instant new fan

On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote: Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in. I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing. Mr. Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr. Peake, however. I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:58 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net>wrote: On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote:

Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in. I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing. Mr. Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr. Peake, however. I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

Cool! BNS has some of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read. There are many others, but I think most often of the description of lotuses on Gyoll in CotA immediately after Maxellindis's uncle's talk of what appear to be the legions of Erebus: With that he fell silent, looking out over the nenuphars. We were well above that part of Gyoll opposite the Citadel, but they were still packed more densely than wildflowers in any meadow this side of paradise. This kind of mood/content juxtaposition enraptures me. ______________________________**_________________

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:08 PM, Daniel Petersen < danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote: Yes, so many truly wonderful lines and passages. I remember loving the really robust mountainous language at the beginning of SotL, starting with the sentence: 'Thrax is a crooked dagger entering the heart of the mountains.' You know, I don't think I've ever seen Wolfe's writing (as in style or tone or texture of prose, etc.) discussed on this list. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:58 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net>wrote:

On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote:

Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in. I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing. Mr. Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr. Peake, however. I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

Cool! BNS has some of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read. There are many others, but I think most often of the description of lotuses on Gyoll in CotA immediately after Maxellindis's uncle's talk of what appear to be the legions of Erebus: With that he fell silent, looking out over the nenuphars. We were well above that part of Gyoll opposite the Citadel, but they were still packed more densely than wildflowers in any meadow this side of paradise. This kind of mood/content juxtaposition enraptures me. ______________________________**_________________

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 10:14 AM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote: Wolfe's writing is very beautiful, and he uses such vivid, unique language. I haven't memorized the passage, but the part in The Shadow of the Torturer where Ultan is describing the different books in the library; wonderful! That together with the nearby Book of Gold passage really made me fall in love with that book in particular and Wolfe in general. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:08 PM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, so many truly wonderful lines and passages. ?I remember loving the really robust mountainous language at the beginning of SotL, starting with the sentence: ?'Thrax is a crooked dagger entering the heart of the mountains.' You know, I don't think I've ever seen Wolfe's writing (as in style or tone or texture of prose, etc.) discussed on this list. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:58 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net> wrote:

On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote:

Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. ?A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in. I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing. Mr. Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr. Peake, however. I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

Cool! BNS has some of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read. There are many others, but I think most often of the description of lotuses on Gyoll in CotA immediately after Maxellindis's uncle's talk of what appear to be the legions of Erebus: With that he fell silent, looking out over the nenuphars. We were well above that part of Gyoll opposite the Citadel, but they were still packed more densely than wildflowers in any meadow this side of paradise. This kind of mood/content juxtaposition enraptures me. _______________________________________________

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:14 PM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com>wrote: Wolfe's writing is very beautiful, and he uses such vivid, unique language. I haven't memorized the passage, but the part in The Shadow of the Torturer *where Ultan is describing the different books in the library; wonderful! That together with the nearby *Book of Gold passage really made me fall in love with that book in particular and Wolfe in general. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:08 PM, Daniel Petersen < danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, so many truly wonderful lines and passages. I remember loving the really robust mountainous language at the beginning of SotL, starting with the sentence: 'Thrax is a crooked dagger entering the heart of the mountains.' You know, I don't think I've ever seen Wolfe's writing (as in style or tone or texture of prose, etc.) discussed on this list. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:58 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net>wrote:

On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote:

Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in. I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing. Mr. Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr. Peake, however. I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

Cool! BNS has some of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read. There are many others, but I think most often of the description of lotuses on Gyoll in CotA immediately after Maxellindis's uncle's talk of what appear to be the legions of Erebus: With that he fell silent, looking out over the nenuphars. We were well above that part of Gyoll opposite the Citadel, but they were still packed more densely than wildflowers in any meadow this side of paradise. This kind of mood/content juxtaposition enraptures me. ______________________________**_________________

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:17 PM, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <danldo at gmail.com>wrote: I have many favorite passages in tBotNS, all of which totally blow me away with the beauty of the language. My favorite, however, must be the passage in Citadel where he realizes that the Claw was just the thorn of a rosebush, ending with the line about throwing his boots into the sea so that he might not walk shod on holy land. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 10:14 AM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Wolfe's writing is very beautiful, and he uses such vivid, unique language. I haven't memorized the passage, but the part in The Shadow of the Torturer where Ultan is describing the different books in the library; wonderful! That together with the nearby Book of Gold passage really made me fall in love with that book in particular and Wolfe in general. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:08 PM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, so many truly wonderful lines and passages. I remember loving the really robust mountainous language at the beginning of SotL, starting with the sentence: 'Thrax is a crooked dagger entering the heart of the mountains.' You know, I don't think I've ever seen Wolfe's writing (as in style or tone or texture of prose, etc.) discussed on this list. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:58 AM, David Stockhoff < dstockhoff at verizon.net> wrote:

On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote:

Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in. I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing. Mr.

Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr. Peake, however.

I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

Cool! BNS has some of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read. There are many others, but I think most often of the description of lotuses on Gyoll in CotA immediately after Maxellindis's uncle's talk of what appear to be the legions of Erebus: With that he fell silent, looking out over the nenuphars. We were well above that part of Gyoll opposite the Citadel, but they were still packed more densely than wildflowers in any meadow this side of paradise. This kind of mood/content juxtaposition enraptures me. _______________________________________________

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:25 PM, Daniel Petersen < danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote: You know, it's funny. The first chapters of SotT did not terribly impress me as to writing style when I first tackled BotNS over a decade ago. There was nothing wrong with them at all - flawless grammar and syntax and what have you. The story itself and its themes began to sweep me up as the book really got going, but it wasn't until later in the book or series that the writing itself began to leap out at me as really exquisite prose. Plus, sometimes I wonder if even the writing style itself is 'hidden in plain sight' from the reader along with so much else. The writing is so good (grammatical and graceful as Wolfe recommends to aspiring writers) that it just ends up doing its job so effectively that you don't always notice it until you're quite some way into a work. Also, I'll here mention that I love the quality of prose in Long and Short Suns just as much as New Sun. It's just doing something totally different than Severian's baroque machinations. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:14 PM, Antonin Scriabin < kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Wolfe's writing is very beautiful, and he uses such vivid, unique language. I haven't memorized the passage, but the part in *The Shadow of the Torturer *where Ultan is describing the different books in the library; wonderful! That together with the nearby *Book of Gold*passage really made me fall in love with that book in particular and Wolfe in general. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:08 PM, Daniel Petersen < danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, so many truly wonderful lines and passages. I remember loving the really robust mountainous language at the beginning of SotL, starting with the sentence: 'Thrax is a crooked dagger entering the heart of the mountains.' You know, I don't think I've ever seen Wolfe's writing (as in style or tone or texture of prose, etc.) discussed on this list. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:58 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net wrote:

On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote:

Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in. I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing. Mr. Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr. Peake, however. I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

Cool! BNS has some of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read. There are many others, but I think most often of the description of lotuses on Gyoll in CotA immediately after Maxellindis's uncle's talk of what appear to be the legions of Erebus: With that he fell silent, looking out over the nenuphars. We were well above that part of Gyoll opposite the Citadel, but they were still packed more densely than wildflowers in any meadow this side of paradise. This kind of mood/content juxtaposition enraptures me. ______________________________**_________________

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:36 PM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com>wrote: Daniel, I understand what you mean about the prose being so good it kind of slips under the radar, and "does its job". I read Neal Stephenson's * Quicksilver* and absolutely loved it, then read Shadow and Claw, which I loved even more. Then I went back to read Stephenson's The Confusion, and it felt like I had really, really stepped down a notch. I didn't realize how good the prose in New Sun was until I read something else; then it hit me how incredibly well Wolfe can write. P.S. I feel like I should mention that The Confusion, once I got back into the swing of that story, ended up being one of my favorite "adventure" novels. I highly recommend it! On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:25 PM, Daniel Petersen < danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

You know, it's funny. The first chapters of SotT did not terribly impress me as to writing style when I first tackled BotNS over a decade ago. There was nothing wrong with them at all - flawless grammar and syntax and what have you. The story itself and its themes began to sweep me up as the book really got going, but it wasn't until later in the book or series that the writing itself began to leap out at me as really exquisite prose. Plus, sometimes I wonder if even the writing style itself is 'hidden in plain sight' from the reader along with so much else. The writing is so good (grammatical and graceful as Wolfe recommends to aspiring writers) that it just ends up doing its job so effectively that you don't always notice it until you're quite some way into a work. Also, I'll here mention that I love the quality of prose in Long and Short Suns just as much as New Sun. It's just doing something totally different than Severian's baroque machinations. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:14 PM, Antonin Scriabin < kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Wolfe's writing is very beautiful, and he uses such vivid, unique language. I haven't memorized the passage, but the part in *The Shadow of the Torturer *where Ultan is describing the different books in the library; wonderful! That together with the nearby *Book of Gold*passage really made me fall in love with that book in particular and Wolfe in general. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:08 PM, Daniel Petersen < danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, so many truly wonderful lines and passages. I remember loving the really robust mountainous language at the beginning of SotL, starting with the sentence: 'Thrax is a crooked dagger entering the heart of the mountains.' You know, I don't think I've ever seen Wolfe's writing (as in style or tone or texture of prose, etc.) discussed on this list. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:58 AM, David Stockhoff < dstockhoff at verizon.net> wrote:

On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote:

Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in. I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing. Mr. Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr. Peake, however. I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

Cool! BNS has some of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read. There are many others, but I think most often of the description of lotuses on Gyoll in CotA immediately after Maxellindis's uncle's talk of what appear to be the legions of Erebus: With that he fell silent, looking out over the nenuphars. We were well above that part of Gyoll opposite the Citadel, but they were still packed more densely than wildflowers in any meadow this side of paradise. This kind of mood/content juxtaposition enraptures me. ______________________________**_________________

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 10:40 AM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote: Oh yes, Antonin: happens to me all the time. ?Dan Simmons, for example, writes a very compelling yard in perfectly capable prose. ?But if I read him too close to an immersive reading of Wolfe, I'll find myself distactedly pining for Wolfean prose. ?And, as you say, once I'm into the swing of any good writer's less-than-the-Wolfean-ideal prose, I thoroughly enjoy myself. ?(I've been planning to check out Stephenson for some time.) -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:36 PM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Daniel, I understand what you mean about the prose being so good it kind of slips under the radar, and "does its job". I read Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver and absolutely loved it, then read Shadow and Claw, which I loved even more. Then I went back to read Stephenson's The Confusion, and it felt like I had really, really stepped down a notch. I didn't realize how good the prose in New Sun was until I read something else; then it hit me how incredibly well Wolfe can write. P.S. I feel like I should mention that The Confusion, once I got back into the swing of that story, ended up being one of my favorite "adventure" novels. I highly recommend it! On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:25 PM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

You know, it's funny. ?The first chapters of SotT did not terribly impress me as to writing style when I first tackled BotNS over a decade ago. ?There was nothing wrong with them at all - flawless grammar and syntax and what have you. ?The story itself and its themes began to sweep me up as the book really got going, but it wasn't until later in the book or series that the writing itself began to leap out at me as really exquisite prose. Plus, sometimes I wonder if even the writing style itself is 'hidden in plain sight' from the reader along with so much else. ?The writing is so good (grammatical and graceful as Wolfe recommends to aspiring writers) that it just ends up doing its job so effectively that you don't always notice it until you're quite some way into a work. Also, I'll here mention that I love the quality of prose in Long and Short Suns just as much as New Sun. “It's just doing something totally different than Severian's baroque machinations. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:14 PM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Wolfe's writing is very beautiful, and he uses such vivid, unique language.” I haven't memorized the passage, but the part in The Shadow of the Torturer where Ultan is describing the different books in the library; wonderful!? That together with the nearby Book of Gold passage really made me fall in love with that book in particular and Wolfe in general. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:08 PM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, so many truly wonderful lines and passages. ?I remember loving the really robust mountainous language at the beginning of SotL, starting with the sentence: ?'Thrax is a crooked dagger entering the heart of the mountains.' You know, I don't think I've ever seen Wolfe's writing (as in style or tone or texture of prose, etc.) discussed on this list. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:58 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net> wrote:

On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote:

Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. ?A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in. I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing. Mr. Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr. Peake, however. I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

Cool! BNS has some of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read. There are many others, but I think most often of the description of lotuses on Gyoll in CotA immediately after Maxellindis's uncle's talk of what appear to be the legions of Erebus: With that he fell silent, looking out over the nenuphars. We were well above that part of Gyoll opposite the Citadel, but they were still packed more densely than wildflowers in any meadow this side of paradise. This kind of mood/content juxtaposition enraptures me. _______________________________________________

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:41 PM, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <danldo at gmail.com>wrote: Daniel, if you want to check out Stephenson, I would recommend starting with "Anathem," a book of deep secrets. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 10:40 AM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Oh yes, Antonin: happens to me all the time. Dan Simmons, for example, writes a very compelling yard in perfectly capable prose. But if I read him too close to an immersive reading of Wolfe, I'll find myself distactedly pining for Wolfean prose. And, as you say, once I'm into the swing of any good writer's less-than-the-Wolfean-ideal prose, I thoroughly enjoy myself. (I've been planning to check out Stephenson for some time.) -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:36 PM, Antonin Scriabin < kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Daniel, I understand what you mean about the prose being so good it kind of slips under the radar, and "does its job". I read Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver and absolutely loved it, then read Shadow and Claw, which I loved even more. Then I went back to read Stephenson's The Confusion, and it felt like I had really, really stepped down a notch. I didn't realize how good the prose in New Sun was until I read something else; then it hit me how incredibly well Wolfe can write. P.S. I feel like I should mention that The Confusion, once I got back into the swing of that story, ended up being one of my favorite "adventure" novels. I highly recommend it! On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:25 PM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

You know, it's funny. The first chapters of SotT did not terribly impress me as to writing style when I first tackled BotNS over a decade ago. There was nothing wrong with them at all - flawless grammar and syntax and what have you. The story itself and its themes began to sweep me up as the book really got going, but it wasn't until later in the book or series that the writing itself began to leap out at me as really exquisite prose. Plus, sometimes I wonder if even the writing style itself is 'hidden in plain sight' from the reader along with so much else. The writing is so good (grammatical and graceful as Wolfe recommends to aspiring writers) that it just ends up doing its job so effectively that you don't always notice it until you're quite some way into a work. Also, I'll here mention that I love the quality of prose in Long and Short Suns just as much as New Sun. It's just doing something totally different than Severian's baroque machinations. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:14 PM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Wolfe's writing is very beautiful, and he uses such vivid, unique language. I haven't memorized the passage, but the part in The Shadow of the Torturer where Ultan is describing the different books in the library; wonderful! That together with the nearby Book of Gold passage really made me fall in love with that book in particular and Wolfe in general. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:08 PM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, so many truly wonderful lines and passages. I remember loving the really robust mountainous language at the beginning of SotL, starting with the sentence: 'Thrax is a crooked dagger entering the heart of the mountains.' You know, I don't think I've ever seen Wolfe's writing (as in style or tone or texture of prose, etc.) discussed on this list. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:58 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net> wrote:

On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote:

Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in. I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing. Mr. Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr.

Peake, however.

I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

Cool! BNS has some of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read. There are many others, but I think most often of the description of lotuses on Gyoll in CotA immediately after Maxellindis's uncle's talk of what appear to be the legions of Erebus: With that he fell silent, looking out over the nenuphars. We were well above that part of Gyoll opposite the Citadel, but they were still packed more densely than wildflowers in any meadow this side of paradise. This kind of mood/content juxtaposition enraptures me. _______________________________________________

On 12/19/11, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote: I have yet to read Anathem *(sitting on my shelf as we speak), but I would highly recommend his *Baroque Cycle and the related book, Cryptonomicon. He is a very snappy writer, and is one of the few I have come across who can make a 1,000 page novel just whiz by. Lots of fireworks and excitement; he said in an interview not too long ago that he is first and foremost concerned with writing "a good yarn". On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:41 PM, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <danldo at gmail.com>wrote:

Daniel, if you want to check out Stephenson, I would recommend starting with "Anathem," a book of deep secrets. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 10:40 AM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Oh yes, Antonin: happens to me all the time. Dan Simmons, for example, writes a very compelling yard in perfectly capable prose. But if I read him too close to an immersive reading of Wolfe, I'll find myself distactedly pining for Wolfean prose. And, as you say, once I'm into the swing of any good writer's less-than-the-Wolfean-ideal prose, I thoroughly enjoy myself. (I've been planning to check out Stephenson for some time.) -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:36 PM, Antonin Scriabin < kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Daniel, I understand what you mean about the prose being so good it kind of slips under the radar, and "does its job". I read Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver and absolutely loved it, then read Shadow and Claw, which I loved even more. Then I went back to read Stephenson's The Confusion, and it felt like I had really, really stepped down a notch. I didn't realize how good the prose in New Sun was until I read something else; then it hit me how incredibly well Wolfe can write. P.S. I feel like I should mention that The Confusion, once I got back into the swing of that story, ended up being one of my favorite "adventure" novels. I highly recommend it! On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:25 PM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

