’m serious. That’s pretty much all the book is. And even though the dialogue is entertaining – Connie Willis is a clever and witty lady – there’s not much else sandwiched between it to give the story substance.
But Roswell does have its moments. As the adorable alien, Indy, snatches up one innocent bystander after another, forcing them to join his road-trip quest, you can’t help but smile in amusement. It’s a ragtag group he gathers, and Francie and Wade and all the other sidekicks are just as charming as Indy. The story itself is appealing, too, because it has something for everyone: adventure, romance, humor, and heart.
I only wish Willis had put more into the narrative to occupy my mind. Dialogue is important, sure, but when it’s the only thing an author gives me, the book feels long and I tire of the nonstop talking in my head.
I’ll be back for Book #2, though, since Willis does a good job of NOT wrapping things up. No way will I miss out on more Indy and the gang.
My sincerest appreciation to Connie Willis, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
July 24, 2023
This is a fun romantic comedy caper story, filled with quirky and sweet characters doing quirky and sweet things. As the author observes rather early on, you just know that the cute girl and the cool guy are gonna wind up together, but she throws in enough clever twists and turns along the way that the pages keep turning and your attention stays glued to them to see how they get there. There are lots of fun references to old classic science fiction and Western films, UFO mythology, curiosities of Las Vegas, weddings, and all manner of fun stuff. It will appeal much more to fans of To Say Nothing of the Dog and Crosstalk than to Doomsday Book or All Clear/Blackout. It's like a Hallmark film, except really smart and well-written. It's a G-rated comedy that would be a good choice to give your grandmother and/or grandchildren to show them what worthwhile sci-fi stuff is all about. The novel has a really bland and boring cover that looks like a 1960's PBS coloring book giveaway, and it definitely shouldn't be used to judge it. It's filled with descriptions of exotic places and things and big events, and it should have a full color wraparound in the style and tradition of Whelan, Gurney, or Ellis, preferably with Francie wearing her glow-in-the-dark Maid of Honor dress.
September 9, 2024
💥 Sept. 9, 2024: only $4.99 today!
What do weddings, nut jobs, sentient tumbleweeds (and mesquite bushes and heads of cabbages, oh my!),RVs Western trail wagons, UFO sightings, advertising sign reading, classic Western movies, con men, road trips, screwball comedies, scrolling, Monument Valley, classic alien invasion movies, professional gamblers, tentacles, and the most deliciously quirky characters ever have in common? Why Connie Willis, obviously 😬.
This book is refreshingly original, this book is entertaining as fish, this book cannot be put down, this book is funny as shrimp, this book made me feel despicably warm and fuzzy inside. In other words, it's pure, unadulterated Connie Willis. And just what the doctor ordered.
P.S. I'mabducting kidnapping Indy, just so you know.
[June 2023]
It's almost here!!!!
[December 2022]
We have a release date!!! June 27, 2023 it is!!!
[Sept. 6, 2021]
Coming Sooooonn!!!!!!
➽ Read more about it here and stuff.
What do weddings, nut jobs, sentient tumbleweeds (and mesquite bushes and heads of cabbages, oh my!),
This book is refreshingly original, this book is entertaining as fish, this book cannot be put down, this book is funny as shrimp, this book made me feel despicably warm and fuzzy inside. In other words, it's pure, unadulterated Connie Willis. And just what the doctor ordered.
P.S. I'm
[June 2023]
It's almost here!!!!
[December 2022]
We have a release date!!! June 27, 2023 it is!!!
[Sept. 6, 2021]
Coming Sooooonn!!!!!!
➽ Read more about it here and stuff.
July 12, 2023
Francie comes to Roswell, New Mexico to act as maid of honor when her college roommate marries an alien conspiracy fanatic. Francie is not a believer in aliens, until she is kidnapped by a tumbleweed-shaped alien and forced to drive him to parts unknown. Along the way, the alien, who comes to be known as Indy for his whiplike dexterity with his “extendable arms”, also kidnaps a con man, a preternaturally calm little old lady, an hysterical believer in every outrageous alien theory and a western movie aficionado with a fancy RV.
This book is the scifi equivalent of a cozy mystery. It is humorous and has a mild romance. Indy is definitely the best character and he is really adorable once he and the humans learn how to communicate with each other. What begins as an abduction turns in to an attempt to help Indy. The narrator of the audiobook did a great job with Indy. The book was charming, although it would have been improved if it lost about 50 pages. 4.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
This book is the scifi equivalent of a cozy mystery. It is humorous and has a mild romance. Indy is definitely the best character and he is really adorable once he and the humans learn how to communicate with each other. What begins as an abduction turns in to an attempt to help Indy. The narrator of the audiobook did a great job with Indy. The book was charming, although it would have been improved if it lost about 50 pages. 4.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
April 14, 2023
The best and worst of Connie Willis in one confusing book. Pros: hijinks-fueled; a cute alien; fun side characters; exploration of alien culture and language... Cons: ...but presented in that annoying Connie Willis way where endless circular conversations and attempts to solve a problem start to wear horribly. Also: And while I get that Francie is the Fix-It Mom Friend, what's her personality beyond that? She's the kind of protagonist who things just happen to, but like, what's her job? What are her other interests? I felt I had less and less of a sense of her as the book went on and the plot just continued to make her do things, for plot reasons.
There is also a twist at the end that is...very stupid, and an annoying potential cliffhanger/sequel tease. But it doesn't make me want to come back for more.
I used to love Willis; however, it's been decades since she wrote a novel I felt that way about. (Passage was the last great one for me.) I wonder, sadly, if we may be done.
There is also a twist at the end that is...very stupid, and an annoying potential cliffhanger/sequel tease. But it doesn't make me want to come back for more.
I used to love Willis; however, it's been decades since she wrote a novel I felt that way about. (Passage was the last great one for me.) I wonder, sadly, if we may be done.
November 4, 2023
It is possible I am a crank and had unrealistic expectations. And it is possible I am misremembering how much I loved many of Willis earlier books. But it is also possible this a very stale story rehashing common Willis themes and classic old movie themes, sf and westerns, in a way that felt very artificial, very shallow.
Willis books, particularly the new ones are all about people not telling other things, and here we got that concentrated. I do not even get a clue what time this is supposedly set in, there are mentions of mobile phones and checking flights in the internet and streaming movies, but somehow out set of road-tripping buddies of lost aliens somehow got an excuse to have no communications, and even before that is filled voice mails leaving our FMC unable to leave a message (she does not use whatsapp! she calls! come on). Miscommunication aplenty, and another Willis theme: lots of deeply geeky stuff about a media entertainment field (western movies now...)
Plenty of logical jumps and just really weird dynamics, almost 1950s like, rather than modern. Francie falls immediately into mothering the cute alien, which is oh so cute - and yeah, he is cute, but it was all too artificial for me somehow.
Sadly, below my expectations. (I might be a crank though... Might be me).
