Subject: (urth) Thrilling Wonder Story

From: Michael Straight <straight at email.unc.edu>
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 16:11:11 +0000

On Fri, 8 Dec 2000, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes wrote:

> > But notice that Wolfe, while he write about stories being told,
> > telling themselves, etc., never (AFAIK) does the kind of
> > metafictional introduction of himself that Barth does 
> 
> Alec, may I refer you to "The Last Thrilling Wonder Story" or
> "The Sister's Tale"?

No, no, no.  The author who threatens the hero in "Wonder Story" is just
another character, he's not Gene Wolfe himself.  It's a story about a
writer whose story gets away from him.  Wolfe is obviously on the side of
the hero.  Would Gene Wolfe be angry at one of his characters for praying?
And retaliate by throwing the devil at him?

It's a very different feel from, say, Breakfast of Champions, where
Vonnegut really inserts *himself* into the story, imagines a conversation
with his protagonist, considers the idea that he, Kurt Vonnegut, is
responsible for what happens to his characters, and tells us how he feels
about it.

Alas, I don't remember "The Sister's Tale."   Which collection is it in?

-Rostrum

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