This Week in Google Alerts: misc
The Urth list — 1 messages, 1 voices, 21 Apr 2014
https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/6532

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Gwern Branwen — 21 Apr 2014, 17:18

- Wolfe-related books:
http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Book-Review-Nebula-Awards-Showcase-2014-5402795.php
"Book Review: _Nebula Awards Showcase 2014_, Edited by Kij Johnson"

> Every year since 1966, The Nebula Awards Showcase has presented
> the award winning and nominated stories, novellas and poems for the
> Nebula Awards, which are presented by the Science Fiction & Fantasy
> Writers of America?. While Mike Resnick is the chair of the anthology
> committee, a different editor is chosen each time. This year's editor
> is Kij Johnson, author of three books and and associate director of
> the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of
> Kansas....Another favorite in the collection is by new Grand Master
> Gene Wolfe. The Grand Master is a lifetime achievement award and Wolfe
> certainly has earned it. The story he selected to represent his work
> in the anthology is "Christmas Inn," and it has the layers of meaning
> in a deceptively straight-forward narrative that one expects from
> Wolfe...In addition to these entries, the anthology includes two
> essays about Gene Wolfe by Neil Gaiman and Michael Dirda and several
> poems which won specialty awards.

- A DJ names himself after _Latro in the Mist_:
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/nightlife/hot-spots/2014/apr/17/jason-derulo-tao-beach-rockabilly-aloe-blacc-beer/
/ http://vegasseven.com/2014/04/16/holly-madisons-1923-premieres-chic-easy-vibe/

> Seven Lions at Marquee Dayclub A group of lions is called a
> pride; former metal drummer Jeff Montalvo is now called Seven Lions, a
> name pulled from Gene Wolfe’s fantasy novel _Latro in the Mist_. The
> DJ/producer (and _Game of Thrones_ fan) will bring his progressive
> dubstep sound to a sunny setting this weekend at Cosmo’s party pool.

Bikinis + bass + fantasy-inspired electronic music, anyone? *April 19,
doors at 11 a.m., $30 men, $20 women.*
- TLA review https://opionator.wordpress.com/2014/04/18/the-land-across-by-gene-wolfe/

> ...Although this has moments of obscurity and some of the
> political subtext is slightly naive, this proves to be one of Wolfe’s
> more accessible novels as we slowly discover more about this country
> and its political system. There are some quite pleasing aspects to the
> investigation itself and the process of deduction is moderately
> rigorous. I suppose one more cynical responses to this narrative might
> be to see it as a dream. Our hero falls asleep as the train approaches
> the border and what happens after that is just the product of his
> subconscious. This would help explain the sometimes quite arbitrary
> way in which our narrator skips over events and sometimes refuses to
> elaborate on the bare bones of description offered. Since no country
> this backward exists in Europe (North Korea might approximate this
> level of poverty both in political and material terms) and no-one
> today seriously believes in vampires or supernatural devices such as a
> hand of glory, we could safely treat this as an allegory. Yet, there
> always comes a moment when our narrators wake. This could be when the
> border guards invade his compartment on the train, or it might be as
> the last page turns. You should read the book to find out. _The Land

Across_ really does hold interest and arrives at an intriguing ending.
- Reddit praises _Book of the New Sun_
http://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/23gqw2/what_are_peoples_opinions_of_gene_wolfes_book_of/
- likewise on TBotNS:
https://retrospeculative.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/retrospeculative-view-1980/

  --
  gwern
  http://www.gwern.net

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