First sight of *An Evil Guest*

AN EVIL GUEST, Wolfe's new novel, is due out in mid-September from Tor. I've just received an Advanced Bound Manuscript, which comes to 526 pages, or about 100,000 words all told. --Nick Gevers.

Aaron Singleton

You're a lucky man. Enjoy it, and I think we'll be interested in hearing your impressions. Didn't realize it was coming out in September - bit earlier than I expected. Am I correct in saying this is the book set in the same world as Memorare? -Matt

I hate you. Seriously. How is it so far?

I read something online that described "An Evil Guest" as 'Gene Wolfe does H.P. Lovecraft', which made it my most anticipated novel in a long time. How correct would you say that statement is?

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I wish Wolfe would write as fast as King. The sad truth is that Wolfe is getting up there in age. Already, my other favorite SF/F writer, Jack Vance, has retired (although he is dictating an auto-biography)largely due to blindness and old age. I think Wolfe may have four or five more novels left, perhaps another collection. 'Tis a sad thought, but one that cannot be ignored. Anyway, I am curious to know if An Evil Guest if closer in style to Castleview and Free Live Free, or more like Peace and 5HoC. Either way, I will be content. Just curious.

Speaking of Wolfe getting old - something I've worried about before - do you think the latest Latro book (where he's in Egypt) is the last in the series? I haven't read it . . . and I'm inclined to wait if there's going to be another book in the series, since answers in Wolfe tend to come late! Eric Ortlund Assistant Professor of Old Testament Briercrest Seminary http://www.briercrest.ca/seminary/prospective/academics/programs/ http://scatterings1976.blogspot.com/ From: urth-bounces at lists.urth.net [mailto:urth-bounces at lists.urth.net] On Behalf Of aaron Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 6:49 AM To: mimyerspdt at yahoo.com; The Urth Mailing List Subject: Re: (urth) First sight of An Evil Guest [html][mx][spf] I wish Wolfe would write as fast as King. The sad truth is that Wolfe is getting up there in age. Already, my other favorite SF/F writer, Jack Vance, has retired (although he is dictating an auto-biography)largely due to blindness and old age. I think Wolfe may have four or five more novels left, perhaps another collection. 'Tis a sad thought, but one that cannot be ignored. Anyway, I am curious to know if An Evil Guest if closer in style to Castleview and Free Live Free, or more like Peace and 5HoC. Either way, I will be content. Just curious. On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 7:11 PM, Mike Myers <mimyerspdt at yahoo.com> wrote: Seems Mr. Wolfe is writing faster than Steven King these days. --- On Mon, 3/17/08, Nicholas Gevers <vermoulian at yahoo.com> wrote: From: Nicholas Gevers <vermoulian at yahoo.com> Subject: (urth) First sight of An Evil Guest To: urth at urth.net Date: Monday, March 17, 2008, 5:51 AM AN EVIL GUEST, Wolfe's new novel, is due out in mid-September from Tor. I've just received an Advanced Bound Manuscript, which comes to 526 pages, or about 100,000 words all told. --Nick Gevers.

Vance is dictating an autobiography? Didn't know that, but I imagine that would be fascinating - judging from a brief "autobiographical sketch" of his, he's had a fascinating life. I'm going to have to start a Vance thread here one of these days... I've been reading a good deal of his stuff lately and I'm fishing for recommendations on his best work. It seems to me Wolfe's books have had simpler prose styles these past few years - perhaps this is Wolfe's "late style?" Then again, Castleview was years and years ago and that was written in a less-than-ornate style too... And while Wolfe may not write as fast as King, he's still happily prolific (And much more re-readable). -Matt

Indeed Vance is dictating his auto-biography into tape recorder and his new live-in caregiver is transcribing these tapes to paper. I for one cannot wait for the end result. Vance has led an interesting life, from working as a Naval electrician in Pearl Harbor just two weeks before the disaster there to writing scripts for 20th Century Fox's Captain Video TV show in the 50's. I have read everything Vance has published with the exception of one of the mysteries. To me, other than The Dying Earth series, his best work has to be the four book series called Tschai (aka Planet of Adventure-not Vance's title) consisting of City of the Chasch, Servants of the Wankh, The Dirdir, and The Pnume. Kind of like Wolfe's 'four book trilogy'. But really, you won't go wrong with any Vance written from the 60's onward. As far as Latro goes, I am unsure about whether or not this is the final book, but I THINK not. I have yet to read it myself. I hope Wolfe will continue to write into his late eighties as Vance did, but who can say? I guess we should all treasure each and every piece of work we get from him from now on. Aaron Singleton