You know, it's funny. The first chapters of SotT did not terribly impress me as to writing style when I first tackled BotNS over a decade ago. There was nothing wrong with them at all - flawless grammar and syntax and what have you. The story itself and its themes began to sweep me up as the book really got going, but it wasn't until later in the book or series that the writing itself began to leap out at me as really exquisite prose. Plus, sometimes I wonder if even the writing style itself is 'hidden in plain sight' from the reader along with so much else. The writing is so good (grammatical and graceful as Wolfe recommends to aspiring writers) that it just ends up doing its job so effectively that you don't always notice it until you're quite some way into a work. Also, I'll here mention that I love the quality of prose in Long and Short Suns just as much as New Sun. It's just doing something totally different than Severian's baroque machinations. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:14 PM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Wolfe's writing is very beautiful, and he uses such vivid, unique language. I haven't memorized the passage, but the part in The Shadow of the Torturer where Ultan is describing the different books in the library; wonderful! That together with the nearby Book of Gold passage really made me fall in love with that book in particular and Wolfe in general. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:08 PM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, so many truly wonderful lines and passages. I remember loving the really robust mountainous language at the beginning of SotL, starting with the sentence: 'Thrax is a crooked dagger entering the heart of the mountains.' You know, I don't think I've ever seen Wolfe's writing (as in style or tone or texture of prose, etc.) discussed on this list. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:58 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net> wrote:

On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote:

Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in. I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing. Mr. Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr.

Peake, however.

I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

Cool! BNS has some of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read. There are many others, but I think most often of the description of lotuses on Gyoll in CotA immediately after Maxellindis's uncle's talk of what appear to be the legions of Erebus: With that he fell silent, looking out over the nenuphars. We were well above that part of Gyoll opposite the Citadel, but they were still packed more densely than wildflowers in any meadow this side of paradise. This kind of mood/content juxtaposition enraptures me. _______________________________________________

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 2:02 PM, Larry Miller <decanus1284 at gmail.com> wrote: Snow Crash is also good IMHO a better cyberpunk novel than any of Gibsons recent works. The Diamond Age is also a great book, probably my favorite book of his so far. On 12/19/11, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

I have yet to read Anathem *(sitting on my shelf as we speak), but I would highly recommend his *Baroque Cycle and the related book, Cryptonomicon. He is a very snappy writer, and is one of the few I have come across who can make a 1,000 page novel just whiz by. Lots of fireworks and excitement; he said in an interview not too long ago that he is first and foremost concerned with writing "a good yarn". On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:41 PM, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <danldo at gmail.com wrote:

Daniel, if you want to check out Stephenson, I would recommend starting with "Anathem," a book of deep secrets. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 10:40 AM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Oh yes, Antonin: happens to me all the time. Dan Simmons, for example, writes a very compelling yard in perfectly capable prose. But if I read him too close to an immersive reading of Wolfe, I'll find myself distactedly pining for Wolfean prose. And, as you say, once I'm into the swing of any good writer's less-than-the-Wolfean-ideal prose, I thoroughly enjoy myself. (I've been planning to check out Stephenson for some time.) -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:36 PM, Antonin Scriabin < kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Daniel, I understand what you mean about the prose being so good it kind of slips under the radar, and "does its job". I read Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver and absolutely loved it, then read Shadow and Claw, which I loved even more. Then I went back to read Stephenson's The Confusion, and it felt like I had really, really stepped down a notch. I didn't realize how good the prose in New Sun was until I read something else; then it hit me how incredibly well Wolfe can write. P.S. I feel like I should mention that The Confusion, once I got back into the swing of that story, ended up being one of my favorite "adventure" novels. I highly recommend it! On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:25 PM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

You know, it's funny. The first chapters of SotT did not terribly impress me as to writing style when I first tackled BotNS over a decade ago. There was nothing wrong with them at all - flawless grammar and syntax and what have you. The story itself and its themes began to sweep me up as the book really got going, but it wasn't until later in the book or series that the writing itself began to leap out at me as really exquisite prose. Plus, sometimes I wonder if even the writing style itself is 'hidden in plain sight' from the reader along with so much else. The writing is so good (grammatical and graceful as Wolfe recommends to aspiring writers) that it just ends up doing its job so effectively that you don't always notice it until you're quite some way into a work. Also, I'll here mention that I love the quality of prose in Long and Short Suns just as much as New Sun. It's just doing something totally different than Severian's baroque machinations. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:14 PM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Wolfe's writing is very beautiful, and he uses such vivid, unique language. I haven't memorized the passage, but the part in The Shadow of the Torturer where Ultan is describing the different books in the library; wonderful! That together with the nearby Book of Gold passage really made me fall in love with that book in particular and Wolfe in general. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:08 PM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, so many truly wonderful lines and passages. I remember loving the really robust mountainous language at the beginning of SotL, starting with the sentence: 'Thrax is a crooked dagger entering the heart of the mountains.' You know, I don't think I've ever seen Wolfe's writing (as in style or tone or texture of prose, etc.) discussed on this list. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:58 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net> wrote:

On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote:

Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in.

I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing.

Mr. Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr.

Peake, however.

