Gene Wolfe, certain books any good?

David Kennedy · 03 Jun 1997, 10:38 · from sf-lovers.1997.mbox

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From: D.Kennedy at qub.ac.uk (David Kennedy)
Subject: Re: Gene Wolfe, certain books any good?
Date: 3 Jun 1997 10:38:28 GMT
Message-ID: <sflovers-v22-201-11 at digest.sf-lovers>
X-Digest-Issue: SF-LOVERS Digest V22 #201
X-Urthmirror-Source: https://archive.org/details/sf-lovers-digest-vol-22a

Yes, I've read the 'Long Sun' books, they're superb but with an ending I
either didn't get at all or just flat out didn't like.  However there is
apparently a followup series coming so...  I'll reserve judgement until
then. But its certainly a great series.

>Do they take place in the same world as the Book of the New Sun?

In my opinion, no.

>Also has anyone read Soldier in the Mist?  I have it, but did not buy the
>sequel Soldier of Arete, because I hadn't read the first one yet.  I hope
>I don't regret that decision now if it is hard to find.  In The Book of
>the New Sun, he showed a terrific grasp of mythology and retelling which
>makes me suspect that these books might be really good?

I loved 'Soldier of the Mist' and, like you, cannot find 'Soldier of
Arete', which is a pity. I liked this best of the all Wolfe's books that
I've read. The historical grounding helps a lot, it makes it a lot easier
to catch on to whats happening, something that often doesn't happen when I
read a Wolfe book until I've already missed a lot...!

David Kennedy
D.Kennedy at Queens-Belfast.ac.uk

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