Willis books, particularly the new ones are all about people not telling other things, and here we got that concentrated. I do not even get a clue what time this is supposedly set in, there are mentions of mobile phones and checking flights in the internet and streaming movies, but somehow out set of road-tripping buddies of lost aliens somehow got an excuse to have no communications, and even before that is filled voice mails leaving our FMC unable to leave a message (she does not use whatsapp! she calls! come on). Miscommunication aplenty, and another Willis theme: lots of deeply geeky stuff about a media entertainment field (western movies now...)
Plenty of logical jumps and just really weird dynamics, almost 1950s like, rather than modern. Francie falls immediately into mothering the cute alien, which is oh so cute - and yeah, he is cute, but it was all too artificial for me somehow.
Sadly, below my expectations. (I might be a crank though... Might be me).
August 4, 2023
You know a book is good when you can't stop reading and even stay up way past your bedtime to finish it despite having to work the next day. This is that kind of book.
Francie's best friend, Serena, is getting married and Francie is the maid of honour. Yep, it seems I can't escape weddings in literature any more than in real life.
So off to Albuquerque Francie flies - only to discover that the bridegroom is a UFO nutter and Serena totally enraptured in the whole nonsense right down to getting married in a museum where floral decorations aren't allowed on account of them "hiding the truth that is out there". *cue X-Files music*
While Francie is frantically trying to come up with a way to tell her best friend what a bad idea this all is and rolling her eyes at the utter stupidity of the people around her, she's abducted. By an alien. An ACTUAL alien. From space. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
From then on, she's trying to protect others from getting abducted (and fails), trying to communicate with the alien she names Indie (and at least partially fails), trying to get back in time for the wedding she doesn't really want to happen in the first place, and trying to help the alien so there will be a happy ending.
The problem? Well, apart from UFO nutters fantasizing about invasions and killing all aliens despite having longed for a first encounter as well as card-loving grannies and an old man obsessed with westerns, there are the authorities and possibly hostile aliens to consider.
Shenanigans ensue and let me tell you, this is a road trip I couldn't stop cackling about. Be it on account of the UFO nutter driving everyone crazy, the revelation that , or the whole business of - it was all friggin hilarious. Everything that could go wrong, did. Or did it?
Not to mention that Indie, as a character, was absolutely fantastic! The way he communicated (at different points in the book), the way he treated people, what he .
Sure, it is silly fun, but GOOD silly fun. HIGH QUALITY silly fun. Just what the doctor had ordered.
Francie's best friend, Serena, is getting married and Francie is the maid of honour. Yep, it seems I can't escape weddings in literature any more than in real life.
So off to Albuquerque Francie flies - only to discover that the bridegroom is a UFO nutter and Serena totally enraptured in the whole nonsense right down to getting married in a museum where floral decorations aren't allowed on account of them "hiding the truth that is out there". *cue X-Files music*
While Francie is frantically trying to come up with a way to tell her best friend what a bad idea this all is and rolling her eyes at the utter stupidity of the people around her, she's abducted. By an alien. An ACTUAL alien. From space. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
From then on, she's trying to protect others from getting abducted (and fails), trying to communicate with the alien she names Indie (and at least partially fails), trying to get back in time for the wedding she doesn't really want to happen in the first place, and trying to help the alien so there will be a happy ending.
The problem? Well, apart from UFO nutters fantasizing about invasions and killing all aliens despite having longed for a first encounter as well as card-loving grannies and an old man obsessed with westerns, there are the authorities and possibly hostile aliens to consider.
Shenanigans ensue and let me tell you, this is a road trip I couldn't stop cackling about. Be it on account of the UFO nutter driving everyone crazy, the revelation that , or the whole business of - it was all friggin hilarious. Everything that could go wrong, did. Or did it?
Not to mention that Indie, as a character, was absolutely fantastic! The way he communicated (at different points in the book), the way he treated people, what he .
Sure, it is silly fun, but GOOD silly fun. HIGH QUALITY silly fun. Just what the doctor had ordered.
July 14, 2023
I was going to give this two stars, just for the alien, but to be honest I'm too damned annoyed to even allow it that much, because the premise is delightful, and the execution is absolutely terrible, which makes it an enraging disappointment. My problems with the execution, in list form:
1. This book is ostensibly set in the modern day. It is not at all convincing on that front. People have cellphones, sure, but in true Connie Willis fashion, they're constantly failing to communicate, missing calls, leaving messages, not having signal, etc etc., all signs that Willis knows she needs to include cell phones in her plot because they're a thing people have in the modern world, but also they would ruin her plot, so she can't let anyone actually use them effectively. Also, it's very clear that Willis has no idea how your average 20-45 year old actually uses a cellphone. I have no idea why she didn't just set this book in the 80s or 90s. It would have solved a lot of the problems on this front, and it also would have felt more accurate in terms of the alien conspiracy theories stuff.
2. This book is ostensibly a scifi romcom. I'll give it the scifi, but there's practically no rom and very little com. Like, the romance feels like it was added in under duress or something, because there's no real sense of the two characters connecting or even being attracted to each other. Also, pretty sure this book failed to wring a smile out of me let alone a laugh.
3. Characters so thin that, upon finishing the book, I can't really tell you anything about their personalities or deeper wants and desires. Everyone might as well be a plot device. Even our POV character, Francie, has basically no interiority, she spends the whole book just reacting to things and we have no sense of her wants, her past, her flaws, her anything, really.
4. The inaccuracies! It is very clear that Connie Willis has not been to Vegas, because there were some risible inaccuracies in the part of the book set there. Like cell phones not working on casino floors. Ma'am, what. No. I was just in Vegas a couple months ago, and I assure you, my cellphone worked in all of the casinos I wandered through. Also, there are no bag checks or metal detectors to get into a casino, what the fuck. Modern security in a casino is not like that, it's all the panopticon of endless security cameras and plain clothes security dudes walking around. Willis also has characters say they have no "coverage" multiple times, when what basically any modern American would say instead would be "no signal." The new Star Wars movies are not "reboots." Most cars nowadays don't have keys you stick into the ignition, they're all key fobs and push buttons. There were a bunch of details like that just didn't feel accurate to contemporary America.
5. Predictable plot, apart from the details about the aliens. Francie not catching on about some of these things made her seem frankly dumb. Also, the plot was super repetitive too.
6. That ending??? Like, yes, everything got resolved pretty much, but what the hell is that ending mid-scene, mid-conversation shit? I thought there was something wrong with my ebook.
God, this was just so bad. It's so disappointing, because Willis has written some real masterpieces in books like Passage and The Doomsday Book, and even her more comedic and light stuff like To Say Nothing of the Dog is exponentially better and more charming than this.
1. This book is ostensibly set in the modern day. It is not at all convincing on that front. People have cellphones, sure, but in true Connie Willis fashion, they're constantly failing to communicate, missing calls, leaving messages, not having signal, etc etc., all signs that Willis knows she needs to include cell phones in her plot because they're a thing people have in the modern world, but also they would ruin her plot, so she can't let anyone actually use them effectively. Also, it's very clear that Willis has no idea how your average 20-45 year old actually uses a cellphone. I have no idea why she didn't just set this book in the 80s or 90s. It would have solved a lot of the problems on this front, and it also would have felt more accurate in terms of the alien conspiracy theories stuff.
2. This book is ostensibly a scifi romcom. I'll give it the scifi, but there's practically no rom and very little com. Like, the romance feels like it was added in under duress or something, because there's no real sense of the two characters connecting or even being attracted to each other. Also, pretty sure this book failed to wring a smile out of me let alone a laugh.
3. Characters so thin that, upon finishing the book, I can't really tell you anything about their personalities or deeper wants and desires. Everyone might as well be a plot device. Even our POV character, Francie, has basically no interiority, she spends the whole book just reacting to things and we have no sense of her wants, her past, her flaws, her anything, really.
4. The inaccuracies! It is very clear that Connie Willis has not been to Vegas, because there were some risible inaccuracies in the part of the book set there. Like cell phones not working on casino floors. Ma'am, what. No. I was just in Vegas a couple months ago, and I assure you, my cellphone worked in all of the casinos I wandered through. Also, there are no bag checks or metal detectors to get into a casino, what the fuck. Modern security in a casino is not like that, it's all the panopticon of endless security cameras and plain clothes security dudes walking around. Willis also has characters say they have no "coverage" multiple times, when what basically any modern American would say instead would be "no signal." The new Star Wars movies are not "reboots." Most cars nowadays don't have keys you stick into the ignition, they're all key fobs and push buttons. There were a bunch of details like that just didn't feel accurate to contemporary America.
5. Predictable plot, apart from the details about the aliens. Francie not catching on about some of these things made her seem frankly dumb. Also, the plot was super repetitive too.
6. That ending??? Like, yes, everything got resolved pretty much, but what the hell is that ending mid-scene, mid-conversation shit? I thought there was something wrong with my ebook.
God, this was just so bad. It's so disappointing, because Willis has written some real masterpieces in books like Passage and The Doomsday Book, and even her more comedic and light stuff like To Say Nothing of the Dog is exponentially better and more charming than this.
August 13, 2023
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
Francie is heading to Roswell, NM to be the Maid of Honor at her best friend’s wedding. It’s an alien themed wedding as her friend is marrying a “UFO nut” who she hasn’t known very long.
Francie doesn’t believe in any of that and she is kind of hoping she can talk some sense into her friend and stop this wedding - but instead she gets abducted by an alien!
The alien (who is nicknamed Indy by Francie) is friendly and he is on a mission. He needs Francie’s help but he doesn’t speak so it’s difficult for her to realize what he needs her to do. As the book goes on the “mission” turns into a road trip all over New Mexico, Northern AZ and even to Las Vegas. Other travelers are picked up along the way (thanks to Indy) and these characters add another level of fun to the adventure.
This was a lighthearted, madcap road-trip that was fun to read. Being an Arizona resident, it was even more fun for me as the group stopped at many places I know well.
If you are up for a story that will carry you away from the troubles of the world and give you smiles along the way you’ll enjoy this one.
Francie is heading to Roswell, NM to be the Maid of Honor at her best friend’s wedding. It’s an alien themed wedding as her friend is marrying a “UFO nut” who she hasn’t known very long.
Francie doesn’t believe in any of that and she is kind of hoping she can talk some sense into her friend and stop this wedding - but instead she gets abducted by an alien!
The alien (who is nicknamed Indy by Francie) is friendly and he is on a mission. He needs Francie’s help but he doesn’t speak so it’s difficult for her to realize what he needs her to do. As the book goes on the “mission” turns into a road trip all over New Mexico, Northern AZ and even to Las Vegas. Other travelers are picked up along the way (thanks to Indy) and these characters add another level of fun to the adventure.
This was a lighthearted, madcap road-trip that was fun to read. Being an Arizona resident, it was even more fun for me as the group stopped at many places I know well.
If you are up for a story that will carry you away from the troubles of the world and give you smiles along the way you’ll enjoy this one.
July 14, 2023
***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.
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.
July 4, 2023
03 April, 2023
I was trying to find out if an author tour is planned, so I could pick up a hardcover copy from a local bookstore nearish hosting an event where I could say "I love your work" and get a copy signed. Did not find. Checked the publisher website and saw "Category: Romance."
WTH? To be clear, I read a lot of romance, so I am not ragging on the idea. I just can't reconcile having only one Category tag for an author with crossover appeal. But also: did anyone in marketing look at that cover? That cover says "for fans of
and
, and
" That cover says humorous scifi, not Romance.
Am I wrong?
***
4th July, 2023
And today I finished reading it, coincidentally over the July fourth weekend during which I also saw Asteroid City. Not the only good time to read it, but pretty good.
The book is better than "pretty good" by a lot. Classic screwball comedy which does require a little love interest, but is more about putting sane people in a maelstrom of amusing absurdity for comic effect. Willis is brilliant at that maelstrom. And at the cinematic references. So many movies are named checked, that one should probably not read it without an interest in movies. A delightful read, and one lending itself to dream casting: there aren't any bad choices no matter when or where the cast is selected.
Personal copy
I was trying to find out if an author tour is planned, so I could pick up a hardcover copy from a local bookstore nearish hosting an event where I could say "I love your work" and get a copy signed. Did not find. Checked the publisher website and saw "Category: Romance."
WTH? To be clear, I read a lot of romance, so I am not ragging on the idea. I just can't reconcile having only one Category tag for an author with crossover appeal. But also: did anyone in marketing look at that cover? That cover says "for fans of
and
, and
" That cover says humorous scifi, not Romance.Am I wrong?
***
4th July, 2023
And today I finished reading it, coincidentally over the July fourth weekend during which I also saw Asteroid City. Not the only good time to read it, but pretty good.
The book is better than "pretty good" by a lot. Classic screwball comedy which does require a little love interest, but is more about putting sane people in a maelstrom of amusing absurdity for comic effect. Willis is brilliant at that maelstrom. And at the cinematic references. So many movies are named checked, that one should probably not read it without an interest in movies. A delightful read, and one lending itself to dream casting: there aren't any bad choices no matter when or where the cast is selected.
Personal copy
November 18, 2023
I'd never read the prolific Connie Willis before picking up The Road to Roswell, and science fiction isn't normally one of my go-to genres, but I couldn't resist the promise of a screwball alien road trip featuring Elvis impersonators, conspiracy theorists, a ragtag posse straight out of an old Western movie, and one glowing alien-green maid of honor dress. And that barely scratches the surface, because this is one of those books that has a little something for everyone: humor, hijinks, adventure, romance, found family, and even a couple of thrills.
The Road to Roswell, ultimately, was a book that charmed me and irritated me in equal parts. The charm came from the supporting cast of characters, who were quirky and fun, but mostly from the alien at the center of the story, Indy, who is described as a sentient tumbleweed with tentacles and has the sweetest, most adorable personality. In my head he looked like the Pokemon Tangela, but make it dust-colored:
The irritation came from the fact that these characters talked way, way too much. My introverted self was absolutely exhausted by all of the dialogue, much of which was talking in circles, rehashing things that had already happened, and attempting to communicate with Indy. I also found the central characters of Francie and Wade to be bland and uninteresting -- particularly Francie, who barely had a personality.
