Subject: Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun

From: Ian Kaplan <ian at loral.uucp>
Date: Sat, 10 Nov 1984 01:51:25 +0000

While reading some of the repartee concerning Harlan Ellison (including
  those oh so sage comments from the oh so ever present Chuq), I saw
  several references to Gene Wolfe's four book series, collectively know as
  "The Book of the New Sun".  There seems to be relatively wide agreement
  that these are excellant books.  I too have read all four of the New Sun
  books, plus most of Wolfe's other books.  From this I guess it could be
  concluded that I like Wolfe, and it is true.  I liked the New Sun books
  because of the writing style, Wolfe's descriptions and the action element
  of the story.  In these books Wolfe has woven an incredibly complex plot 
  whose central point I hoped would be revealed in the last book.  
  For me at least, this did not happen and the books remain enigmatic.  
  In the last few pages of the last New Sun book, "The Citadel of the 
  Autarch", the new Autarch, whose previous carear we have followed, states 
  that he is leaving the Book of the New Sun behind on earth and going to 
  meet the extra-terestrials.  While on this flight he will rewrite the 
  book a second time.  Since he has perfect memory, he can reproduce 
  the book exactly.  He says that if you don't understand the book, 
  read it a second time, just as he is writing it a second time.  I have 
  not done this yet.

  Even though the plot of Wolfe's New Sun seems to be only a collection of
  strange events, I believe that it is clear that the books contain more.
  I just have not discovered it yet.  The question I pose to you out in net
  land is what ties the events in the book together.

  Those of you who believe Wolfe to be such a great writer presumably see
  what I have missed.  If you don't, I wonder if perhaps you are confusing
  Wolfe's obscureness with literary greatness.  I like Wolfe, but I am not
  yet convienced that he is a great american writer.

  Well I hope that this will provide much interesting discussion and
  perhaps some enlightenment for

			  Ian Kaplan
                          Loral Data Flow Group