[Salt-Man Z]

For those puzzled/frustrated with the vocabulary in TBotNS, it might be worth checking out the Lexicon Urthus. Check it out at Amazon using the Look Inside! feature. I plan on ordering a copy when my birthday rolls around so I can have it on hand for my third read in December.

[ansible]

Salt-Man Z, on 28 June 2010 - 03:07 PM, said:

For those puzzled/frustrated with the vocabulary in TBotNS, it might be worth checking out the Lexicon Urthus. Check it out at Amazon using the Look Inside! feature. I plan on ordering a copy when my birthday rolls around so I can have it on hand for my third read in December.

I kind of wish I had known this existed before I spent all this time making my own.

[Dolorous Menhir]

amphibian, on 09 June 2010 - 12:38 PM, said:

There's a bit of an epilogue to the New Sun books called The Urth of the New Sun. I rather liked that one, so recommend you at least find it online.

The Book of the Short Sun is his finest writing, but you MUST get through the Long Sun books. For most people, they're harder to connect to because Silk, the main character, isn't really an easy character to sympathize with.

Patera Silk may be my favourite character in literature. Is he harder to relate to than Severian?

The intelligence, depth and emotional power of Wolfe's writing are unmatched in my experience reading fiction. Currently two thirds through the Book of the Short Sun.

[Salt-Man Z]

Personally, I thought Patera Silk was a breath of fresh air: A good, if flawed, man, trying his best to selflessly Do The Right Thing. If that makes him hard to connect with, I worry for society.

Still haven't read the Short Sun books yet, but I really should before TBotLS fades too much.

This post has been edited by Salt-Man Z: 28 June 2010 - 09:12 PM

[Pig Iron]

Dolorous Menhir, on 28 June 2010 - 08:21 PM, said:

Patera Silk may be my favourite character in literature. Is he harder to relate to than Severian?

The intelligence, depth and emotional power of Wolfe's writing are unmatched in my experience reading fiction. Currently two thirds through the Book of the Short Sun.

So agree with all of this.

[Avatar]

Quote

For those puzzled/frustrated with the vocabulary in TBotNS, it might be worth checking out the Lexicon Urthus.

Exactly what I needed, thanks! Ordered it right away!

[opiate taylor]

For those of you who like Wolfe, I have just started a messageboard dedicated to his work here. I am also trying to start a reading group there, and we are currently reading the novella 'Seven American Nights', and will be discussing it the first week in August. Keep in mind that the forum is only a few days old and I am still getting the word out. But I hope to see you there!

[Roland_85]

opiate taylor, on 26 July 2010 - 12:10 AM, said:

For those of you who like Wolfe, I have just started a messageboard dedicated to his work here. I am also trying to start a reading group there, and we are currently reading the novella 'Seven American Nights', and will be discussing it the first week in August. Keep in mind that the forum is only a few days old and I am still getting the word out. But I hope to see you there!

I registered just now. Seven American Nights is my favorite Wolfe shorter-than-novel-length story (together with The Death of Doctor Island), and I think the idea of discussing it is great! This page from Wolfe's Wiki has great insights into the novella, as well as to all the other stories from The Island of Doctor Death And Other Stories And Other Stories.

As for Wolfe's other works, I've read Book of the New Sun, Urth of the New Sun, Fifth Head of Cerberus, An Evil Guest and the whole The Island of Doctor Death And Other Stories And Other Stories. I'd say The New Sun is his most ambitious work, but I think I liked Cerberus a little bit more.

Also, hi all! I've been here before, but stopped posting around the time The Bonehunters came out, and I just registered a new nick (since my old seems to have gone the way of the Dodo, or maybe I just can't figure out what it was ).

[Salt-Man Z]

I read the discussions on the Wolfe Wiki after finishing Seven American Nights earlier this year, and was absolutely blown away. I'd love to read that story again.

Of all Wolfe's stuff that I've read, TBotNS is by far my favorite of them. And one of my favorite books, peiod.

[Aooga]

Just finished the first book. I think I understood about 40% of it....I hope. Oh well..on to the next one. It'll either make sense further on or then definitely on the re-read.

[T77]

Aooga, on 22 August 2010 - 08:13 AM, said:

Just finished the first book. I think I understood about 40% of it....I hope. Oh well..on to the next one. It'll either make sense further on or then definitely on the re-read.