If there's such a thing as "cozy sci-fi," I think The Road to Roswell would fit that genre perfectly. I'm not sure it's a genre I, personally, really want to explore further, but with the way Willis ended this book, I guess I'll be doing just that. She really left us hanging!
The Road to Roswell, ultimately, was a book that charmed me and irritated me in equal parts. The charm came from the supporting cast of characters, who were quirky and fun, but mostly from the alien at the center of the story, Indy, who is described as a sentient tumbleweed with tentacles and has the sweetest, most adorable personality. In my head he looked like the Pokemon Tangela, but make it dust-colored:
The irritation came from the fact that these characters talked way, way too much. My introverted self was absolutely exhausted by all of the dialogue, much of which was talking in circles, rehashing things that had already happened, and attempting to communicate with Indy. I also found the central characters of Francie and Wade to be bland and uninteresting -- particularly Francie, who barely had a personality.
If there's such a thing as "cozy sci-fi," I think The Road to Roswell would fit that genre perfectly. I'm not sure it's a genre I, personally, really want to explore further, but with the way Willis ended this book, I guess I'll be doing just that. She really left us hanging!
January 9, 2024
“Why would anyone in their right mind go to Roswell”
I know I was eager to go on this roadtrip, especially with Connie Willis as the tour guide. She’s got a delightfully smart and wicked sense of humour, a passion for old movies and for screwball characters. If I need to suspend my strong dislike of conspiracy theories about flying saucers in order to be admitted on the bus ( “It’s not an RV, it’s a Western trail wagon.” ), I will gladly do so.
Sharing my mistrust on the subject of aliens is Francie Driscoll, a level-headed young lady who reluctantly drives towards Roswell in order to stop the wedding of her best friend Serena to one of those UFO nut jobs, her job not made any easier when Francie is herself abducted by an alien in the parking lot of the Roswell Convention Center.
This alien, promptly nicknamed Indy because he looks like a tumbleweed with a couple hundred arms that can lash out faster than Indiana Jones’ famous bullwhip, forces Francie to drive around New Mexico in search of some mysterious artefact. Between world famous attractions like Carlsbad Caverns, Chaco Canyon or The World’s Largest Chili Pepper, not to mention Roswell’s own UFO attractions, there’s little to justify the keen interest of the alien in the empty desert landscape.
“Is he armed?”
Armed? Francie thought hysterically. Oh, yes, he’s definitely armed. He’s got arms and arms and more arms.
After a hilarious start to the proceedings, the novel morphs into a rather typical roadtrip adventure, saved in principal by the oddball characters Indy continues to kidnap from the highway: Wade, a good-looking guy of dubious character who comes to Roswell to sell insurance against alien abductions; Lyle, a young nut job who is convinced aliens are kidnapping earthlings in order to dissect them and that he is a prime target; elderly Miss Eula Mae, a kindly old lady with a gambling addiction; and Joseph, a gentleman playing truant from his job in order to drive around the locations of famous Western movies.
Lyle is a walking encyclopedia on past encounters with aliens and with their ships, Joseph is better than IMDB on movie trivia and Eula Mae can answer any question about probabilities, gambling statistics and casino policies. Is this enough to help Indy get back to his mothership, or to whatever he is searching for in the stormy skies of New Mexico? Pragmatic Francie and resourceful Wade look like his/her/its/whatever best bet, but these two are cooking a romantic comedy subplot all on their own.
“The aliens drop hallucinogenic drugs from the sky to hypnotize us and keep us from being aware of their presence. You think they’re just the contrails from airplanes, but ...”
If you want more information about what the government is hiding at Area 51 or about how the book resembles the classic movie “ The Stagecoach” or why you should “ Support Your Local Sheriff” , I suggest you sign up yourselves for the Roswell tour. Connie Willis guarantees a fun, if occasionally uneven, roadtrip.
I know I was eager to go on this roadtrip, especially with Connie Willis as the tour guide. She’s got a delightfully smart and wicked sense of humour, a passion for old movies and for screwball characters. If I need to suspend my strong dislike of conspiracy theories about flying saucers in order to be admitted on the bus ( “It’s not an RV, it’s a Western trail wagon.” ), I will gladly do so.
Sharing my mistrust on the subject of aliens is Francie Driscoll, a level-headed young lady who reluctantly drives towards Roswell in order to stop the wedding of her best friend Serena to one of those UFO nut jobs, her job not made any easier when Francie is herself abducted by an alien in the parking lot of the Roswell Convention Center.
This alien, promptly nicknamed Indy because he looks like a tumbleweed with a couple hundred arms that can lash out faster than Indiana Jones’ famous bullwhip, forces Francie to drive around New Mexico in search of some mysterious artefact. Between world famous attractions like Carlsbad Caverns, Chaco Canyon or The World’s Largest Chili Pepper, not to mention Roswell’s own UFO attractions, there’s little to justify the keen interest of the alien in the empty desert landscape.
“Is he armed?”
Armed? Francie thought hysterically. Oh, yes, he’s definitely armed. He’s got arms and arms and more arms.
After a hilarious start to the proceedings, the novel morphs into a rather typical roadtrip adventure, saved in principal by the oddball characters Indy continues to kidnap from the highway: Wade, a good-looking guy of dubious character who comes to Roswell to sell insurance against alien abductions; Lyle, a young nut job who is convinced aliens are kidnapping earthlings in order to dissect them and that he is a prime target; elderly Miss Eula Mae, a kindly old lady with a gambling addiction; and Joseph, a gentleman playing truant from his job in order to drive around the locations of famous Western movies.
Lyle is a walking encyclopedia on past encounters with aliens and with their ships, Joseph is better than IMDB on movie trivia and Eula Mae can answer any question about probabilities, gambling statistics and casino policies. Is this enough to help Indy get back to his mothership, or to whatever he is searching for in the stormy skies of New Mexico? Pragmatic Francie and resourceful Wade look like his/her/its/whatever best bet, but these two are cooking a romantic comedy subplot all on their own.
“The aliens drop hallucinogenic drugs from the sky to hypnotize us and keep us from being aware of their presence. You think they’re just the contrails from airplanes, but ...”
If you want more information about what the government is hiding at Area 51 or about how the book resembles the classic movie “ The Stagecoach” or why you should “ Support Your Local Sheriff” , I suggest you sign up yourselves for the Roswell tour. Connie Willis guarantees a fun, if occasionally uneven, roadtrip.
July 11, 2023
Ahoy there me mateys! I didn't read the blurb because the cover says it all. Awesome author and aliens. Yup. Beam me up. This had such a fantastic fabulous beginning. It made me laugh. Francie doesn't believe in aliens until getting abducted by one! Francie, the main character, was a hoot. So was the rest of the gang that ends up involuntarily joining her. This is a cute, fluffy feel-good story. It is a first-contact story with a side of romance and a dash of western and sci-fi movies. I didn't get all the references but was certainly entertained by those I did recognize. It was a fast, if somewhat rambling, read that made me smile. I am glad to have read it. Arrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2023
I made it to about 4o%. I felt like I was in every single other Connie Willis novel, with all the time wasting narcissistic characters and meandering.
