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Gene Wolfe

Gene Wolfe is my favourite author. There are many that compete for this spot, among them (in no particular order) Harlan Ellison, Philip K. Dick, Roger Zelazny, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Frank Herbert, just to name a few; but the writing and the story-telling of none of them captures my fascination and imagination in the way that Gene Wolfe does.

``Gene Wolfe is engaged in the holy chore of writing every author under the table. He is no less than one of the finest, most original writers in the world today. His work is singular, hypnotizing, startlingly above comparison. The Shadow of the Torturer breaks new ground in American literature and, as the first novel of a tetralogy, casts a fierce light on what will certainly be a lodestone landmark, his most stunning work to date. It is often said, but never more surely than this time: This book is not to be missed at the peril of one's intellectual enrichment.''
-- Harlan Ellison

This page is rather sparse at the moment. I plan to add more detail, opinions, titles of my favourite stories, etc. as I find the time.

The ``Sun'' Books

The ``New Sun'', ``Long Sun'', and ``Short Sun'' are all linked in some way or other. Although set in a future so distant that our own time has receded out of all memory, this future ``Urth'' is also bent with age and decay, and infused with language and symbolism that predate most of our own memories, but evoke a sense of familarity. Wolfe weaves his stories with such care and love that the depth, density, and unforgettable imagery transports and forever leaves its mark upon us.

The Book of the New Sun

  1. The Shadow of the Torturer (Part 1 of ``Shadow and Claw'')
  2. The Claw of the Conciliator (Part 2 of ``Shadow and Claw'')
  3. The Sword of the Lictor (Part 1 of ``Sword and Citadel'')
  4. The Citadel of the Autarch (Part 2 of ``Sword and Citadel'')
  5. The Urth of the New Sun

The Book of the Long Sun

  1. Nightside the Long Sun
  2. Lake of the Long Sun
  3. Caldé of the Long Sun
  4. Exodus from the Long Sun

The Book of the Short Sun

  1. On Blue's Waters
  2. In Green's Jungles
  3. Return to the Whorl
You might also want to visit the http://www.Urth.net/urth site, with archives of discussions and analyses of Gene Wolfe's works.

Other Series

  1. Soldier in the Mist
  2. Soldier of Arete

Stand-alone Works

  • The Fifth Head of Cerberus
  • The Devil in a forest
  • Peace
  • Free Live Free
  • There Are Doors
  • Castleview
  • Pandora by Holly Hollander
Short Story Collections
  • Endangered Species
  • Storeys From the Old Hotel
  • Castle of Days
  • The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories
  • Strange Travelers
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