Subject: Re: Wolfe's FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS

From: rti-sel!wfi <rti-sel!wfi at topaz.arpa>
Date: Fri, 07 Jun 1985 19:22:51 +0000

donn at utah-gr.UUCP (Donn Seeley) writes:
>I give up.  After going through the book for the twentieth time or
>so, I still have to admit that Gene Wolfe's THE FIFTH HEAD OF
>CERBERUS is my favorite work of sf, and very possibly my favorite
>book, period.  I have found something new every single time I've
>read it, which I think is the greatest and most difficult gift an
>author can make to a reader.  On this pass I finally figured out
>what Number Five's real name is.  In retrospect I probably should
>have guessed it sooner, but that would have taken some of the fun
>and suspense out of it!  Has anyone else had this experience?

The Fifth Head of Cerberus is also close to being my favorite SF
work, although Lem's Solaris and certain other works by other
authors are also contenders. It's an infinitely rich and rewarding
book, but reading Wolfe is definitely work. You've certainly beat me
on the number of readings; I've read it three times. It's a book I
recommend to anyone I talk to about SF.

Wolfe's short stories are also first-rate; check out The Death of
Dr.  Island And Other Stories And Other Stories. Actually, I can't
think of anything he's written that I haven't enjoyed, including the
mainstream novel Peace (at least it appears to be mainstream).

At the risk of starting more flames in the group on quality and SF
(:-), my opinion is that Fifth Head of Cerberus is his best work,
but I've only read the Book of the New Sun once so I haven't really
gotten into it. I'd be interested in hearing from other people in
the group on F. H. of C; does anyone else share our high opinion of
this book?
                                 -- Bill Ingogly

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From: ucbcad!kalash <ucbcad!kalash at topaz.arpa>
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 1985 04:08:48 +0000

> (:-), my opinion is that Fifth Head of Cerberus is his best work,

        It is close, but for sheer breadth I like "The Book of the
New Sun" better. They are both absolutely amazing works.

> group on F. H. of C; does anyone else share our high opinion of
> this book?

        While I normally do not make responses of 'I agree' (I mean
what is the point?), I can not resist. "Fifth Head" is one of the
great books of SF, and I can do no better than quote Anatomy of
Wonder:

        "These summaries cannot touch the complexity, meaning
        and sheer beauty of these excellently written stories."

                   Joe Kalash
                   kalash@berkeley