Tiny reviews of Gene Wolfe novels

K R Maxson · 18 Jan 1993, 23:20 · from sf-lovers.1993.mbox

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From: maxson at cerl.uiuc.edu (K R Maxson)
Subject: Re: Tiny reviews of Gene Wolfe novels
Date: 18 Jan 93 23:20:40 GMT
Message-ID: <sflovers-v18-86-11 at digest.sf-lovers>
X-Digest-Issue: SF-LOVERS Digest V18 #86
X-Urthmirror-Source: https://archive.org/details/sf-lovers-digest-vol-18a

I would take exception with those who say that Wolfe's New Sun material is
his best work, but to each his own.  My personal favorite is _There Are
Doors_, followed closely by _The Fifth Head of Cerberus_, "The Death of
Doctor Island" (not to be confused with any of the other short stories
about death, doctors, and islands), and _Peace_.

To describe many of Gene Wolfe's novels before they are read is, in my
opinion, to diminish them.  I have never read a Wolfe piece that I
regretted, so read all of them.  His _Gene Wolfe's Book of Days_ and
_Endangered Species_, both collections of short stories, are good places to
start.

The New Sun material is an attempt to weave a Wolfesque story into the
tapestry of commercial fantasy and science fiction.  I think it is done
rather slickly, but that much of the current SF market would rather bypass
books that aren't reassuringly shallow and don't spell out the point for
the reader by the end.  (Personally I feel that if the writer can sum up
his or her thesis in a few sentences at the end of the book, the book
should have only been a few sentences and save the gloss.  If a book
doesn't make me think at least as much as walking in the woods does, I'd
just as soon walk in the woods.)

_Castleview_ and the _Pandora_ I both found disappointing, although still
enjoyable.

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