Subject: Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun

From: Ian Kaplan <ian at loral.uucp>
Date: Sat, 10 Nov 1984 01:51:25 +0000

While reading some of the repartee concerning Harlan Ellison
(including those oh so sage comments from the oh so ever present
Chuq), I saw several references to Gene Wolfe's four book series,
collectively know as "The Book of the New Sun".  There seems to be
relatively wide agreement that these are excellent books.  I too
have read all four of the New Sun books, plus most of Wolfe's other
books.  From this I guess it could be concluded that I like Wolfe,
and it is true.  I liked the New Sun books because of the writing
style, Wolfe's descriptions and the action element of the story.  In
these books Wolfe has woven an incredibly complex plot whose central
point I hoped would be revealed in the last book.  For me at least,
this did not happen and the books remain enigmatic.  In the last few
pages of the last New Sun book, "The Citadel of the Autarch", the
new Autarch, whose previous career we have followed, states that he
is leaving the Book of the New Sun behind on earth and going to meet
the extra-terrestrials.  While on this flight he will rewrite the
book a second time.  Since he has perfect memory, he can reproduce
the book exactly.  He says that if you don't understand the book,
read it a second time, just as he is writing it a second time.  I
have not done this yet.

Even though the plot of Wolfe's New Sun seems to be only a
collection of strange events, I believe that it is clear that the
books contain more.  I just have not discovered it yet.  The
question I pose to you out in net land is what ties the events in
the book together.

Those of you who believe Wolfe to be such a great writer presumably
see what I have missed.  If you don't, I wonder if perhaps you are
confusing Wolfe's obscureness with literary greatness.  I like
Wolfe, but I am not yet convinced that he is a great american
writer.

Well I hope that this will provide much interesting discussion and
perhaps some enlightenment for

                          Ian Kaplan
                          Loral Data Flow Group