The Distant Suns of Gene Wolfe

Daniel D Jones · 29 May 2007, 11:26 · from 2007-May.txt.gz

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From: ddjones at riddlemaster.org (Daniel D Jones)
Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 07:26:29 -0400
Subject: (urth) The Distant Suns of Gene Wolfe
In-Reply-To: <A133482C-B105-40C4-A6C4-4C72AD8354DC at gmail.com>
References: <A133482C-B105-40C4-A6C4-4C72AD8354DC at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <200705290726.29493.ddjones at riddlemaster.org>

On Monday 28 May 2007 14:28, Matthew King wrote:
> "The Distant Suns of Gene Wolfe", by John Farrell, is finally
> available in the online archives of First Things magazine.
>
> Farrell makes the common mistake of identifying Jesus with the
> Conciliator, and he smears Gaiman and Stephenson by mentioning them
> in the same clause as Robert Jordan, but this is an otherwise worthy
> article.
>
> --
> http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=5466

Worthy?  Really?  While the only factual error I can point to is the one you 
pointed out - the conflation of the Concilliator with Christ - I can't 
imagine a much more misleading summary of TBOTNS.  His descriptions of other 
works seem to completely miss the mark as well.  For a quick example, he 
says "Peace" is "...[Wolfe's] only mainstream novel (also one of his personal 
favorites), about a wealthy old man who builds museum-style rooms in his 
mansion to match the rooms from houses of his past life."  Again, factually 
accurate but that hardly describes the novel I read.  YMMV, of course.

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