Connie Willis is the master of the science fiction novella, from seminal efforts such as "Blued Moon," "Fire Watch," "The Last of the Winnebagos," and beyond. "Inside Job" takes its place on that permanent shelf, a tale of spiritualists, séances, skeptics, and a love that just might be able to rise about it all.

Willis spins an absorbing tale that explores the world of debunkers and their quarry while paying a delightful homage to literary curmudgeon and brillian essayist H.L. Mencken. A consummate storyteller whose novels (e.g., To Say Nothing of the Dog) combine serious themes with sparkling comic relief, Willis grows even better in her short fiction, bringing to this novella both richness and integrity.