  The Complex of Local Interstellar Clouds (CLIC) is a relatively tight
grouping of low density, warm, partially ionized clouds within about 15 pc of
the Solar System. The Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC) is the cloud observed on
most lines of sight and may be the cloud that immediately surrounds our Solar
System, the properties of which set the outer boundary conditions of the
heliosphere. Using absorption line data toward nearby stars, in situ
observations of inflowing interstellar gas from spacecraft in the Solar System,
and theoretical modeling of the interstellar radiation field and radiative
transfer, we can deduce many characteristics of the LIC. We find that the LIC
is partially ionized with modest electron density, n(e) ~ 0.07 cm^-3. The
combination of its temperature and ionization favor photoionization/thermal
equilibrium over a non-equilibrium cooling cloud picture. The abundances in the
LIC suggest moderate dust destruction for silicate dust but complete
destruction of carbonaceous grains. An origin for the LIC as a density
enhancement in the ambient medium that has been overrun by a shock seems
likely, while its velocity away from the Sco-Cen association points to a
possible connection to that region and the Loop I bubble.
