SINGLE Gene Wolfe literature universe?

Jeff Wilson · 11 May 2010, 03:27 · from 2010-May.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Mon, 10 May 2010 22:27:08 -0500
Subject: (urth) SINGLE Gene Wolfe literature universe?
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Message-ID: <4BE8CE8C.4020002 at io.com>

On 5/10/2010 9:49 PM, Milton Jackson wrote:
> Well, what of that? Robert Howard tangentially linked his Kull, Bran Mak
> Morn, and Conan series and by extension much of his other work, but each
> was an independent series reflecting in a different way the author's
> ideas. In a similar fashion, Edgar Rice Burroughs tangentially linked
> his Barsoom, Amtor, Tarzan, Caspak, Moon Maid, and Pellucidar series.
> Having multiple series set in the same universe at different times that
> explore the author's ideas in different ways is not something that makes
> the author's work cliched. If the Book of the New Sun is set in the same
> universe as The Sorcerer's House or An Evil Guest or Pirate's Freedom or
> even Shields of Mars, the stories themselves have nothing in common
> except maybe a common universe. That detracts nothing form Wolfe's
> vision as an author or his originality in the conception of his literary
> worlds.

You agree it adds nothing, subracts nothing, and needs nothing in 
common. How then can we tell a linkage exists, and why should we even 
bother to check? We could more profitably devote our time to arguing 
about which Wolfe heroine is the hottest, or which poster is the most 
facetious? (Besides Brunians, I mean. :P)

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
IEEE Student Chapter Blog at
< http://ieeetamut.org >

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