Gene Wolfe

Post by **[Syl]** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:31 pm

A Complete List of Wolfe's Works
Wolfe Related Books
Wolfe Lookout

Post by **Avatar** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:41 pm

I wondered when you were going to make an appearance in your new forum

I generally enjoy Wolfe, and especially the "Torturer" series, but unfortunately I'm still missing The Citadel of the Autarch

As you've seen, I posted something from The Book of Days in the Close, but it's been years since I read anything other than the "Torturer" series (I know it has a name...Books of the New Sun?...can't remember.)

In fact, I got that thing on the nature of death from a scrap of paper upon which I copied it, longhand, that I've faithfully kept filed for the last 10 years, if not more.

The only other one that comes easily to mind is The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories

Anyway, no real point to this post except I felt like adding something, and I guess my post at the Tower has vanished into the ether.

--Avatar

Post by **[Syl]** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 1:00 pm

Yeah, I didn't know it was going to come down so fast or I would've saved a lot of the posts to transfer here.

Yep, the series you are thinking of is The Book of the New Sun. It's the first series of his "Briah" universe.

The Book of the New Sun
The Book of the Long Sun
The Book of the Short Sun

Other series are -

Latro in the Mist
The Wizard Knight

Post by **danlo** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 8:19 pm

Dang I never come to the Library so I had no idea this was here! If I knew you were shutting down the Tower I would have set up a forum at the Hangar and had you direct your members there. I've only read Shadow of the Torturer--and am attempting to get through There Are Doors--which is very strange but very cool.

I did find a couple of copies of Shadow and Claw the other day so will buy when the funds allow. Looking forward to being here more often. Severian rules!

Post by **duchess of malfi** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 9:27 pm

Strange but cool is a good description of There are Doors and Latro in the Mist is just plain wonderful.

I keep meaning to start the Torturer books, but it looks like its part of a very long and involved series of nine or so books? I'm a bit intimidated by that, but I keep hearing good things...

Post by **[Syl]** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 9:30 pm

Well, the torturer books are only The Book of the New Sun, which is only 4 books (but usually found in two volumes), plus one other if you really want to get into it (Urth of the New Sun). New Sun stuff is barely mentioned at all in Long Sun and only in passing in Short Sun.

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 8:24 am

Didn't really enjoy There are Doors myself, but that said, it's a long time since I tried to read it last.

I read Urth of the New Sun many years before I read the "Torturer" series, had no idea it was actually a part of that series, even if only theoretically.

Don't remember much about it though. Know it was a new planet that the last survivors or earth migrated to, or were forgotten on, or something like that. Remember enjoying it at the time though.

Later
--Avatar

Post by **[Syl]** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 10:29 pm

Some may notice I changed the title of this thread. I might change it again if I can find a more suitable title from the book.

Anyway, I just figured I'd rather set up shop in Mythgarthr than Urth.

Post by **danlo** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 4:47 am

I received a B & N gift card for Xmas and bought Erikson's Gardens of the Moon and Shadow and Claw. I should be reading Claw by late Feb/early March. In anycase, both have to be read by late March/early Apr. as Zindell's 3rd book in the Ea Cycle, Black Jade, should be out by then. <grin worthy of Vain>

Post by **NOMinal** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:52 am

I've had many discussions/arguements(some drunken I admit) about Frodo, Aragorn, Boromir etc... vs. Covenant. In my opinion TC is the best due to the fact that that he is easily identifiable. Granted, we (and I mean me) read these novels for pleasure, but TC's pure humanity puts him heads above all of JRR,s characters. I also have a soft spot for Elric, and if there is another thread in here for the Melnibonean please forgive me, I saw this one and ran.

All that said...

There is Donaldson (and I love your work, I Buy hardbacks), there is Tolkien, Moorcock, Glen Cook and others.

Then there is THE WOLFE.

