Sender: John C. Wenn:ES AE:Xerox
Date: 18 Apr 89 05:33:29 PDT (Tuesday)
Subject: Author Lists: Gene Wolfe
From: JWenn
To: SF-LOVERS%rutgers:EDU
cc: JWenn, tanelorn!david%CS.ORST:EDU
Gene Wolfe. His early work is mixed ("The Fifth Head of Cerberus" is
recommended, and I also liked "Peace", but that's an individual quirk).
Coming into the 1980's is where he really shines. "The Book of the New
Sun". Words fail me. It's just amazing, for the use of language if
nothing else. After that, it becomes even more subjective than usual. I
rather like "Soldier of the Mist", but I'm withholding judgement until the
series is complete. Of all his story collections (and I haven't read his
recent ones), "The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other
Stories" is the best. The beginning Wolfe reader should probably start on
"The Island of Doctor Death..." or "The Fifth Head of Cerberus", before
going on to "The Shadow of the Torturer" or other works. Personally, I
must be in the correct frame of mind to read Wolfe. This is stuff that
you have to pay attention to when you read, not skim over for
entertainment. But the rewards make it worth all the effort. Give him a
try.
[C] == Short Story Collection.
[CP] == Chapbook (a very short book, or pamphlet)..
[S] == Scholarly
/John
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Wolfe, Gene [U.S.A., 1931- ]
The Book of the New Sun Tetralogy:
The Shadow of the Torturer [1980]
The Claw of the Conciliator [1981]
The Sword of the Lictor [1982]
The Citadel of the Autarch [1983]
The Urth of the New Sun [1987]
The Castle of the Otter [1982] [S] [about the writing the series]
In Series:
Soldier of the Mist [1986]
Soldier of Arete [June 1989]
Operation Ares [1970]
The Fifth Head of Cerberus [1972] [C]
Peace [1975]
The Devil in a Forest [1976]
The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories [1980]
[C]
Gene Wolfe's Book of Days [1981] [C]
The Wolfe Archipelago [1983] [C]
Plan(e)t Engineering [1984] [C]
Free Live Free [1984]
There Are Doors [1988]
Endangered Species [1989] [C]
Storeys from the Old Hotel [1989] [C]
For Rosemary [1989] [C] [CP] [Poetry]