But on the other hand, it also felt nothing like a Connie Willis novel, because the writing wasn't as polished and the characters' comments weren't nearly as quotable. It honestly read more fan-fiction, by someone who adores both Connie Willis and Scooby Doo, and maybe needs to put a hold on their SyFy Channel subscription.
If you keep your expectations to jaunty dialogue, a whole bunch of much ado about nothing, and tons of TV/movie alien references, then you will probably enjoy this one. As for me, I don't know what I was looking for, but it wasn't this.
But on the other hand, it also felt nothing like a Connie Willis novel, because the writing wasn't as polished and the characters' comments weren't nearly as quotable. It honestly read more fan-fiction, by someone who adores both Connie Willis and Scooby Doo, and maybe needs to put a hold on their SyFy Channel subscription.
If you keep your expectations to jaunty dialogue, a whole bunch of much ado about nothing, and tons of TV/movie alien references, then you will probably enjoy this one. As for me, I don't know what I was looking for, but it wasn't this.
July 8, 2023
Classic Connie Willis, in all the best ways! A modern setting, but tons of references to classic alien invasion stories, old westerns, and screwball comedies! There’s humor and adventure and romance, and I adore Francie and Indy and their joyful friendship!
April 25, 2023
THE ROAD TO ROSWELL by SF champion and multiple award winning Connie Willis is an uproarious, rip-roarious Contemporary SF/Romantic-Comedy/Road-Trip romp throughout New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and back to New Mexico again.
It all started with wedding plans: no, not the protagonist's! Francie flies to New Mexico to be Maid of Honor to best friend/college roommate Serena (who has a history of poor choice). Serena's wedding is planned for Roswell's first week of July UFO Festival, and she's marrying a UFO True Believer! Francie is determined to stop her, until Francie herself encounters out-of-this-world trouble! I could hardly catch my breath for laughing and beaming throughout this novel. So refreshing, so riveting!
It all started with wedding plans: no, not the protagonist's! Francie flies to New Mexico to be Maid of Honor to best friend/college roommate Serena (who has a history of poor choice). Serena's wedding is planned for Roswell's first week of July UFO Festival, and she's marrying a UFO True Believer! Francie is determined to stop her, until Francie herself encounters out-of-this-world trouble! I could hardly catch my breath for laughing and beaming throughout this novel. So refreshing, so riveting!
June 2, 2023
The Road to Roswell is a road-trip book. It's also an alien abduction book. The alien abducts a handful of people, and forces them to go on a road trip.
Yes, it's as absurd as that sounds. It's also very funny! I was laughing at many of the jokes in here. It's a very cute book, with cozy friendships.
It's very much a road-trip story, with all that entails. Chapters traveling around in the desert. Chapters of getting lost. Chapters of making progressively crazier stops. All inching towards the destination.
What I liked best was that there was that the humans cannot communicate with the alien. It provides some very comical moments, and some more thoughtful ones.
What I disliked most was the romance, which felt very tacked on without much development.
Thanks to Netgalley and Del Ray for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
Yes, it's as absurd as that sounds. It's also very funny! I was laughing at many of the jokes in here. It's a very cute book, with cozy friendships.
It's very much a road-trip story, with all that entails. Chapters traveling around in the desert. Chapters of getting lost. Chapters of making progressively crazier stops. All inching towards the destination.
What I liked best was that there was that the humans cannot communicate with the alien. It provides some very comical moments, and some more thoughtful ones.
What I disliked most was the romance, which felt very tacked on without much development.
Thanks to Netgalley and Del Ray for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
August 3, 2023
So, first things first:
This is not a science fiction novel. It is a screwball comedy. If the content isn't enough to prove it, there's the title--is anybody old enough, like me, to remember the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby "Road To..." movies? Those were a mad mixture of comedy and adventure and romance with a little music thrown in. (I admit I didn't get this at first, but the title was niggling at me for weeks.)
Connie Willis does some great screwball comedy. There's one in Impossible Things called "Spice Pogrom" that is just hilarious. But she doesn't do it often, and it usually takes a back seat to her more traditionally funny work (To Say Nothing of the Dog) or her serious stuff (Doomsday Book). I was surprised and pleased to discover she'd managed an entire novel in this tradition. There's misunderstandings, secret identities, lack of communication, and ridiculous set pieces. And it all mostly works.
The premise is simple, but contains all the right elements: Francie is set to be her best friend's bridesmaid, but is prepared to talk her out of her wedding because the woman has a long history of choosing weirdos and losers. (Bridesmaid as setup for romantic plot, possibly with a groomsman: check.) The wedding is going to be held at a museum dedicated to aliens and alien encounters. (Zany setting: check.) Francie begins the book with extreme difficulties in even getting a rental car to get to the venue. (Absurdity of real-life intrusions: check.). It all runs along as smoothly as any Willis novel, which is to say there are plenty of strange characters who believe they're normal and Francie herself is the lone spot of sanity in the book.
And then Francie is kidnapped by a real-live honest-to-goodness alien.
This is a major departure for Willis, maybe not so major after Crosstalk, which has a similar issue. In almost all her books and stories, anything strange or in violation of current knowledge is founded on realistic extrapolation. Aliens, though (I don't care what you read in the news these days, guys) are in the realm of speculation, as is the kind of telepathy featured in Crosstalk. To me, this departure fits with the book being screwball comedy. The existence of aliens is no more or less absurd than the fact that nobody in this book knows how to send text messages.
To me, Willis's great strength has always been her characterization, followed closely by how her characters fit into her creative and innovative settings. And here she is at the top of her game because the format of this type of story allows for the most extraordinary and ridiculous characters who nevertheless come across as real. The people Francie and Indy the alien accumulate through their progress through the Southwest, searching for something Indy can't communicate, are funny and odd and unexpected. Except for the alien true believer, who bugged me--but even that, I believe, is intentional.
The romance is a true whirlwind, and again, it only works because of the constraints of the story. Two people can fall believably in love in the course of 400 pages if it's comedy or a Mary Stewart novel. I was deeply impressed by Willis's ability to hit all the right emotional beats over such a short time frame, because I was invested in the romance even though it was, just like everything else about this book, completely unlikely.
The parts that didn't work for me mostly came down to things Willis has increasingly depended on in her writing, things that over the course of many books draw attention to themselves. I can't tell you the number of times people are cut off in the middle of saying something important or revealing a key fact. It started to feel weak rather than funny, as if Willis couldn't figure out a better way to spin the mystery out a few more pages. There are also some stretches of logic that push even my tolerance for screwball comedy: . I think the book rides close to the line in enough cases that it will probably be too much for some readers, but comedy is like that--it either works or it doesn't.
I enjoyed this more than I did Crosstalk, which I didn't hate--I don't think I've ever hated anything Willis wrote--and unlike that book, I anticipate reading this one again someday.
This is not a science fiction novel. It is a screwball comedy. If the content isn't enough to prove it, there's the title--is anybody old enough, like me, to remember the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby "Road To..." movies? Those were a mad mixture of comedy and adventure and romance with a little music thrown in. (I admit I didn't get this at first, but the title was niggling at me for weeks.)
