Gene Wolfe

Stephen Harker · 02 Apr 1992, 07:43 · from sf-lovers.1992.mbox

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From: phs172m at vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (Stephen Harker)
Subject: Re: Gene Wolfe
Date: 2 Apr 92 07:43:40 GMT
Message-ID: <sflovers-v17-160-5 at digest.sf-lovers>
X-Digest-Issue: SF-LOVERS Digest V17 #160
X-Urthmirror-Source: https://archive.org/details/sf-lovers-digest-vol-17a

>> Someone actually wants _more_ Gene Wolfes?!?  What a painful thought!
>> Reading his Torturer stuff was one of the most painful things I've ever
>> done. There was no point, very little plot, and way too much
>> foreshadowing.  It was a collection of images which went from unusual to
>> completely whacked-out.  Why anyone would seek out more of this dreck is
>> completely beyond me.
[Quite a bit of stuff deleted] 
>
> Gene Wolfe is perhaps the best science fiction / fantasy author writing
> today.  Although I enjoyed his Torturer series, I do not think it
> showcases his talents as well as There Are Doors, The Death of Doctor
> Island, or many of the short stories reprinted in Endangered Species.
>
> There is no kitsch or melodrama in Wolfe's prose.  His writing is spare,
> concise, and it grabs you with the ideas it presents rather than trying
> to enmesh you in purple language.  There is no color for the sake of
> color, no passages of filler description in sad and misguided emulation
> of JRRT or Peake.

   I find this opinion hard to believe.  I have tried to read a number of
books by Gene Wolfe at various times.  He is one of very few "acclaimed"
authors who I have found unreadable.  I cannot believe that anyone would
call his writing "spare".  The only description that I can think that is
vaguely appropriate is my old first form English teacher's worst comment
"verbal diarrhea".

   This certainly shows a massive difference in taste from the above
comments.

Stephen Harker
Monash University

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