Gene Wolfe: Book of the New Sun

David desJardins · 02 Feb 1986, 11:02 · from net.sf-lovers.1986.mbox

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From: desj at brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (David desJardins)
Subject: Re: Gene Wolfe: Book of the New Sun
Date: Sun, 2-Feb-86 06:02:49 EST
Message-ID: <11683 at ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
References: <194 at analog.UUCP> <3840005 at csd2.UUCP>

In article <3840005 at csd2.UUCP> krantz at csd2.UUCP (Michaelntz) writes:
>What Wolfe is trying to do is raise science fiction to a higher degree
>of literary value than has EVER EXISTED, beyond question.  I have read
>a hell of a lot of SF and a hell of a lot more `serious' fiction than
>that (I'm an MA in literature/writing), and all I can tell you, though
>the Book Of The New Sun is too long and complex for your question to 
>be answerable outside of an extended thesis (shit, I won't pretend I
>really understand the damn books - they defy that), is that if you are
>not blown away by now, at the end of the The_Claw_Of_The_Conciliator,
>if you are not shaking your head at Wolfe's awesome scope, his dazzling
>imagination, his miraculously skilled prose - well, man, go back to
>clowns like Heinlein and Asimov. 
>
>Gene Wolfe is, quite simply, the best novelist ever to write in the
>science fiction genre.  His prose, his ideas - all of it.  The 
>best.  Hands down.

   I haven't read the books, and for all I know they are God's gift to
mankind, but however good the books are the above is the definition of
bullshit.  The writer presents the following as facts (not opinions):

1) These books have the most literary value of any SF ever written.
2) No one can even question this.
3) He has an MA in literature/writing but can't say why the books are good.
4) Nor does he understand the books; in fact they defy understanding.
5) If you didn't love the book you're an idiot.
6) Once again, Gene Wolfe is the best science fiction author ever.

I for one find this sort of garbage extremely offensive.  Is anyone out
there interested in answering the original question instead of lecturing
the rest of us on our stupidity?

   -- David desJardins

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