finally read AEG — Urth Net

Cliff Judge30 Nov 2010, 18:57as archived

finally read AEG

It was definitely my least favorite Gene Wolfe novel and I have read all of them except for that one really old one. One question and one observation: Q. When Cassie was watching the news, to get across the idea that the world of this novel was kind of fallen, the reporter interviewed a young man on the street who wore a golden phallus about his neck. Why did Wolfe choose to give the Autarch a cameo appearance? O: Izanami was one of the two most important gods in the Japanese pantheon; she married Izanagi and they had several children. The last child was the god of fire.

Jerry Friedman02 Dec 2010, 14:33as archived

↳ in reply to Cliff Judge

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From: Cliff Judge <transentient at gmail.com> It was definitely my least favorite Gene Wolfe novel and I have read all of them except for that one really old one.

I liked it much better than my least favorite, TUotNS. According to somebody, possibly with the initials J. W., Wolfe seems to be very proud of it and especially proud of Cassie and Bill Reis. I'm not sure anyone here has said they understand why. Wolfe mentioned in that recent interview in Black Gate that he's tempted to write a sequel.

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One question and one observation:

Q. When Cassie was watching the news, to get across the idea that the world of this novel was kind of fallen, the reporter interviewed a young man on the street who wore a golden phallus about his neck. Why did Wolfe choose to give the Autarch a cameo appearance?

Assuming the "obscene symbol" was a phallus, I still don't see him as the old Autarch. The young man has an incipient beard. But there are lots of cameos in AEG.

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O: Izanami was one of the two most important gods in the Japanese pantheon; she married Izanagi and they had several children. The last child was the god of fire.

Thanks, I didn't know that. Jerry Friedman

Ryan Dunn02 Dec 2010, 14:48as archived

↳ in reply to Jerry Friedman

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On Dec 2, 2010, at 9:33 AM, Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman at yahoo.com> wrote: According to somebody, possibly with the initials J. W., Wolfe seems to be very proud of it and especially proud of Cassie and Bill Reis. I'm not sure anyone here has said they understand why. Wolfe mentioned in that recent interview in Black Gate that he's tempted to write a sequel.

As someone who was fortunate enough to have spoken with Gene about AEG on more than one occasion, I can deduce with some confidence that Cassie reminds Gene of his wife Rosemary. Some of you may have heard the interview with Gene where he chokes up when saying how Cassie took the reins of his story and became the star. Well, he expressed the exact same emotion when talking to me about it in front of my house whilst walking Bobby around the block. I nay also be so presumptuous in saying Gene sees turns of himself in both Chase and Reis, but that would be even more speculative. ...ryan

Rebecca Bushong-Taylor03 Dec 2010, 04:46as archived

↳ in reply to Ryan Dunn

Hi Ryan - There is certainly a tart sweetness to Cassie that is very much Rosemary Wolfe. He told me once that Cassie is motivated throughout by love (as opposed to Chase and Reis who are motivated by a number of other things). He's quite fond of the character. I'm less sure about his pride/affection for Reis. I don't know if Gene is especially proud of AEG, but I do know that he had a great deal of fun writing it. Hope you and your family are well - RBT

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On Thu, Dec 2, 2010 at 9:48 AM, Ryan Dunn <ryan at liftingfaces.com> wrote: On Dec 2, 2010, at 9:33 AM, Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman at yahoo.com> wrote:

According to somebody, possibly with the initials J. W., Wolfe seems to be very proud of it and especially proud of Cassie and Bill Reis. I'm not sure anyone here has said they understand why. Wolfe mentioned in that recent interview in Black Gate that he's tempted to write a sequel.

As someone who was fortunate enough to have spoken with Gene about AEG on more than one occasion, I can deduce with some confidence that Cassie reminds Gene of his wife Rosemary. Some of you may have heard the interview with Gene where he chokes up when saying how Cassie took the reins of his story and became the star. Well, he expressed the exact same emotion when talking to me about it in front of my house whilst walking Bobby around the block. I nay also be so presumptuous in saying Gene sees turns of himself in both Chase and Reis, but that would be even more speculative. ...ryan _______________________________________________

James Wynn03 Dec 2010, 05:00as archived

↳ in reply to Rebecca Bushong-Taylor

I don't think I seen Wolfe light up the way he did when I asked a question about AEG. But then, he might feel the same way about Home Fires right now.

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On 12/2/2010 10:46 PM, Rebecca Bushong-Taylor wrote: Hi Ryan - There is certainly a tart sweetness to Cassie that is very much Rosemary Wolfe. He told me once that Cassie is motivated throughout by love (as opposed to Chase and Reis who are motivated by a number of other things). He's quite fond of the character. I'm less sure about his pride/affection for Reis. I don't know if Gene is especially proud of AEG, but I do know that he had a great deal of fun writing it. Hope you and your family are well - RBT On Thu, Dec 2, 2010 at 9:48 AM, Ryan Dunn <ryan at liftingfaces.com <mailto:ryan at liftingfaces.com>> wrote: On Dec 2, 2010, at 9:33 AM, Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman at yahoo.com <mailto:jerry_friedman at yahoo.com>> wrote: > According to somebody, possibly with the initials J. W., Wolfe seems to be very proud of it and especially proud of Cassie and Bill Reis. I'm not sure anyone here has said they understand why. Wolfe mentioned in that recent interview in Black Gate that he's tempted to write a sequel. As someone who was fortunate enough to have spoken with Gene about AEG on more than one occasion, I can deduce with some confidence that Cassie reminds Gene of his wife Rosemary. Some of you may have heard the interview with Gene where he chokes up when saying how Cassie took the reins of his story and became the star. Well, he expressed the exact same emotion when talking to me about it in front of my house whilst walking Bobby around the block. I nay also be so presumptuous in saying Gene sees turns of himself in both Chase and Reis, but that would be even more speculative. ...ryan _______________________________________________

Andrew Mason03 Dec 2010, 20:25as archived

↳ follows James Wynn · by subject

Finally read AEG

Jerry Friedman wrote|:

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Q. When Cassie was watching the news, to get across the idea that the world of this novel was kind of fallen, the reporter interviewed a young man on the street who wore a golden phallus about his neck. Why did Wolfe choose to give the Autarch a cameo appearance?

Assuming the "obscene symbol" was a phallus, I still don't see him as the old Autarch. ?The young man has an incipient beard.

Perhaps he was an earlier Autarch. Or perhaps he was the Autarch we know, but before his testing.