# Reading Order

*The Urth list — 4 messages, 4 voices, 27 Apr 2003*

<https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/3973>

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### Oren Douek
*27 Apr 2003, 14:37*

I have a quick question. Would it be terrible if I read the Short Sun
sequence after finishing the New Sun one? Or must I read the Long Sun in
between?

Thanks, Oren

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### Steve Strickland
*27 Apr 2003, 16:27 · follows Oren Douek*

Oren,

There's no need to read New Sun first.  I think Short Sun would be terribly
difficult and not nearly as satisfying if you hadn't read Long Sun first.
Just one man's opinion.

Steve Strickland

----- Original Message ----- 

> From: "Oren Douek" <orend at axelero.hu>
> To: <urth at urth.net>
> Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2003 9:37 AM
> Subject: (urth) Reading Order
> I have a quick question. Would it be terrible if I read the Short Sun
> sequence after finishing the New Sun one? Or must I read the Long Sun in
> between?
> 
> Thanks, Oren
> 
> 
> -- 

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### Gareth Jelley
*27 Apr 2003, 16:22 · follows Steve Strickland*

> From: "Oren Douek" <orend at axelero.hu>
> I have a quick question. Would it be terrible if I read the Short Sun
> sequence after finishing the New Sun one? Or must I read the Long Sun in
> between?

Personally, I wouldn't worry, as reading the books in an order different to
the published order could shed light on different issues, because you'd be
coming at it from a different angle. I'm reading the Short Sun books first,
and then I plan to read either the New Sun or the Long Sun books. So I'd go
with whatever your mood is, as, if nothing else, it will mean that you
'read' the Wolfe-Urth-universe in a personal - and perhaps quite fruitfully
non-linear - way.

My two cents :o)

Best,

G.

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### Joshuafalchion
*27 Apr 2003, 22:41 · follows Gareth Jelley*

Oren, I say read the books in the order they were published--I am currently 
going through them all myself, in order.  I just finished New Sun for my 
fourth or fifth (or possibly sixth--I lose count with Wolfe, just as I lose 
count with all my favorite novelists), and I found that it contains 
fascinating clues (as regards Typhon and his relationship with the 
Conciliator, as well as others) that are helping me in my current (third) 
reading of Long Sun.  I've only read Short Sun once, but if I learned nothing 
else during that reading, it was that I should have paid more attention to 
Long Sun.
I'd love to talk about the connective tissue between the three series, but 
most of the points I would make have already been beaten to death by others 
in this group.  I would say (hopefully without spoiling anything) that it is 
valuable to remember the strong possibility that Typhon the Monarch and 
Patera Silk are, genetically, the same person--in which case it behooves us 
all to study both characters as closely as possible (and on that subject, 
Wolfe gives us, in two widely-separated clues, the information that Typhon is 
blond-haired, just like Silk is).
Happy reading! 

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