philosophical background for Gene Wolfe's Book of New Sun
The Usenet list — 3 messages, 3 voices, 13 Aug 2003
https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/usenet/54

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Ben Martin — 13 Aug 2003, 15:50

Dear All:

I find myself returning more and more to WOlfe's Book of the New Sun,
and am trying to read it at the "third" level of meaning (per Gene
Wolfe's scale as ennumerated in the BOTNS).

I find my background inadequate to identify many of the influences on
his thinking, although some are obvious even to me (i.e. the Bible)
and some more off the wall that are not so obvious I speculate upon
(Godel, Escher, Bach?)

Any suggestions? I'd love to be able to read some of these
influences.

Ben
p.s. Are there any WOLFE/BOTNS devoted discussions online anywhere?

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rikstroeb — 13 Aug 2003, 18:57
  in reply to Ben Martin

> On 13 Aug 2003 08:50:34 -0700, rsfmdocs at hotmail.com (Ben Martin)
> wrote:
> Dear All:
> 
> I find myself returning more and more to WOlfe's Book of the New Sun,
> and am trying to read it at the "third" level of meaning (per Gene
> Wolfe's scale as ennumerated in the BOTNS).
> 
> I find my background inadequate to identify many of the influences on
> his thinking, although some are obvious even to me (i.e. the Bible)
> and some more off the wall that are not so obvious I speculate upon
> (Godel, Escher, Bach?)
> 
> Any suggestions? I'd love to be able to read some of these
> influences.
> 
> Ben
> p.s. Are there any WOLFE/BOTNS devoted discussions online anywhere?

http://urth.net/urth/

If you go back and read through the archives accumulated since Day
One, you will probably find yourself in the year 2004 before you are
done.

rik

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djinn — 13 Aug 2003, 20:31
  in reply to rikstroeb

> wrote:

> > Dear All:
> > 
> > I find myself returning more and more to WOlfe's Book of the New Sun,
> > and am trying to read it at the "third" level of meaning (per Gene
> > Wolfe's scale as ennumerated in the BOTNS).
> > 
> > I find my background inadequate to identify many of the influences on
> > his thinking, although some are obvious even to me (i.e. the Bible)
> > and some more off the wall that are not so obvious I speculate upon
> > (Godel, Escher, Bach?)
> > 
> > Any suggestions? I'd love to be able to read some of these
> > influences.
> > 
> > Ben
> > p.s. Are there any WOLFE/BOTNS devoted discussions online anywhere?

> http://urth.net/urth/
> 
> If you go back and read through the archives accumulated since Day
> One, you will probably find yourself in the year 2004 before you are
> done.

That reads like a BOTNS thing, where you go into the past and find yourself 
in the future. Wading in Briah?

  --
  With a silk umbrella  and the handle of a broom;
  Boomlay, boomlay, boomlay BOOM!
                                 recited by Scar Gordon.

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