Whom Does Wolfe Read?

John Barach15 Apr 2005, 16:11as archived

Urthers -- When I read Castle of Days for the first time earlier this year, I learned a bit about Wolfe's reading. For instance, it's evident that he likes Ursula LeGuin, Nancy Kress, and Algis Budrys. Today, in a used book store, I came across Sharon Baker's Journey to Membliar, which had a blurb from Wolfe on the front, praising Baker highly. I've never heard of her. Journey is apparently her second novel, following Quarrelling, They Met the Dragon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0380892014: the Amazon blurb is written by her son, apparently) and followed in turn by a sequel Burning Tears of Sassurum. Anyone read these novels (besides Wolfe)? Any good? What other authors has Wolfe praised or indicated that he enjoys? What other books has Wolfe written blurbs for? Curious.... John

Andy Robertson15 Apr 2005, 16:14as archived

↳ in reply to John Barach

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Anyone read these novels (besides Wolfe)? Any good?

No, but I will

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What other authors has Wolfe praised or indicated that he enjoys?

Tolkien http://home.clara.net/andywrobertson/wolfemountains.html

pthwndxrclzp15 Apr 2005, 16:24as archived

↳ in reply to John Barach

I know he's got a blurb on (of all things) Jennifer Stevenson's terrific "Trash Sex Magic" - see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1931520127/qid=1113606743/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/103-9442090-4694246?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 Stevenson's novel is a bit unusual, not to mention somewhat indescribable (and highly erotic, which Wolfe's work just is not, hence my surprise at the Wolfe blurb), but well worth reading. YMMV, of course.

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On 4/15/05, John Barach <jbarach at telus.net> wrote: Urthers -- When I read Castle of Days for the first time earlier this year, I learned a bit about Wolfe's reading. For instance, it's evident that he likes Ursula LeGuin, Nancy Kress, and Algis Budrys. Today, in a used book store, I came across Sharon Baker's Journey to Membliar, which had a blurb from Wolfe on the front, praising Baker highly. I've never heard of her. Journey is apparently her second novel, following Quarrelling, They Met the Dragon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0380892014: the Amazon blurb is written by her son, apparently) and followed in turn by a sequel Burning Tears of Sassurum. Anyone read these novels (besides Wolfe)? Any good? What other authors has Wolfe praised or indicated that he enjoys? What other books has Wolfe written blurbs for? Curious.... John _______________________________________________

Richard Payton15 Apr 2005, 16:28as archived

↳ in reply to Andy Robertson

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What other authors has Wolfe praised or indicated that he enjoys?

Borges, certainly. Also, from a 1986 interview with Larry McCaffery: LM: Who are some of the contemporary writers you most admire? GW: Among SF writers I'd include Algis Budrys, Joanna Russ, Ursula Le Guin, Damon Knight, Kate Wilhelm, Michael Bishop, Brian Aldiss, Nancy Kress, Michael Moorcock. Among non-SF writers I most enjoy are Nabokov (Pale Fire is a truly amazing book) and Borges. Of course . . . Lovecraft (who is usually regarded as a SF writer, but to me he's the real successor -- if that's possible -- to Poe's line of horror.)

James Wynn15 Apr 2005, 17:27as archived

↳ in reply to John Barach

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What other authors has Wolfe praised or indicated that he enjoys? What other books has Wolfe written blurbs for?

I going to presume we're talking fiction here. He wrote a gushing blurb for a book of Avram Davidson's short stories. He's referred to Kate Wilhelm in several interviews and chats and Number 5 finds one of her books in "The Fifth Head", so that's gotta be one. He seems to have been great friends with Le Guin at one time but his affection for her work seems like it may have declined with that friendship. He's certainly not just a SF fan. He is a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries...probably the whole Mystery genre including Poe. He likes Dickens and Thackery (but you would know that from "Castle of Days"). He read a whole lot of Kipling as a kid. He seems to have read most of C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton. I'm told there are a lot Proust references in "The New Sun" but I don't know enough about Proust to verify that. He clearly likes Robert Graves and openly praises "I, Claudius". His references to Greek Mythology are very often tapped directly from Graves' "The Greek Myths". And he likes World Mythology (not just the Greek stuff) -- look for a lot of Persian and Hittite mythology in his next Latro book if it is ever finished. ~ Crush

Chris16 Apr 2005, 01:44as archived

↳ in reply to James Wynn

He also dished out a big juicy quote on the virtues of the writing of Frankowski, which ended up attached as a blurb to one of the worst excuses for a pulp novel I have ever seen. Lesson learned: do not trust blurbs, even from Wolfe.

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What other authors has Wolfe praised or indicated that he enjoys? What other books has Wolfe written blurbs for?

I going to presume we're talking fiction here. He wrote a gushing blurb for a book of Avram Davidson's short stories. He's referred to Kate Wilhelm in several interviews and chats and Number 5 finds one of her books in "The Fifth Head", so that's gotta be one. He seems to have been great friends with Le Guin at one time but his affection for her work seems like it may have declined with that friendship. He's certainly not just a SF fan. He is a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries...probably the whole Mystery genre including Poe. He likes Dickens and Thackery (but you would know that from "Castle of Days"). He read a whole lot of Kipling as a kid. He seems to have read most of C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton. I'm told there are a lot Proust references in "The New Sun" but I don't know enough about Proust to verify that. He clearly likes Robert Graves and openly praises "I, Claudius". His references to Greek Mythology are very often tapped directly from Graves' "The Greek Myths". And he likes World Mythology (not just the Greek stuff) -- look for a lot of Persian and Hittite mythology in his next Latro book if it is ever finished. ~ Crush _______________________________________________

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes16 Apr 2005, 13:49as archived

↳ in reply to James Wynn

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On 4/15/05, James Wynn <thewynns at earthlink.net> wrote: He seems to have read most of C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton.

I don't think even Chesterton read most of Chesterton. There's just too much to read in one lifetime.

You probably do not want to know what that odor is. http://www.livejournal.com/users/sturgeonslawyer

PacoGonzz at aol.com16 Apr 2005, 16:32as archived

↳ follows Dan'l Danehy-Oakes · by subject

Whom does Wolfe read?

Neil Gaiman, of course!