Connie Willis does some great screwball comedy. There's one in Impossible Things called "Spice Pogrom" that is just hilarious. But she doesn't do it often, and it usually takes a back seat to her more traditionally funny work (To Say Nothing of the Dog) or her serious stuff (Doomsday Book). I was surprised and pleased to discover she'd managed an entire novel in this tradition. There's misunderstandings, secret identities, lack of communication, and ridiculous set pieces. And it all mostly works.
The premise is simple, but contains all the right elements: Francie is set to be her best friend's bridesmaid, but is prepared to talk her out of her wedding because the woman has a long history of choosing weirdos and losers. (Bridesmaid as setup for romantic plot, possibly with a groomsman: check.) The wedding is going to be held at a museum dedicated to aliens and alien encounters. (Zany setting: check.) Francie begins the book with extreme difficulties in even getting a rental car to get to the venue. (Absurdity of real-life intrusions: check.). It all runs along as smoothly as any Willis novel, which is to say there are plenty of strange characters who believe they're normal and Francie herself is the lone spot of sanity in the book.
And then Francie is kidnapped by a real-live honest-to-goodness alien.
This is a major departure for Willis, maybe not so major after Crosstalk, which has a similar issue. In almost all her books and stories, anything strange or in violation of current knowledge is founded on realistic extrapolation. Aliens, though (I don't care what you read in the news these days, guys) are in the realm of speculation, as is the kind of telepathy featured in Crosstalk. To me, this departure fits with the book being screwball comedy. The existence of aliens is no more or less absurd than the fact that nobody in this book knows how to send text messages.
To me, Willis's great strength has always been her characterization, followed closely by how her characters fit into her creative and innovative settings. And here she is at the top of her game because the format of this type of story allows for the most extraordinary and ridiculous characters who nevertheless come across as real. The people Francie and Indy the alien accumulate through their progress through the Southwest, searching for something Indy can't communicate, are funny and odd and unexpected. Except for the alien true believer, who bugged me--but even that, I believe, is intentional.
The romance is a true whirlwind, and again, it only works because of the constraints of the story. Two people can fall believably in love in the course of 400 pages if it's comedy or a Mary Stewart novel. I was deeply impressed by Willis's ability to hit all the right emotional beats over such a short time frame, because I was invested in the romance even though it was, just like everything else about this book, completely unlikely.
The parts that didn't work for me mostly came down to things Willis has increasingly depended on in her writing, things that over the course of many books draw attention to themselves. I can't tell you the number of times people are cut off in the middle of saying something important or revealing a key fact. It started to feel weak rather than funny, as if Willis couldn't figure out a better way to spin the mystery out a few more pages. There are also some stretches of logic that push even my tolerance for screwball comedy: . I think the book rides close to the line in enough cases that it will probably be too much for some readers, but comedy is like that--it either works or it doesn't.
I enjoyed this more than I did Crosstalk, which I didn't hate--I don't think I've ever hated anything Willis wrote--and unlike that book, I anticipate reading this one again someday.
July 6, 2023
4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2023/07/03/...
Connie Willis is an author whom I’ve seen many others rave about, so it’s hard to believe it has taken me this long to finally read one of her books. Still, better late than never—and I can’t tell you how glad I am that it was The Road to Roswell because this novel was all kinds of awesome!
The story begins by introducing us to protagonist Francie who has flown to New Mexico to be the Maid of Honor at her former college roommate and bestie Serena’s wedding—or rather, she hopes to be talking her friend out of a big mistake. Just like the last time Serena had been about to tie the knot with someone who was all wrong for her, this time her fiancé is a bigtime UFO fanatic and true believer, hence the wedding taking place at Roswell’s UFO Museum on the anniversary of the Roswell Incident which conspiracy theorists believe was a huge government coverup for an alien spaceship crash. A level-headed skeptic, Francie is confident that once she can talk some sense into Serena, her friend will also see how crazy it is and want to call the whole thing off.
Upon her arrival though, Francie discovers everything in disarray. Not only is it days until the Fourth of July holiday, but the airport is also crawling with tourists and UFO enthusiasts who are in town for Roswell’s UFO festival. Serena is running all over the place trying to get everything squared away for the wedding, and the two friends don’t get a chance to talk as Francie is roped into helping with the preparations. That is how, while retrieving some decorations from Serena’s car, Francie is suddenly ambushed and held hostage by a tumbleweed-looking tentacled life form—literally abducted by an alien. Thankfully though, it doesn’t seem to want to hurt her. The alien thing, which Francie dubs “Indy” on account of the way it cracks its tentacles like a certain whip-wielding fedora wearing adventurer archaeologist, just wants her to take it…somewhere.
Not being able to understand what Indy wants, Francie can only start driving in the direction the alien indicates, hoping that a way to communicate will eventually present itself. Somehow, along the way they also pick up fellow road trippers Wade, a hitchhiker; Eula Mae, a retiree whose sweet old exterior belies a wily gambler; Joseph, a film buff touring the southwest in his gigantic RV (AKA the “trail wagon”) who happily shares his love of classic Westerns with Indy; and Lyle, a UFO nut who thinks aliens are here to take over the world.
If all this sounds completely absurd, that’s because it is. But it was also fantastically fun and hilarious! I was delighted the whole way through, either smiling at the characters’ antics or straight-up belly laughing at all the uproarious humor. This is contemporary sci-fi comedy at its finest, offering up just the right amount of fluff and lightheartedness without being completely silly. The story is a mix of adventure (the novel’s entire premise is essentially a group of humans aiding an alien on his epic quest), mystery (What does Indy want? Why is he here? And what is up with his obsession with Monument Valley?), a little bit of romance (some adorable rom-com action happening here), and even a light dollop of Western (teaching Indy about humans and the way of our world through classics like Paint Your Wagon or Support Your Local Sheriff! was a sheer stroke of genius).
What more can I say? There was nothing too cerebral or even complex about this novel, but of course that was never the point. It came at the perfect time, scratching a very particular itch while raising me out of a mood funk which had resulted from reading a string of darker, more thematically heavy books. The Road to Roswell succeeded in that it was very effective in being an entertaining and engaging read, and I enjoyed every moment. This book has also sold me on Connie Willis, and I look forward to picking up more of her books.
Connie Willis is an author whom I’ve seen many others rave about, so it’s hard to believe it has taken me this long to finally read one of her books. Still, better late than never—and I can’t tell you how glad I am that it was The Road to Roswell because this novel was all kinds of awesome!
The story begins by introducing us to protagonist Francie who has flown to New Mexico to be the Maid of Honor at her former college roommate and bestie Serena’s wedding—or rather, she hopes to be talking her friend out of a big mistake. Just like the last time Serena had been about to tie the knot with someone who was all wrong for her, this time her fiancé is a bigtime UFO fanatic and true believer, hence the wedding taking place at Roswell’s UFO Museum on the anniversary of the Roswell Incident which conspiracy theorists believe was a huge government coverup for an alien spaceship crash. A level-headed skeptic, Francie is confident that once she can talk some sense into Serena, her friend will also see how crazy it is and want to call the whole thing off.
