Gene Wolfe interview in Locus

Brian McElhinney · 04 Jun 1991, 17:40 · from rec.arts.sf-lovers.1991.mbox

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From: mce at tc.fluke.COM (Brian McElhinney)
Subject: Re: Gene Wolfe interview in Locus
Date: 4 Jun 91 17:40:51 GMT
Message-ID: <1991Jun4.174051.6210 at tc.fluke.COM>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf-lovers
References: <1991May30.233326.5041 at tc.fluke.COM> <10723 at castle.ed.ac.uk>

pws at castle.ed.ac.uk (P W Stephenson) writes:
> By the way, the quotes from the interview don't mention my second
> favourite book, after B.o.t.N.S., which is `Peace'

After discussing people giving him flak for the ending of LIVE FREE LIVE,
Wolfe goes on to say:

	"Similarly in PEACE I strongly imply early on as to what's going
	on.  I don't get as many complaints about it, because fewer people
	are reading it, although I think it's one of my best books."

Perhaps some publisher should re-issue it!  The *only* copy I have ever seen
was an autographed hardback (and boy was I happy when I came across it!).

Perhaps the reason many people dislike LIVE FREE LIVE is not that it is such
a bad novel, but that it is not a great novel, and Gene Wolfe has set us up
to expect greatness.  That would be unfortunate, because to create great
works of art you have to take risks, and you will not always succeed
brilliantly.  Ah, but when you do...

Brian McElhinney   "The locked and rusted gate that stood before us, with wisps
mce at tc.fluke.com   of river fog threading its spikes like the mountain paths,
		   remains in my mind now as a symbol of my exile."--Gene Wolfe

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