Book of the New Sun-Should I keep going?

Stefan Raets · 12 Dec 1996, 12:49 · from sf-lovers.1996.mbox

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From: "Stefan Raets" <sraets at ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Book of the New Sun-Should I keep going?
Date: 12 Dec 1996 12:49:33 GMT
Message-ID: <sflovers-v21-516-12 at digest.sf-lovers>
X-Digest-Issue: SF-LOVERS Digest V21 #516
X-Urthmirror-Source: https://archive.org/details/sf-lovers-digest-vol-21b

Michael Wen <mswen at worldnet.att.net@postoffice.worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>I have just finished reading _The Shadow of the Torturer_ and am starting
>on _The Claw of the Conciliator_.  I am not so sure that I want to finish
>the whole series though.

   I certainly considered it worthwhile, even one of my favorites of all
time.  The book is beautiful blend of fantasy and science fiction -
although technically it is science fiction.
   More precisely it is far future-science fiction, a small subgenre in SF.
The main theme in the subgenre is that it is set incredibly far in the
future of our own Earth.  So far that nothing remains of our present
culture.  So far that continents are no longer recognizable and the
language is radically different.  (Another excellent example in this genre:
The Dying Earth by Jack Vance).
   Many hints are given throughout the books that there used to be
technology, but that by now most of it is forgotten or derelict.  The most
obvious example is the Citadel where the books start: its towers are
spaceships.  Reread and you'll see the hints.
   Later on in the books there is a short discussion about the name Urth.
It is said that long before, when the language of the earth was different,
Urth meant Earth.  Now however it has a different meaning (I am not
entirely sure but I think it is "Past", whereas their present name for Mars
means "present".)
   Moreover, there is still technology.  You will see that Jonas is a good
example of this (don't want to spoil it for you).  Also, if you ever try
book five (The Urth of the New Sun) you'll see that the sequence was
full-blown SF from the beginning.  However, book five is definitely below
standard in my opinion.  The original four books are the best.
   It is easy to mistake this sequence for fantasy though, because Wolfe
uses so many elements of the Sword and Sorcery tradition.  Again, this is
possible because the civilization of Urth has degenerated to the point
where it is almost medieval.  And something else: without being aware of
all the background literature on Wolfe's work, reading it as a fantasy
sequence is very enjoyable.  Nothing wrong with that.
   A common interpretation of the magic in TBOTNS is that Severian is
clearly meant to be a messianic figure (saving the earth, healing the sick,
moving from outcast to leadership, ...).  He has been described as the
messiah and Apollo in one figure.  The New Sun can be interpreted in
multiple ways within this thesis.

   Anyway, before I got this deep into the book I enjoyed it a lot as a
good fantasy story, a simple plain good read, and again, nothing wrong with
that.  But if you are willing to dig, you can find a lot of depth in these
books.

Stefan

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