Upon her arrival though, Francie discovers everything in disarray. Not only is it days until the Fourth of July holiday, but the airport is also crawling with tourists and UFO enthusiasts who are in town for Roswell’s UFO festival. Serena is running all over the place trying to get everything squared away for the wedding, and the two friends don’t get a chance to talk as Francie is roped into helping with the preparations. That is how, while retrieving some decorations from Serena’s car, Francie is suddenly ambushed and held hostage by a tumbleweed-looking tentacled life form—literally abducted by an alien. Thankfully though, it doesn’t seem to want to hurt her. The alien thing, which Francie dubs “Indy” on account of the way it cracks its tentacles like a certain whip-wielding fedora wearing adventurer archaeologist, just wants her to take it…somewhere.
Not being able to understand what Indy wants, Francie can only start driving in the direction the alien indicates, hoping that a way to communicate will eventually present itself. Somehow, along the way they also pick up fellow road trippers Wade, a hitchhiker; Eula Mae, a retiree whose sweet old exterior belies a wily gambler; Joseph, a film buff touring the southwest in his gigantic RV (AKA the “trail wagon”) who happily shares his love of classic Westerns with Indy; and Lyle, a UFO nut who thinks aliens are here to take over the world.
If all this sounds completely absurd, that’s because it is. But it was also fantastically fun and hilarious! I was delighted the whole way through, either smiling at the characters’ antics or straight-up belly laughing at all the uproarious humor. This is contemporary sci-fi comedy at its finest, offering up just the right amount of fluff and lightheartedness without being completely silly. The story is a mix of adventure (the novel’s entire premise is essentially a group of humans aiding an alien on his epic quest), mystery (What does Indy want? Why is he here? And what is up with his obsession with Monument Valley?), a little bit of romance (some adorable rom-com action happening here), and even a light dollop of Western (teaching Indy about humans and the way of our world through classics like Paint Your Wagon or Support Your Local Sheriff! was a sheer stroke of genius).
What more can I say? There was nothing too cerebral or even complex about this novel, but of course that was never the point. It came at the perfect time, scratching a very particular itch while raising me out of a mood funk which had resulted from reading a string of darker, more thematically heavy books. The Road to Roswell succeeded in that it was very effective in being an entertaining and engaging read, and I enjoyed every moment. This book has also sold me on Connie Willis, and I look forward to picking up more of her books.
May 14, 2023
I don't think Connie Willis knows what decade it is.
Most of the tension in the story is built on using technology in a way that might have been appropriate ~25 years ago but doesn't make sense today. There were references to mouse pads, beanie babies, using keys in ignitions of new luxury cars (push buttons have been standard for a while now), and a woman in her late-twenties who has a smart phone and doesn't text to convey basic information like phone numbers, addresses, or any communications like dropping a pin to let people know she's been kidnapped and is in a specific location. That last one killed me the most. It was soooo obvious this book was written by someone who's 77 years old and hasn't talked to a younger person in more than a decade. When in a situation like Francie is, who calls people's phones and gives up when they find out a voicemail box is full?? DROP A PIN! TEXT THEM YOU'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED! Take a picture/video of the alien!!
This book doesn't make sense.
Also, Francie has no history, wants, stated desires, or personality. Things happen to her and she reacts, poorly.
Way too long. Could have been 250 pages rather than more than 400.
I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Most of the tension in the story is built on using technology in a way that might have been appropriate ~25 years ago but doesn't make sense today. There were references to mouse pads, beanie babies, using keys in ignitions of new luxury cars (push buttons have been standard for a while now), and a woman in her late-twenties who has a smart phone and doesn't text to convey basic information like phone numbers, addresses, or any communications like dropping a pin to let people know she's been kidnapped and is in a specific location. That last one killed me the most. It was soooo obvious this book was written by someone who's 77 years old and hasn't talked to a younger person in more than a decade. When in a situation like Francie is, who calls people's phones and gives up when they find out a voicemail box is full?? DROP A PIN! TEXT THEM YOU'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED! Take a picture/video of the alien!!
This book doesn't make sense.
Also, Francie has no history, wants, stated desires, or personality. Things happen to her and she reacts, poorly.
Way too long. Could have been 250 pages rather than more than 400.
I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 18, 2023
Have you ever wanted to go to Roswell and get abducted by aliens? If your answer is yes then this is the book for you.
I had such a good time listening to this, it was hilarious and I loved all the characters, especially Indy. He's like a tumbleweed alien with tentacles and he keeps abducting people he comes across because he just wants to go somewhere but can't communicate where, so they're all forced to go on a road trip together.
At first I wasn't Francie's biggest fan, with the way she was immediately dismissive of people who believe in UFOs, but when Indy abducted her she got more likeable.
I also love her and Wade together, even though we only got some crumbs of their romance thrown in. But they were cute.
The only off thing about this is that the ending comes out of nowhere, in the middle of a conversation. The audiobook ended and I was like "huh???", but apparently that IS the end. So I'm hoping we'll get a sequel, because otherwise that's a really strange place to end it, it's not even an open ending, just...odd.
BUT YES IF YOU WANT CUTE AND FUNNY ALIENS READ THIS BOOK.
I had such a good time listening to this, it was hilarious and I loved all the characters, especially Indy. He's like a tumbleweed alien with tentacles and he keeps abducting people he comes across because he just wants to go somewhere but can't communicate where, so they're all forced to go on a road trip together.
At first I wasn't Francie's biggest fan, with the way she was immediately dismissive of people who believe in UFOs, but when Indy abducted her she got more likeable.
I also love her and Wade together, even though we only got some crumbs of their romance thrown in. But they were cute.
The only off thing about this is that the ending comes out of nowhere, in the middle of a conversation. The audiobook ended and I was like "huh???", but apparently that IS the end. So I'm hoping we'll get a sequel, because otherwise that's a really strange place to end it, it's not even an open ending, just...odd.
BUT YES IF YOU WANT CUTE AND FUNNY ALIENS READ THIS BOOK.
March 20, 2023
Sometimes, you need a frothy, fun book featuring the cutest freaking alien – who happens to resemble a sentient tumbleweed.
I loved this. It’s got a super sweet romance, some genuinely hilarious side characters, and a whole host of surprisingly wholesome alien beings.
I also decided I need to go on vacation to Roswell as soon as possible!
This is a silly and rollicking adventure of a novel and is just the perfect read when real life gets ick (like have you watched the news lately???).
Love this!!!!
• ARC via Publisher
I loved this. It’s got a super sweet romance, some genuinely hilarious side characters, and a whole host of surprisingly wholesome alien beings.
I also decided I need to go on vacation to Roswell as soon as possible!
This is a silly and rollicking adventure of a novel and is just the perfect read when real life gets ick (like have you watched the news lately???).
Love this!!!!
• ARC via Publisher
September 12, 2023
Rating: 👽👽👽👽👽
The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis
Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky - Wowza! Young, old, cowboys, aliens, Elvis, Dracula and more! Nailed ‘em all! So fun!
Can you combine alien abductions, old time-y western cinema, road trip adventures, and a rom-com… well, now I know the answer is a resounding YES!
