connie willis, 'passages' a great soft book tackling the confronting subject off death, from the scientific perspective, from the spiritualist perspective and from a romantic one, it touched me deeply, as her charachters are wonderful people, really great investments, for it's a big story and thick book, and you follow their stories, really feeling something for their plight. i loved the ideas in the book, specifically the idea that the NDE (near death experience) is the brains, SOS message, firing out through each synaptic nerve and connection in sensory dimensions familiar metaphors, in this specific story the titanic as it strikes the iceberg, yeah it's an emotional read and packed with humour and compassion. what a great writer!