Severian is second only, maybe, to Latro. This guy Wolfe (and I glimpsed in a previouse thread that someone has seen the Urth site so forgive repitition) writes layers upon layers of story. One never gets the whole story the first time. For anyone who hasn't turned on to the WOLFE, read the New Sun, then the Long Sun (Silk for Calde!), and then the Short Sun. I apologize for not really going anywhere with this, I haven't got my hands on a copy of Runes yet but I dig reading your comments and wanted to throw out a few authors of my own. Rumor has it that there is another Latro in the works and the Black Company will be back in another year or so. Hellfire.

Post by **[Syl]** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 3:32 pm

Hey, NOMinal. Good to have you here in our relatively quiet corner of Kevin's Watch.

Post by **Edinburghemma** » Fri May 12, 2006 9:36 pm

I really fancy starting something by Gene Wolfe, as am always mesmerized in book shops by them. Any recommendations?Where does one start? Any advice will be much appreciated. xx

Post by **[Syl]** » Sat May 13, 2006 4:41 am

I'd recommend starting with some of his short fiction. Wolfe is kind of an aquired taste, and the short stuff won't make your head spin quite as much. But if jump in you must, I think Donaldson fans would generally most enjoy The Wizard Knight.

Post by **CovenantJr** » Sat May 13, 2006 10:58 am

You couldn't have mentioned that before I tried to read The Book of the New Sun?

Post by **[Syl]** » Sat May 13, 2006 4:22 pm

Heh, don't get me wrong; TBotNS is the pinnacle of Wolfe (and just about all SciFi, imho). But it did take me over four years to reattempt the first half and then start the second.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Sat May 13, 2006 4:43 pm

I read the whole thing first time in a month.

(;))
(But I'm still putting off the (absolutely necessary) reread.)

Post by **lucimay** » Sat May 13, 2006 5:04 pm

i read The Wizard Knight and Shadow & Claw just before becoming enamoured of Erikson, Bakker, and The Gap Cycle...haven't gotten back to Wolfe yet. i agree with Syl, emma...The Wizard Knight is good place to start.

oh...ps...i found this essay online and enjoyed reading it...

home.clara.net/andywrobertson/wolfemountains.html

Post by **Caer Bombadil** » Sat May 13, 2006 10:03 pm

Lucimay wrote:i read The Wizard Knight and Shadow & Claw just before becoming enamoured of Erikson, Bakker, and The Gap Cycle...haven't gotten back to Wolfe yet. i agree with Syl, emma...The Wizard Knight is good place to start.

oh...ps...i found this essay online and enjoyed reading it...

home.clara.net/andywrobertson/wolfemountains.html

I love that essay. I'd known for some time Wolfe & Tolkien had corresponded, as it was mentioned several yrs ago in the Wolfe Mailing List. Unfort, none of JRRT's letters to Wolfe apparently made it into Carpenter & C. Tolkien's published Letters of JRRT. However, there was one oblique reference by JRRT to Wolfe and one of his early sci-fi short stories in one of the published Letters, though neither Wolfe nor the specific story are named.

(Intrigued? Hints:

Spoiler

The ref is in an author's footnote/PS, not the main text. It concerns a word used by Wolfe in the story.

& BTW JRRT made an error in his reference re the context of the use of the word.

The story, BTW, has been reprinted in one of the more recent Wolfe ss anthologies.

)

My own real intro to Wolfe was The Fifth Head of Cerberus, altho I'd read a couple of shorties in magazines and mixed anthologies previously. Then I found BoNS.

Post by **Tulizar** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 3:51 am

www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568658079/10 ... e&n=283155

I was looking through Wolfe's catalog on Amazon and happened to read the description of the the Book of the New Sun. It boasts that it has recently been voted the greatest fantasy of all time, after the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit!

I personally might agree. Just curious who voted. Did some googling and couldn't find anything else other than the same "best of all time" description in all the book stores.

Post by **Ainulindale** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 9:01 pm

Personally I can't wait for the new Latro book this year!