Comments for Ultan's Library

Comment on Mapping a Masterwork: A Critical Review of Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun by Book-Brain

Book-Brain — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:02:52 +0000

I have been reading consistently since I was about twelve or thirteen years of age. I am twenty-six now, so you can imagine that I have read a lot of science-fiction and fantasy novels over the years.

I can safely say without a shadow of a doubt that nothing I have read before had affected me like The Book of the New Sun. I remember after I read it for the first time I literally could not get it out of my head for months. That has never happened to me before, and it has certainly never happened since.

I am gearing up to read it for the second time. A splendid piece of literature by quite possibly one of the most underrated magicians in the writing world.

Comment on Harmonies and Mysteries: a review of Gene Wolfe’s On Blue’s Waters by Slojo Coma

Slojo Coma — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:48:58 +0000

I agree – this was really well written.

I just completed the series and would love to read a full review!

Good work, Nigel.

Comment on Harmonies and Mysteries: a review of Gene Wolfe’s On Blue’s Waters by Nigel

Nigel — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:33:42 +0000

Thank you. It was written a few years ago now, and before In Green’s Jungles was published. It would be good to go back and review the whole Short Sun sequence.

Nigel

Comment on About by Nigel

Nigel — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:32:05 +0000

Hello.

You need to speak to Mr Wolfe’s literary agent. He is represented by the Virginia Kidd Literary Agency. Their website is here: http://www.vk-agency.com/. Their postal address is:

Virginia Kidd Literary Agency
P.O. Box 278
Milford, PA
18337
USA

Comment on About by Jakub Wisniewski

Jakub Wisniewski — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:21:25 +0000

Hello!

My I seek contact with Mr. Wolfe.
I’m a rights manager for a polish publishing house called “Dobre Historie”.
Could You be so kind as to pass me the e-mail address to Mr. Wolfe ?

Best regards,

Jakub Wisniewski

Comment on Harmonies and Mysteries: a review of Gene Wolfe’s On Blue’s Waters by Zenslinger

Zenslinger — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 02:11:04 +0000

Am I the first to say how beautifully written this is? Great work.

Comment on Mapping a Masterwork: A Critical Review of Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun by Michael E. Bierman, Esq.

Michael E. Bierman, Esq. — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 03:04:18 +0000

An erudite and illuminating analysis of an exceptional, well-crafted and paradoxical work. This haunting novel has been in my mind for years as I have struggled to peel away the layers of the onion only to find I was holding no onion at all. I still do not believe I understand this landmark work, so must begin again, for the fourth time. Thanks for your great insight!

Comment on Happy 80th birthday, Gene Wolfe! by Kevin M.

Kevin M. — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:27:57 +0000

Long live the Master

Comment on The Religious Implications of Gene Wolfe’s The Book Of The New Sun by Nick

Nick — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:36:23 +0000

Actually I have much to pick here.
1.) Wolfe has specifically said that Severian is not Christ but Christian in character. He could very well be a great prophet and wonder worker in this world without being Christ.
2.) The discussion of the Trinity leaves much to be desired and I think you and some of the commenters here are confused by it. That’s ok, it is complicated, but I’m not sure you should use it in an article without knowing more.
3.) “In the days before Judaism and Christianity had destroyed the ancient matriarchal religion” at which point I call bullcrap. That has to be one of the single most ignorant things I’ve heard in a loooooooooong time. While it is a modern Wiccan fantasy that somehow the Germanic tribes were all quasi-monotheistic goddess worshipers its a load of claptrap. There is _zero_ archeological evedince for it and the theory has been _long_ (almost out of the box) discredited.

Comment on The Religious Implications of Gene Wolfe’s The Book Of The New Sun by Fred Remus

Fred Remus — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:14:43 +0000

A small nitpick; the name Severian is unrelated to Stephen, Stefan, etc. It comes from the Latin names Serverus and Severianus. The name Severiano is still used in Spanish and Italian. Seve, the first name of Spanish golf pro Ballesteros, is short for Severiano.

Comment on The Religious Implications of Gene Wolfe’s The Book Of The New Sun by Brian Kehler

Brian Kehler — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:20:26 +0000

I disagree that Wolfe paints “all women as evil.” There are
a few ambiguous Beatrice figures in several of the women in the New
Sun and Long Sun books, and Dorcas (raised from the dead like the
girl in the New Testament)also resembles Goethe’s tragic Gretchen
in relation to Severian. These are highly sympathetic characters,
very human as well as archanely holy in the Dantean sense. The men,
in contrast, seem much more evil (Severian’s role as torturer, for
example).

Comment on Japanese Lexicon for The Book of the New Sun by Zenslinger

Zenslinger — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 22:45:18 +0000

Well, I dug it, Michael. I was reading Kim some years ago and never realized Kipling had such in-depth knowledge of Buddhism.

My newish copy of the latest edit of Lexicon Urthus was blasted by a fire hose as it lay on the floor of my bedroom. Apartment building next door here in San Francisco burned and they fought the fire from our window. So, another copy care of the insurance company at some point — when we get things worked out.