SINGLE Gene Wolfe literature universe?

Milton Jackson · 11 May 2010, 14:25 · from 2010-May.txt.gz

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From: miltonwjackson at gmail.com (Milton Jackson)
Date: Tue, 11 May 2010 10:25:43 -0400
Subject: (urth) SINGLE Gene Wolfe literature universe?
In-Reply-To: <4BE8CE8C.4020002 at io.com>
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Well, it's as legitimate a point of speculation as anything else. Personally
I don't care either way, and I don't read the books and stories wondering if
they all mesh into the same universe. I just don't think it means Wolfe is
unoriginal if they are. You are right though about its being an academic
exercise by and large. More interesting to me by far than whether the
stories all exist on the same timeline in some metauniverse is how Wolfe
develops his ideas in each and how compelling he makes the presentation.

On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 11:27 PM, Jeff Wilson <jwilson at io.com> wrote:

> 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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