Subject: (urth) Whom Does Wolfe Read?

From: John Barach <jbarach at telus.net>
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 16:11:34 +0000

Urthers --

When I read _Castle of Days_ for the first time earlier this year, I learned a bit about Wolfe's reading.  For instance, it's evident that he likes Ursula LeGuin, Nancy Kress, and Algis Budrys.

Today, in a used book store, I came across Sharon Baker's _Journey to Membliar_, which had a blurb from Wolfe on the front, praising Baker highly.  I've never heard of her.  _Journey_ is apparently her second novel, following _Quarrelling, They Met the Dragon_ (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0380892014: the Amazon blurb is written by her son, apparently) and followed in turn by a sequel _Burning Tears of Sassurum_.  Anyone read these novels (besides Wolfe)?  Any good?

What other authors has Wolfe praised or indicated that he enjoys?  What other books has Wolfe written blurbs for?

Curious....

John

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From: Andy Robertson <andywrobertson at clara.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 16:14:38 +0000

>Anyone read these novels (besides Wolfe)?  Any good?

No, but I will 

> 
> What other authors has Wolfe praised or indicated that he enjoys?  

Tolkien 

http://home.clara.net/andywrobertson/wolfemountains.html

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From: pthwndxrclzp <aquastor at gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 16:24:09 +0000

I know he's got a blurb on (of all things) Jennifer Stevenson's
terrific "Trash Sex Magic" - see
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1931520127/qid=1113606743/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/103-9442090-4694246?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Stevenson's novel is a bit unusual, not to mention somewhat
indescribable (and highly erotic, which Wolfe's work just is not,
hence my surprise at the Wolfe blurb), but well worth reading. YMMV,
of course.

On 4/15/05, John Barach <jbarach at telus.net> wrote:
>  
> Urthers -- 
>   
> When I read _Castle of Days_ for the first time earlier this year, I learned
> a bit about Wolfe's reading.  For instance, it's evident that he likes
> Ursula LeGuin, Nancy Kress, and Algis Budrys. 
>   
> Today, in a used book store, I came across Sharon Baker's _Journey to
> Membliar_, which had a blurb from Wolfe on the front, praising Baker highly.
>  I've never heard of her.  _Journey_ is apparently her second novel,
> following _Quarrelling, They Met the Dragon_
> (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0380892014:
> the Amazon blurb is written by her son, apparently) and followed in turn by
> a sequel _Burning Tears of Sassurum_.  Anyone read these novels (besides
> Wolfe)?  Any good? 
>   
> What other authors has Wolfe praised or indicated that he enjoys?  What
> other books has Wolfe written blurbs for? 
>   
> Curious.... 
>   
>   
> John 
>   
>   
> _______________________________________________
> Urth Mailing List
> To post, write urth at urth.net
> Subscription/information: http://www.urth.net
> 
>

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From: Richard Payton <rlpayton at mailshack.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 16:28:05 +0000

> What other authors has Wolfe praised or indicated that he enjoys?  

Borges, certainly. Also, from a 1986 interview with Larry McCaffery:

LM: Who are some of the contemporary writers you most admire?

GW: Among SF writers I'd include Algis Budrys, Joanna Russ, Ursula Le Guin,
Damon Knight, Kate Wilhelm, Michael Bishop, Brian Aldiss, Nancy Kress,
Michael Moorcock. Among non-SF writers I most enjoy are Nabokov (Pale Fire
is a truly amazing book) and Borges. Of course . . . Lovecraft (who is
usually regarded as a SF writer, but to me he's the real successor -- if
that's possible -- to Poe's line of horror.)

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From: James Wynn <thewynns at earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 17:27:15 +0000

>What other authors has Wolfe praised or
>indicated that he enjoys?  What other
>books has Wolfe written blurbs for?

I going to presume we're talking fiction here. He wrote a gushing blurb for 
a book of Avram Davidson's short stories. He's referred to Kate Wilhelm in 
several interviews and chats and Number 5 finds one of her books in "The 
Fifth Head", so that's gotta be one. He *seems* to have been great friends 
with Le Guin at one time but his affection for her work *seems* like it may 
have declined with that friendship.

He's certainly not just a SF fan. He is a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes 
mysteries...probably the whole Mystery genre including Poe. He likes Dickens 
and Thackery (but you would know that from "Castle of Days"). He read a 
whole lot of Kipling as a kid. He seems to have read most of C.S. Lewis and 
G.K. Chesterton. I'm told there are a lot Proust references in "The New Sun" 
but I don't know enough about Proust to verify that.

He clearly likes Robert Graves and openly praises "I, Claudius".  His 
references to Greek Mythology are very often tapped directly from Graves' 
"The Greek Myths". And he likes World Mythology (not just the Greek 
stuff) -- look for a lot of Persian and Hittite mythology in his next Latro 
book if it is ever finished.

~ Crush

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From: Chris <rasputin_ at hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 01:44:01 +0000

He also dished out a big juicy quote on the virtues of the writing of 
Frankowski, which ended up attached as a blurb to one of the worst excuses 
for a pulp novel I have ever seen. Lesson learned: do not trust blurbs, even 
from Wolfe.

>mysteries...probably the whole Mystery genre including Poe. He likes 
>Dickens and Thackery (but you would know that from "Castle of Days"). He 
>read a whole lot of Kipling as a kid. He seems to have read most of C.S. 
>Lewis and G.K. Chesterton. I'm told there are a lot Proust references in 
>"The New Sun" but I don't know enough about Proust to verify that.
>
>"The Greek Myths". And he likes World Mythology (not just the Greek stuff) 
>-- look for a lot of Persian and Hittite mythology in his next Latro book 
>if it is ever finished.
>
>~ Crush
>
>

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From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <danldo at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 13:49:10 +0000

On 4/15/05, James Wynn <thewynns at earthlink.net> wrote:

> He seems to have read most of C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton.

I don't think even Chesterton read most of Chesterton. There's
just too much to read in one lifetime.

-- 
You probably do not want to know what that odor is. 
http://www.livejournal.com/users/sturgeonslawyer

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From: PacoGonzz at aol.com <pacogonzz at aol.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 16:32:36 +0000

Neil Gaiman, of course!
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