I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

Cool! BNS has some of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read. There are many others, but I think most often of the description of lotuses on Gyoll in CotA immediately after Maxellindis's uncle's talk of what appear to be the legions of Erebus: With that he fell silent, looking out over the nenuphars. We were well above that part of Gyoll opposite the Citadel, but they were still packed more densely than wildflowers in any meadow this side of paradise. This kind of mood/content juxtaposition enraptures me. _______________________________________________

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:44 PM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com>wrote: I have yet to read Anathem *(sitting on my shelf as we speak), but I would highly recommend his *Baroque Cycle and the related book, * Cryptonomicon*. He is a very snappy writer, and is one of the few I have come across who can make a 1,000 page novel just whiz by. Lots of fireworks and excitement; he said in an interview not too long ago that he is first and foremost concerned with writing "a good yarn". On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:41 PM, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <danldo at gmail.com>wrote:

Daniel, if you want to check out Stephenson, I would recommend starting with "Anathem," a book of deep secrets. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 10:40 AM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Oh yes, Antonin: happens to me all the time. Dan Simmons, for example, writes a very compelling yard in perfectly capable prose. But if I read him too close to an immersive reading of Wolfe, I'll find myself distactedly pining for Wolfean prose. And, as you say, once I'm into the swing of any good writer's less-than-the-Wolfean-ideal prose, I thoroughly enjoy myself. (I've been planning to check out Stephenson for some time.) -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:36 PM, Antonin Scriabin < kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Daniel, I understand what you mean about the prose being so good it kind of slips under the radar, and "does its job". I read Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver and absolutely loved it, then read Shadow and Claw, which I loved even more. Then I went back to read Stephenson's The Confusion, and it felt like I had really, really stepped down a notch. I didn't realize how good the prose in New Sun was until I read something else; then it hit me how incredibly well Wolfe can write. P.S. I feel like I should mention that The Confusion, once I got back into the swing of that story, ended up being one of my favorite "adventure" novels. I highly recommend it! On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:25 PM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

You know, it's funny. The first chapters of SotT did not terribly impress me as to writing style when I first tackled BotNS over a decade ago. There was nothing wrong with them at all - flawless grammar and syntax and what have you. The story itself and its themes began to sweep me up as the book really got going, but it wasn't until later in the book or series that the writing itself began to leap out at me as really exquisite prose. Plus, sometimes I wonder if even the writing style itself is 'hidden in plain sight' from the reader along with so much else. The writing is so good (grammatical and graceful as Wolfe recommends to aspiring writers) that it just ends up doing its job so effectively that you don't always notice it until you're quite some way into a work. Also, I'll here mention that I love the quality of prose in Long and Short Suns just as much as New Sun. It's just doing something totally different than Severian's baroque machinations. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 6:14 PM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com> wrote:

Wolfe's writing is very beautiful, and he uses such vivid, unique language. I haven't memorized the passage, but the part in The Shadow of the Torturer where Ultan is describing the different books in the library; wonderful! That together with the nearby Book of Gold passage really made me fall in love with that book in particular and Wolfe in general. On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 1:08 PM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, so many truly wonderful lines and passages. I remember loving the really robust mountainous language at the beginning of SotL, starting with the sentence: 'Thrax is a crooked dagger entering the heart of the mountains.' You know, I don't think I've ever seen Wolfe's writing (as in style or tone or texture of prose, etc.) discussed on this list. -DOJP On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 3:58 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net> wrote:

On 12/18/2011 7:59 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote:

Thought people here might enjoy seeing that new readers are still discovering Wolfe for the very first time and being instantly enchanted. A friend of mine (an aspiring writer) who loves Tolkien and China Mieville finally, at my persistent insistence, obtained BotNS and posted this to me on Facebook just now about what he's read so far: 'I love the languid, ivy-wrapped prose that Wolfe writes in. I've been discovering that this is a style I find myself entranced by when I read it. I was not long ago working through Titus Groan and found myself ensconced by many of the same elements that I'm loving in Wolfe's writing. Mr. Wolfe seems much better at marrying plot and poesy than Mr.

Peake, however.

I'm very excited about what waits around the corner. BotNS seems like the kind of novel I dream of writing.' Some pretty apt comments, I thought. -DOJP

Cool! BNS has some of the most gorgeous lines I have ever read. There are many others, but I think most often of the description of lotuses on Gyoll in CotA immediately after Maxellindis's uncle's talk of what appear to be the legions of Erebus: With that he fell silent, looking out over the nenuphars. We were well above that part of Gyoll opposite the Citadel, but they were still packed more densely than wildflowers in any meadow this side of paradise. This kind of mood/content juxtaposition enraptures me. _______________________________________________

Daniel Petersen wrote: Looking forward to taking a big bite out of his oeuvre, but, recommendations notwithstanding, I'm still totally puzzled about how best to begin to tackle its voluminous bulk!

