Subject: (urth) Got a spare grand-and-half?

From: Gwern Branwen <gwern0 at gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:04:06 +0000

I don't know if this was mentioned last year, but I just across this:

http://millipedepress.com/centipede-press/the-shadow-of-the-torturer-gene-wolfe

"The Shadow of the Torturer"
"$1500.00

Leather - Printed on mouldmade Saunders Waterford. Bound in full
goatskin leather with the color illustrations and a map enclosed in a
cloth traycase with an extra set of unbound prints. Limited to 14
copies for sale.
...
It features 7 full page, full color illustrations by German artist
Alexander Preuss."

I would like to read a copy, if only to look at the illustrations -
the library scene looks nice.

- --
gwern

---

From: Son of Witz <sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org>
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:12:12 +0000

>It features 7 full page, full color illustrations by German artist

Did Preuss understand what he read?  Seems to have missed the boat in a lot of ways.  Obviously he's done a lot of hard work and some of this stuff looks great.  But I have lots of issues with these not conforming to the text very closely.  I have so many complaints here I should just not get started, I suppose.

most of the plates.
http://www.abalakin.de/special_080216.asp

a few more
http://www.abalakin.de/gallery.asp

---

From: Matthew Keeley <matthew.keeley.1 at gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:22:01 +0000

> Did Preuss understand what he read?  Seems to have missed the boat in a lot of ways.  Obviously he's done a lot of hard work and some of this stuff looks great.  But I have lots of issues with thes…

Well, I think that at various times we've all missed the New Sun boat
in one way or another. I don't think any of the illustrations conform
to my view of Urth, though "Leaving Nessus" isn't too bad (though the
city is too futuristic by far). I think the biggest failure is the
"floating city", which I take it is Preuss' illustration of the
Pelerine's "cathedral".

Like you said, I could nitpick for hours, but won't.

By not showing much of Severian, and never showing him in decent
light, Preuss did at least solve the vexed problem of Sev's chest
hair...

-Matt

---

From: Son of Witz <sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org>
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:26:15 +0000

>light, Preuss did at least solve the vexed problem of Sev's chest

Lol. Well avoided.
though he did avoid the fuligin along with it. 
and yeah, the Floating City is the most "off" thing there I think.

I'm just a picky bastard I guess.
~witz

---

From: hammstu at sbcglobal.net <hammstu at sbcglobal.net>
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:51:15 +0000

I got the non grand and a half version and am pretty pleased...come on over and I'll show you my etchings S of W...
------Original Message------
From: Son of Witz
Sender: urth-bounces at lists.urth.net
To: The Urth Mailing List
ReplyTo: The Urth Mailing List
Sent: Dec 1, 2008 4:12 PM
Subject: Re: (urth) Got a spare grand-and-half?

most of the plates.

a few more

_______________________________________________
Urth Mailing List
To post, write urth at urth.net
Subscription/information: http://www.urth.net

Sent from my BlackBerry? smartphone with SprintSpeed

---

From: Gwern Branwen <gwern0 at gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:06:14 +0000

> http://www.abalakin.de/gallery.asp

I suppose we oughtn't to blame Preuss:

"Everey item that was visualized was good researched by me and from
some hardcore Gene Wolfe fans i met on the internet."

--
gwern

---

From: Son of Witz <sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org>
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:18:38 +0000

>some hardcore Gene Wolfe fans i met on the internet."

We have met the enemy and he is us.