I'm almost done with the fourth book, and IMO the third and fourth books are exceptional. Sci-Fi and fantasy just do not get any better than this. The first two were very good too, don't get me wrong. They seemed more of a setup, a lot is answered in books three and four. If you like the first two books, stick with it, it gets much better.

[amphibian]

T77, on 23 August 2010 - 02:05 PM, said:

I'm almost done with the fourth book, and IMO the third and fourth books are exceptional. Sci-Fi and fantasy just do not get any better than this. The first two were very good too, don't get me wrong. They seemed more of a setup, a lot is answered in books three and four. If you like the first two books, stick with it, it gets much better.

Wait until you get through The Book of the Long Sun and reach the gloriousness that is The Book of the Short Sun. Wolfe writes even better for that one. There are events On Green's Waters that had me in tears.

This post has been edited by amphibian: 23 August 2010 - 09:15 PM

[T77]

amphibian, on 23 August 2010 - 09:14 PM, said:

T77, on 23 August 2010 - 02:05 PM, said:

I'm almost done with the fourth book, and IMO the third and fourth books are exceptional. Sci-Fi and fantasy just do not get any better than this. The first two were very good too, don't get me wrong. They seemed more of a setup, a lot is answered in books three and four. If you like the first two books, stick with it, it gets much better.

Wait until you get through The Book of the Long Sun and reach the gloriousness that is The Book of the Short Sun. Wolfe writes even better for that one. There are events On Green's Waters that had me in tears.

The Long Sun is already purchased and I only have the last Short Sun book to buy on the Kindle app. Looking forward to both the Long and Short Sun.

[Dolorous Menhir]

Patera Remora remains with me, not sure why that image has endured so much.

[Avatar]

Quote

I'm almost done with the fourth book, and IMO the third and fourth books are exceptional. Sci-Fi and fantasy just do not get any better than this. The first two were very good too, don't get me wrong. They seemed more of a setup, a lot is answered in books three and four. If you like the first two books, stick with it, it gets much better.

Quote

Wait until you get through The Book of the Long Sun and reach the gloriousness that is The Book of the Short Sun. Wolfe writes even better for that one. There are events On Green's Waters that had me in tears.

Can't wait to get there! If I only had more time to read...

[haroos]

ansible, on 09 June 2010 - 03:30 AM, said:

I just finished reading this. How could I not have heard about it earlier? I actually recall stumbling across a number of his books in a bookstore once and wasn't sure which to read first, since they had similar names, so I promptly forgot about them. Anyway, I am completely stunned and amazed at how good it was. It was unlike anything I've read before. I am now on a mission to read the rest of Wofle's books.

are his books christian fantasy ?
i remember reading that his books are considered as such.

[Salt-Man Z]

haroos, on 24 August 2010 - 08:43 PM, said:

are his books christian fantasy ?
i remember reading that his books are considered as such.

I was starting to write a big long post in response, but let me just sum up:

No.
Not at all.

Wolfe is a devout Catholic, yes. Sometimes it comes across in his work. (Sometimes it's there, and you'll never find it unless you know what you're looking for.) But all you have to do is start looking at the sheer volume of what he's written and you'll quickly find that trying to pigeonhole his work into any one single category like "fantasy" is laughable at best, never mind "Christian fantasy".

[amphibian]

Not to mention the enormous amounts of time he's spent in the mythos of Greek/Egyptian gods for the Soldier series and in Norse/Scandinavian mythology for the Wizard Knight series.

Religion is a big part of almost all of his series - but it's something that the characters encounter or believe in, rather than something the author is pushing. Wolfe never, ever preaches or tries to be a missionary.

[Dolorous Menhir]

I would argue that his books are very Christian, but not in an overt way. The Books of the Long and Short Sun in particular.

[Salt-Man Z]

Dolorous Menhir, on 25 August 2010 - 07:08 PM, said:

I would argue that his books are very Christian, but not in an overt way. The Books of the Long and Short Sun in particular.

I agree that a lot of his books are very Christian in one fashion or another. A number of his short stories, too. But I wouldn't necessarily apply that label to the entirety of his oeuvre. Beside which, I think there are certain expectations/connotations implicit in a "Christian fantasy" label, and Wolfe's work openly defies the bulk of them.