Gene Wolfe's _Soldier of the Mist_: sequels?

MATT AUSTERN · 12 Feb 1991, 21:52 · from sf-lovers.1991.mbox

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From: austern at csa2.lbl.gov (MATT AUSTERN)
Subject: Re: Gene Wolfe's _Soldier of the Mist_: sequels?
Date: 12 Feb 91 21:52:26 GMT
Message-ID: <sflovers-v16-63-8 at digest.sf-lovers>
X-Digest-Issue: SF-LOVERS Digest V16 #63
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ericsa at microsoft.UUCP (Eric SASSAMAN) writes:
>Anyone have any opinions on the sequels to Gene Wolfe's _Soldier of the
>Mist_? Are they as good as _Soldier_?

There is only one sequel to Soldier of the Mist, called Soldier of Arete.
I understand that Wolfe plans to write at least one more, but I could be
mistaken about that.

Soldier of Arete disappointed me.  I certainly do still recommend it: it
still has the dense, careful prose that one expects from Wolfe, and the
same slightly alien view of the world that Soldier of the Mist had.  Still,
it just didn't seem to me to have the same coherence.

I would almost call Soldier of Arete sloppy (at least by the standard of
other Wolfe): characters and plot elements appeared and disappeared for no
reason that was apparent to me, and it didn't seem to me that the book
really went anywhere.  What happened to the theme in Soldier of the Mist,
of Latro's sin against Hecate and his attempt at restitution?

Of course, if Wolfe really does plan to write a sequel, it could be that
it's wrong to judge the coherence of Soldier of Arete in isolation.

Matthew Austern

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