Does Gene Wolfe read this?

William Ansley · 31 Jul 2000, 23:30 · from whorl-v0011.mbox · original

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From: William Ansley <wansley at warwick.net>
Subject: Re: (whorl) Does Gene Wolfe read this?
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 23:30:48
Message-ID: <whorl-v0011-0023 at digest.urth.net>
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At 3:22 AM +0000 7/31/00, Joseph I. Smulkstis (Muskrat)=20
<jismulkstis at att.net> wrote:

>Hello.  I've not posted before, but I've read all of the
>New/Long/Short Sun books written to date.  I've also read
>all of the Urth/Whorl archives.   Mr. Wolfe creates
>wonderful worlds.

I think you may have hit upon one of the few statements that everyone=20
who reads this list can agree on. <g>

>I have to wonder whether you all are making life more
>difficult for him.  Does he read these archives? Does
>anyone know whether any of his writing has ever been
>influenced by fan speculation?  Specifically, has he ever
>revised a story due to someone having guessed a plot or
>plot twist?  I wonder what kind of secret the inhumi
>could have that hasn't already been speculated upon here.

I seem to recall that someone who seemed to know said that Wolfe did=20
read this mailing list, at least occasionally, but I can't find the=20
message. If we are making life tough for Wolfe, it's his own fault;=20
we're not holding a gun to his head forcing him to create all these=20
tricky little puzzles and put them in his books, after all. <g> I=20
very much doubt Wolfe has ever been influenced by fan speculation in=20
the way you suggest. I doubt any of his readers (whether in this list=20
or not) have ever guessed any but the most obvious plot twists. And=20
even if one of us has and posts it to this mailing list, how many of=20
Wolfe's potential readers are we affecting? Not a very high=20
percentage, I would guess.

>I'd hate to write a 12 book series with all of you folks
>second guessing my every keystroke.

Actually, this list has only been around long enough to second guess=20
the last Long Sun book and the Short Sun books, I think.

>Thank you all for the stimulation and speculation.  And
>thank you, Gene Wolfe.  More than once, you've taken me
>from the E train (Queens to Manhattan) into strange and
>true worlds.

For the minuscule part I may have played in the "stimulation and=20
speculation," you're welcome.

--=20
William Ansley

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