A Gene Wolfe glossary?

Charles Dye · 23 Apr 1996, 22:19 · from sf-lovers.1996.mbox

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From: raster at indirect.com (Charles Dye)
Subject: Re: A Gene Wolfe glossary?
Date: 23 Apr 1996 22:19:36 GMT
Message-ID: <sflovers-v21-153-16 at digest.sf-lovers>
X-Digest-Issue: SF-LOVERS Digest V21 #153
X-Urthmirror-Source: https://archive.org/details/sf-lovers-digest-vol-21a

While the "Lexicon" is great for definitions and derivations, in my (highly
debatable) opinion it falls a little short in exploring Mr. Wolfe's
reasons for using specific words and names.  There's a lot of extremely
subtle wordplay in the "New Sun" saga, and it takes some real digging to
discover much of it.

To pick two points at random: At one point, Father Inire casually drops the
word "pleasance" in conversation with an attractive young girl.
Mr. Andre-Driussi correctly quotes the dictionary definition, but misses
the reference altogether.  (Inire's two fascinations are mirrors and little
girls.)  And for "Valeria", possibly the most brilliant name in the "New
Sun" books, he provides a list of saints named Valeria.  Accurately, of
course, but missing the jokes.  (To be fair, he does add in an appendix
that "Valeria is also an herb".  Unfortunately, he doesn't mention that
valeria is a heliotropic, or sun-seeking, herb.  So close ....)

"Lexicon Urthus" is a fine book, full of years of tedious research.  I
don't mean to put Mr. Andre-Driussi down here at all!  However, "Lexicon"
should be viewed as a starting point for Severianology, not the be-all and
end-all.

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