Gene Wolfe (1931 - 2019)

Ted Nolan <tednolan> · 17 Apr 2019, 04:32 · from rec.arts.sf.written.2019.mbox

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From: ted at loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>)
Subject: Re: Gene Wolfe (1931 - 2019)
Date: 17 Apr 2019 04:32:01 GMT
Message-ID: <ghnoi1F3em4U1 at mid.individual.net>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
References: <q92gj7$e8n$1 at reader2.panix.com> <acd4eb35-b105-4dfa-b912-c49bcead50d8 at googlegroups.com> <ln3dbela3a9uu0mcq6tbuvge0f3he5n7v3 at 4ax.com> <q9698u$21i$1 at dont-email.me>

In article <q9698u$21i$1 at dont-email.me>, Titus G  <noone at nowhere.com> wrote:
>On 17/04/19 2:31 PM, Gene Wirchenko wrote:
>> On Tue, 16 Apr 2019 12:47:26 -0700 (PDT), Ahasuerus
>> <ahasuerus at email.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> On Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at 2:28:05 PM UTC-4, leno... at yahoo.com wrote:
>>> [snip]
>>>>  From Wikipedia:
>>>>
>>>> When asked the "Most overrated" and "Most underrated" authors, Thomas
>>>> Disch identified Isaac Asimov and Gene Wolfe, respectively [snip]
>>>
>>> Disch calling Asimov overrated is a bit like a fillet knife calling an
>>> axe overrated. Where is the finesse?
>> 
>>       Since starting to read Asimov, I have always liked Asimov's work.
>> I really liked his very readable science writing.
>
>I haven't read his fiction for decades but certainly enjoyed it and 
>agree that the introductory science writing of his was readable and 
>understandable for me whose Physics knowledge was mediocre high school 
>level.
>
>>       I never cared much for Wolfe's work.  What I tried was opaque to
>> me, and thereafter, I avoided it.  Since we are on a RIP thread, could
>> someone please point me and others to Wolfe works that we might like
>> along with some whys?
>
>My experience was similar. I began _The Book of the New Sun_ once but 
>did not finish the second and remember nothing about it so will echo 
>your request with the added query; which authors is he similar to?

Me too.  I remember when his _Fifth Head Of Cerebus_ came out I read the
initial "Orbit" novella and the book version and just had the feeling I had
totally missed the point.  Opaque or maybe oblique indeed.  I read _The
Shadow of the Torturer_, felt the same way and more or less wrote off Wolfe.

As to who is he similar to: There were definitely echoes of Vance in
_The Shadow of the Torturer_.  Maybe John M. Ford?  I say that because
I had a smililar "I must have missed something" feeling about his _The
Dragon Waiting_.
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