Wolfean stuff in Nova ExpressWhorl

I just received the latest issue of Nova Express (vol. 5 number 1, Fall/Winter 1998), Lawrence Person's fine fanzine, and there are two items of particular interest to this list, I would think. There is an interview with Mr. Wolfe, conducted by Mr. Person, called "Suns New, Long, and Short". Wolfe talks about many subjects. One interesting comment is that he prefers to write at either the short story length, or the series length. Novels are hard, he says, because if a novel comes in twice as long as planned, it may be unsaleable. While a 2000 word story that becomes 4000 words is still OK, and a series in which a book doubles in length (as I believe happened with the Book of the New Sun) can easily be extended by a volume. He also hints that the novels in the Short Sun series may be rather long (after saying that an 80000 word novel which doubles in size to 160000 words may be unsaleable, he mentions that "all the books in The Book of the Short Sun are pushing it".) (Patrick Nielsen Hayden reports on rasfw, by the way, that On Blue's Waters has been turned in, and is scheduled for Fall 1999). Incidentally, asked to list some current writers he admires, Wolfe mentions among others this list's Patrick O'Leary. He also mentions Mantis nicely, even stating that he uses Lexicon Urthus and his other books as references. In addition, this issue of Nova Express includes a fairly long essay by Nick Gevers on The Book of the Long Sun, called "Five Steps toward Briah". - Tusk

I believe that I am not telling tales out of school to mention that David Hartwell was definitely reviewing the ms when I was at his house on Dec 5. He had not formally accepted the book at that point, but the odds are astronomical that he will. Wombat, a.k.a. Kevin Maroney kmaroney at crossover.com Kitchen Staff Supervisor, New York Review of Science Fiction http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/olp/nyrsf/nyrsf.html *This is WHORL, for discussion of Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun.