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I just finished BotNS, and just started on Urth. In my opinion, this is the greatest example of science fiction in the English language, and probably any language since English is the best anyway. Seriously though, it was so amazing and I'm going to read it again right away, this time using the lexicon.
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Apr 27, 2012 14:37
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The biggest problem I have with getting into the other books is that they aren't on audible... 
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May 4, 2012 14:22
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Radio Talmudist posted:After reading his wikipedia page (and this topic) its clear that Wolfe is heavily influenced by his Catholic faith, much like Tolkien. I enjoy decoding religious and cultural references so I can't wait to jump into his work. I have noticed that a lot of the names of the greatest powers/forces/beings in New Sun come from the Kabbalah tree of life. Womyn Capote fucked around with this message at 01:18 on Jun 7, 2012 |
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Jun 7, 2012 01:15
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I assumed the multiple Severians are tied into the secret of time that Malrubius taught him. That each time the universe is born and dies is a sort of "universal day" and that everything plays out similarly but slightly different each universal day, which the Heirogrammate watches over from Yesod and manipulates affairs to a degree, trying to create the perfect situation which would drive humanity towards divine evolution as they had for themselves.
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Nov 28, 2012 20:28
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I think someone posted a comment like this a while ago. Since the BotNS is basically an autobiographical account of his own rise to power, Severian's lies are more about embellishment than deception. I also remember all things perfectly, so don't feel the need to question this statement! Also, did you read Urth? It's a lot more straightforward as a narrative as by that point he has already transcended to a divinity, having reconciled humanity with the universe, and does a lot make sense of things that happen in the main book. It's a story where some of the characters literally move backwards through time, so it kind of demands at least one re-read to fully grasp the intricately crafted plot detail. I'll also take this moment to say my favorite part of the story is the duel of magic and the digression that follows about light and darkness. Womyn Capote fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Mar 11, 2013 |
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Mar 11, 2013 18:28
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PateraOctopus posted:Uhhhh...really? If someone found the first four books dense I'd guess they're liable to think Urth is nigh-on goddamn impenetrable. I just meant from a reliability standpoint. Yeah the story gets into some really strange metaphysical areas, weaving in and out of time, but I think without the deceptiveness or embellishment of the main book.
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Mar 12, 2013 17:01
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This is out of left field but I discovered the song "venus in furs" by velvet underground and read a little about the orginal 1870's novel and can't help but think that severian is an obvious reference.
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May 7, 2015 05:36
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New Sun demands a reread by necessity. I mean some characters move backwards in time, and in some ways the story is much different the second time through. I find it a really interesting connection to the way Wolfe uses the the story itself as a metaphor for writing and authorship, and I like to imagine the bit about multiple Severians relating to how the reader will interpret things differently with successive readthroughs. I think he almost outright states this at the end of the series though I forget exactly.
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Sep 29, 2016 19:12
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Its amazing how much classic literature I read and think of how Wolfe must have read and been inspired by it. Like I just finished "The Idiot" which had a bit about the guillotine and how the prisoner feels leading up to the execution that really seemed like it could have been something Severian would have talked about. Maybe its just that the performer (Jonathan Davis) is the same for both novels.
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Feb 24, 2022 18:16
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