Subject: Gene Wolfe: The Soldier series

From: Rolando Vinluan <rvinluan at cs.cornell.edu>
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 01:16:32 +0000

I just finished Soldier of Arete. It was truly unique, though-provoking,
exciting...I like it better than his New Sun series, actually, in part
because it deals with real history. I'm going to re-read Soldier of the
Mist then next time I'm home.

Questions:

   1) Pindaros's chapter in the end, trying to mimic Homer I think, was a
bit confusing.  The Amazon (Pharetra/Hippostizein) won the chariot race,
right? Was this because Latro let him win it?

   2) I don't have the first book, and the second doesn't come with a map,
so can somebody help me with the modern names of the places? Rope is
Sparta, Thrace is well, Thrace. But Hill, Tower Hill, Sestos, Nestos,
Cowland...HELP!?!?

   3) Is this the third book out yet? I don't think it's in paperback, but
in hardcover?

   4) Who else besides me likes this series better than the New Sun series
(though honestly, I haven't read "Urth of the New Sun" yet).

   5) Any good books about Ancient Greece you can recommend? My main
reference was Will Durant's "The Story of Civilization," which is of course
good and a classic, but I don't have that with me right now.

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From: Gavin Steyn <steyn at cs.rochester.edu>
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 03:50:47 +0000

>Sparta, Thrace is well, Thrace. But Hill, Tower Hill, Sestos, Nestos,

The only one I remember is that Thought is Athens.  The first book doesn't
have a map either.  And knowing Greek wouldn't help, because Latro gets
some of the names wrong (I remember Wolfe saying, for example, that he
mistranslates Athens as Thought)

>   3) Is this the third book out yet? I don't think it's in paperback, but

There may not be a third book.  Wolfe says he just plans to write them
whenver he feels the interest.  They're going to be a kind of walking tour
of ancient Greece.

>(though honestly, I haven't read "Urth of the New Sun" yet).

It's a tough call...I liked this series better the first time I read it.
However, I just re-read the Book of the New Sun last summer, and enjoyed it
more than I had before.  Now I'll have to re-read _Soldier of the Mists_ to
find out :-).

Gavin Steyn

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From: Dan Tilque <dant at techbook.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 10:33:15 +0000

>The only one I remember is that Thought is Athens.  

If I remember correctly, Tower Hill is Corinth.  If not then Hill is.

>The first book doesn't have a map either.

But it has a glossary.  

>whenver he feels the interest.  They're going to be a kind of walking tour

When I found out that it was a tour, I lost interest in the story.  After
reading Soldier in the Mist, I thought it was a modern version of a Greek
tragedy.  The premise of the story certainly seems like that's what it
should be.  But Arete doesn't advance this aspect at all.  He just keeps
wandering around Greece.

Dan Tilque

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From: Thomas Duffey <duffey at uxh.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 16:07:37 +0000

>If I remember correctly, Tower Hill is Corinth.  If not then Hill is.

   Yes, Tower Hill is Corinth.  Hill is Thebes, Sestos is Sestos, Nestos I
don't remember being in the book, Cowland is Boetia, Goodcattle Island is
Euboea (sp?), Bearland is Arcadia (another example of mistranslation, I
believe), the Hot Gates are Thermopylae, Redface Island is the Pelopennese,
Riverland is Egypt (obviously so, in Soldier of Arete) and that's all I can
remember off the top of my head.

   I too enjoyed these books a great deal, and reading them sparked an
interest in ancient history when I tried to track down the events described
within the books.

Tom Duffey