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 7:12 PM, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <danldo at gmail.com>wrote: Daniel Petersen wrote:

Looking forward to taking a big bite out of his oeuvre, but, recommendations notwithstanding, I'm still totally puzzled about how best to begin to tackle its voluminous bulk!

You could do worse than to start at the beginning. Snow Crash is a very funny book, if you can deal with the kind of humor that names a book's main character "Hiro Protagonist." Others really like The Diamond Age, b

recent Anathem, a dark alternate-world novel. -- Dan'l Danehy-Oakes _______________________________________________

From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <danldo at gmail.com> Daniel Petersen wrote:

Looking forward to taking a big bite out of his oeuvre, but, recommendations notwithstanding, I'm still totally puzzled about how best to begin to tackle its voluminous bulk!

You could do worse than to start at the beginning. Snow Crash is a very funny book, if you can deal with the kind of humor that names a book's main character "Hiro Protagonist." Others really like The Diamond Age, but it didn't do much for me. I recommend going to the recent Anathem, a dark alternate-world novel.

From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <danldo at gmail.com> I have many favorite passages in tBotNS, all of which totally blow me away with the beauty of the language. My favorite, however, must be the passage in Citadel where he realizes that the Claw was just the thorn of a rosebush, ending with the line about throwing his boots into the sea so that he might not walk shod on holy land.

On 12/19/2011 6:40 PM, Jerry Friedman wrote: From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes<danldo at gmail.com> Daniel Petersen wrote:

Looking forward to taking a big bite out of his oeuvre, but, recommendations notwithstanding, I'm still totally puzzled about how best to begin to tackle its voluminous bulk!

You could do worse than to start at the beginning. Snow Crash is a very funny book, if you can deal with the kind of humor that names a book's main character "Hiro Protagonist." Others really like The Diamond Age, but it didn't do much for me. I recommend going to the recent Anathem, a dark alternate-world novel.

Actually, /The Big U/ was the first. I found it intermittently amusing, but a lot of people didn't find it amusing at all. I second the recommendation to start with /Snow Crash/. I haven't read /Anathem/, and I agree with Dan'l about /The Diamond Age/. On Antonin's comment, I'm both a Gibson and a Stephenson person, though I like /Neuromancer/ better than anything by Stephenson that I've read. Likewise I like both /The Lord of the Rings/ and /Bored of the Rings/, though I haven't reread the latter since I was a teenager.

On 12/19/2011 6:43 PM, Jerry Friedman wrote: From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes<danldo at gmail.com> I have many favorite passages in tBotNS, all of which totally blow me away with the beauty of the language. My favorite, however, must be the passage in Citadel where he realizes that the Claw was just the thorn of a rosebush, ending with the line about throwing his boots into the sea so that he might not walk shod on holy land.

Also a favorite of mine, no one will be surprised to hear, along with the other set piece about the forms of governance. For some friends of mine who don't like Wolfe, the style is what puts them off. They find it verbose. No accounting for tastes.

On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 12:14 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net>wrote: On 12/19/2011 6:43 PM, Jerry Friedman wrote:

From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes<danldo at gmail.com> I have many favorite passages in tBotNS, all of which totally blow me away with the beauty of the language.

My favorite, however, must be the passage in Citadel where he realizes that the Claw was just the thorn of a rosebush, ending with the line about throwing his boots into the sea so that he might not walk shod on holy land.

Also a favorite of mine, no one will be surprised to hear, along with the other set piece about the forms of governance. For some friends of mine who don't like Wolfe, the style is what puts them off. They find it verbose. No accounting for tastes.

Verbose, but precise, and always with a sting. Much like Avram Davidson. ______________________________**_________________

On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 5:00 AM, Daniel Petersen < danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote: On the other hand, I often find those who love Wolfe's ornate verbosity in BotNS don't like his more bare and minimalist style in the other books. I think he's an unspeakably talented artist that he can handle so deftly these different voices and styles. -DOJP On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 12:14 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net>wrote:

On 12/19/2011 6:43 PM, Jerry Friedman wrote:

From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes<danldo at gmail.com> I have many favorite passages in tBotNS, all of which totally blow me away with the beauty of the language.

My favorite, however, must be the passage in Citadel where he realizes that the Claw was just the thorn of a rosebush, ending with the line about throwing his boots into the sea so that he might not walk shod on holy land.