Francie arrives in Roswell, New Mexico, for her college roommate’s UFO-themed wedding—complete with a true-believer bridegroom—she can’t help but roll her eyes at all the wide-eyed talk of aliens, which obviously don’t exist. Imagine her surprise, then, when she is abducted by one.
Francie and Indy (the alien) pick up some wild and wacky passengers along the way and this story becomes a fantastical and frantic road trip across the southwest. I adored this screwball comedy. It’s wild and often simply out of control and so much fun! I recommend the audiobook. The narrator is phenomenal!
The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis
Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky - Wowza! Young, old, cowboys, aliens, Elvis, Dracula and more! Nailed ‘em all! So fun!
Can you combine alien abductions, old time-y western cinema, road trip adventures, and a rom-com… well, now I know the answer is a resounding YES!
Francie arrives in Roswell, New Mexico, for her college roommate’s UFO-themed wedding—complete with a true-believer bridegroom—she can’t help but roll her eyes at all the wide-eyed talk of aliens, which obviously don’t exist. Imagine her surprise, then, when she is abducted by one.
Francie and Indy (the alien) pick up some wild and wacky passengers along the way and this story becomes a fantastical and frantic road trip across the southwest. I adored this screwball comedy. It’s wild and often simply out of control and so much fun! I recommend the audiobook. The narrator is phenomenal!
June 21, 2023
I hate to say it, but this book is kinda bad. Its ceiling seems to be "light-hearted but somewhat forgettable sci-fi alien romp" (akin to John Scalzi's Agent to the Stars), which is perfectly fine, but it's full of one-note (and frankly annoying) characters and the speed with which our main couple of characters jump from "oh no, this alien is abducting me!" to "BY GOD I WILL DIE FOR MY NEW BEST FRIEND, THIS ALIEN" is head-spinning. Top it off with a conclusion that made me pine for the excellent first-contact-linguistics of Arrival and a romance subplot that I never once cared about and you get a pretty disappointing effort from an author I've loved elsewhere.
Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC.
November 20, 2023
Review coming soon.
February 28, 2023
I feel like Connie Willis writes 2 kinds of books: serious, historical, research-heavy time travel books like The Doomsday Book, Blackout/All Clear, etc, and research-heavy comical books, like To Say Nothing of the Dog, The Bellwether, and this one. They are all great.
The focus here is on aliens and the southwest, and to some degree old westerns, so if you are a fan of any of those subjects, you will probably still learn something. But also, it's so funny! Willis has a fantastic way for dialogue and great comic timing/banter between characters.
The plot: Francie goes to Roswell for a friends wedding and gets abducted by an alien. And then a few more people get abducted by the same alien, and then they are all on a mission through New Mexico, while watching old western movies in an RV (sorry, Western Trail Wagon). It's a very unique, funny, interesting novel. And it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger (or at least an easy avenue to imagine a sequel), so I hope that is on the horizon!
Thanks so much for the ARC, NetGalley!
The focus here is on aliens and the southwest, and to some degree old westerns, so if you are a fan of any of those subjects, you will probably still learn something. But also, it's so funny! Willis has a fantastic way for dialogue and great comic timing/banter between characters.
The plot: Francie goes to Roswell for a friends wedding and gets abducted by an alien. And then a few more people get abducted by the same alien, and then they are all on a mission through New Mexico, while watching old western movies in an RV (sorry, Western Trail Wagon). It's a very unique, funny, interesting novel. And it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger (or at least an easy avenue to imagine a sequel), so I hope that is on the horizon!
Thanks so much for the ARC, NetGalley!
July 21, 2023
"happy Kermit arm flailing here"
Willis at her madcap best. So. Much. Fun. A road trip with the cutest alien since ET and a marvelous group of humans who are caught up in its quest for--well, that's the big question. Just what is our alien looking for?
A great story of found family, true friendship, and the Code of the West.
Francie has come to Roswell to support her BFF Serena as Maid of Honor at her wedding. But ends up being abducted (sorta) by an alien, who forces Francie to drive it out of town. Along the way they pick-up hitch-hiking Wade (who has hidden depths) and Lyle (a dyed in the wool UFO/alien doom and gloom kinda guy, who is fixated on being taken to the Mother Ship to be probed.) They later acquire Joseph and his fabulous RV (err, Western Trail Wagon, with its extensive collection of western movies) and Eula Mae (a devotee of casino slot machines). Wade nicknames the alien Indy (for Indiana Jones) and everyone (except Lyle) tries to discover just what Indy is looking for, as it leads them on a very back and forth road trip around New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada.
There's laughter, betrayal, and a few scary bits, before we reach the end of the road and our happy ending.
I closed the book with a grin on my face.
BTW, I have actually been to Roswell and enjoyed revisiting the UFO museum, and the countryside around the town.
Willis at her madcap best. So. Much. Fun. A road trip with the cutest alien since ET and a marvelous group of humans who are caught up in its quest for--well, that's the big question. Just what is our alien looking for?
A great story of found family, true friendship, and the Code of the West.
Francie has come to Roswell to support her BFF Serena as Maid of Honor at her wedding. But ends up being abducted (sorta) by an alien, who forces Francie to drive it out of town. Along the way they pick-up hitch-hiking Wade (who has hidden depths) and Lyle (a dyed in the wool UFO/alien doom and gloom kinda guy, who is fixated on being taken to the Mother Ship to be probed.) They later acquire Joseph and his fabulous RV (err, Western Trail Wagon, with its extensive collection of western movies) and Eula Mae (a devotee of casino slot machines). Wade nicknames the alien Indy (for Indiana Jones) and everyone (except Lyle) tries to discover just what Indy is looking for, as it leads them on a very back and forth road trip around New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada.
There's laughter, betrayal, and a few scary bits, before we reach the end of the road and our happy ending.
I closed the book with a grin on my face.
BTW, I have actually been to Roswell and enjoyed revisiting the UFO museum, and the countryside around the town.
July 8, 2023
super enjoyable, very fun book. loved lyle! :) well loved everyone in there, but so loved lyle and his theories!
November 21, 2023
3.5 stars. Like my last read (Crosstalks) this one does not live up to Willis' former standards like the brilliant "Passage" for example. It is a cozy, quirky and loveable popcorn read if you are into Willis' trademark style of meandering dialogues and failed communications. I am and thus I enjoyed the ride along in this road movie story of an alien abduction of the other kind. But I clearly see the short comings.
The romance is glued on and has no organic development, the characters are one dimensional screwball comedy types and for the failed communication plot to work in a modern setting, Willis has to pull so many strings why smartphones won't work/aren't there that it breaks believability.
I just imagined an X-Files era while reading and then it works a lot better.
If you are annoyed by inconsistencies better don't read it. If you just want to go along with Connie Willis' style and tale of chaotic communication it is fun.
The romance is glued on and has no organic development, the characters are one dimensional screwball comedy types and for the failed communication plot to work in a modern setting, Willis has to pull so many strings why smartphones won't work/aren't there that it breaks believability.
I just imagined an X-Files era while reading and then it works a lot better.
If you are annoyed by inconsistencies better don't read it. If you just want to go along with Connie Willis' style and tale of chaotic communication it is fun.
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