Also a favorite of mine, no one will be surprised to hear, along with the other set piece about the forms of governance. For some friends of mine who don't like Wolfe, the style is what puts them off. They find it verbose. No accounting for tastes.

Verbose, but precise, and always with a sting. Much like Avram Davidson. ______________________________**_________________

On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 2:16 PM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com>wrote: Well, I have never met someone in real life who has read Wolfe! I am trying to proselytize, however, and have started picking up used copies of my favorites to give away. On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 5:00 AM, Daniel Petersen < danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote:

On the other hand, I often find those who love Wolfe's ornate verbosity in BotNS don't like his more bare and minimalist style in the other books. I think he's an unspeakably talented artist that he can handle so deftly these different voices and styles. -DOJP On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 12:14 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net wrote:

On 12/19/2011 6:43 PM, Jerry Friedman wrote:

From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes<danldo at gmail.com> I have many favorite passages in tBotNS, all of which totally blow me away with the beauty of the language.

My favorite, however, must be the passage in Citadel where he realizes that the Claw was just the thorn of a rosebush, ending with the line about throwing his boots into the sea so that he might not walk shod on holy land.

Also a favorite of mine, no one will be surprised to hear, along with the other set piece about the forms of governance. For some friends of mine who don't like Wolfe, the style is what puts them off. They find it verbose. No accounting for tastes.

Verbose, but precise, and always with a sting. Much like Avram Davidson. ______________________________**_________________

On 12/20/2011 4:16 PM, Daniel Petersen wrote: Alas, nor have I, Antonin! I was speaking of people's comments online. -DOJP (The friend whose comments I shared that started this thread lives across and ocean from me - when I see him face to face again, I'll have finally met in the flesh a fellow Wolfe fan!) On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 2:16 PM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com <mailto:kierkegaurdian at gmail.com>> wrote: Well, I have never met someone in real life who has read Wolfe! I am trying to proselytize, however, and have started picking up used copies of my favorites to give away. On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 5:00 AM, Daniel Petersen <danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com <mailto:danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com>> wrote: On the other hand, I often find those who love Wolfe's ornate verbosity in BotNS don't like his more bare and minimalist style in the other books. I think he's an unspeakably talented artist that he can handle so deftly these different voices and styles. -DOJP On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 12:14 AM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net <mailto:dstockhoff at verizon.net>> wrote: On 12/19/2011 6:43 PM, Jerry Friedman wrote: From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes<danldo at gmail.com <mailto:danldo at gmail.com>> I have many favorite passages in tBotNS, all of which totally blow me away with the beauty of the language. My favorite, however, must be the passage in Citadel where he realizes that the Claw was just the thorn of a rosebush, ending with the line about throwing his boots into the sea so that he might not walk shod on holy land. Also a favorite of mine, no one will be surprised to hear, along with the other set piece about the forms of governance. For some friends of mine who don't like Wolfe, the style is what puts them off. They find it verbose. No accounting for tastes. Verbose, but precise, and always with a sting. Much like Avram Davidson. _______________________________________________

David Stockhoff wrote: Do we need to start approaching strangers in bookstores to speak stammeringly to them, plucking at their sleeves and drooling, and insisting on the superiority of our Master?

On 12/20/2011 5:21 PM, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes wrote: David Stockhoff wrote:

Do we need to start approaching strangers in bookstores to speak stammeringly to them, plucking at their sleeves and drooling, and insisting on the superiority of our Master?

And afterwards sic our pets on him?

On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 10:12 PM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net>wrote: ... Do we need to start approaching strangers in bookstores to speak stammeringly to them, plucking at their sleeves and drooling, and insisting on the superiority of our Master?

On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 9:16 AM, Antonin Scriabin <kierkegaurdian at gmail.com>wrote: Well, I have never met someone in real life who has read Wolfe! I am trying to proselytize, however, and have started picking up used copies of my favorites to give away.

On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 6:41 PM, Daniel Petersen < danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com> wrote: On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 10:12 PM, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net>wrote:

... Do we need to start approaching strangers in bookstores to speak stammeringly to them, plucking at their sleeves and drooling, and insisting on the superiority of our Master?

Uh, yep, looks like it. (Hey, I've got my teenage daughter reading her first Wolfe over the holidays - Innocents Aboard. She's loving it so far. She read the opening of 'The Legend of Xi Cygnus' out loud to me because she thought it was so cool. So maybe I will have a daily in the flesh fellow Wolfe fan in my life, heh!) -DOJP _______________________________________________