(urth) The Distant Suns of Gene Wolfe

[Daniel D Jones]

On Saturday 02 June 2007 14:34, Joel Sieh wrote:
> On 6/1/07, Daniel D Jones <ddjones at riddlemaster.org> wrote:
> > The world today is very different from what it used to be.  Publishing
> > today is a business, and solely a business.  Publishers publish books
> > because they think they can sell enough of them to turn a profit. 
> > Artistic considerations play little or no role in the decision of whom to
> > publish.  There may be a few small exceptions out there, but they aren't
> > significant in the publishing world.
>
> So it goes with all forms of media nowadays, even video games.  Some
> video game gems are relegated to cult status, either because they are
> developed by a small company without the marketing clout of larger
> companies, or they are too "different" to attract enough mainstream
> gamers.  Even so, some of these manage to make money.
>
> It's a good thing the internet exists, so we have a convenient way to
> access alternate media.  The only problem is finding the good amongst
> all the junk.  :)  That said, I can't say I've found too much
> literature online that has caught my interest, save for old stuff on
> project gutenberg, and that doesn't really count since it all was
> traditionally published in the first place.

Like you, I haven't found much literature on line that is worth digging into.  
What I have found, however, are odd little back alleys and side streets off 
the information superhighway, like the one we're inhabiting here, where I can 
both increase my understanding of authors and works I'm already familiar with 
and glean recommendations and pointers to fantastic new stuff that I haven't 
yet discovered.  My knowledge and understanding of Wolfe has been increased 
exponentially by this list.

> > I suspect that, even among Wolfe's fans, very few would describe one of
> > his books as a fun read.  It's an intense, rewarding and often
> > illuminating experience, but it's seldom enjoyable in the same sense as
> > reading, say, George R R Martin or even fluff like David Eddings.  And
> > reading today competes with video games and reality television and
> > Ultimate Fighting matches for attention.
>
> I guess I must be one of those few.  Fun for me: epiphanies, engaging
> style and description, some drama, and when characters do "cool"
> things.  Some examples:
>
> Style:  tBotNS hooked me in the first chapter at the bookstore,
> because of the style.  The way Gene Wolfe uses words, and the old
> language he includes, captures my attention.
>
> Description:  The strange world Wolfe built kept me along through
> Shadow and Claw, when some others I know got sick of the series.  It's
> also part of what kept me going through Nightside the Long Sun, which
> was an otherwise slow read.
>
> Drama:  This is what made Sidon better for me than the first two
> Soldier books, even though it was still sparse.  His interactions with
> Myt'Ser'eu and his foster daughter engaged me.  The drama, pain,
> tragedy, and love expressed in the Long and Short Sun books is what
> made them entertaining for me.
>
> "Cool" moments:  The fight scenes in tBotNS, Soldier books, and
> Wizard/Knight.  They tend to be brief, but brutal and/or flashy, and
> have the tendency to make the main character look like a bad-ass.  I
> know this counts as "fluff", but I like it like I like a good action
> movie.  These scenes, along with scenes such as Severian's various
> resurrections, Able purposefully missing the target in the archery
> contest only to cause an avalanche, Gylf's transformations, etc.
>
> Epiphanies:  These are probably the best parts for me.  Dorcas
> vomiting up the lead balls, Severian realizing Dorcas was his
> grandmother, Severian realizing that the claw saved him in his fight
> with Agilus, and then later Severian realizing that the claw was
> really nothing special at all, everything Apu-Punchau, etc.  These
> really entertained me.
>
> I guess it's different for everyone.

I'm sure that we all approach Wolfe a bit differently, but please don't 
misunderstand me to be saying that reading Wolfe isn't enjoyable.  It 
certainly is.  But I don't think that "enjoyable" and "fun" are synonyms.  I 
agree with pretty much everything you said above.  I love Wolfe's vocabulary 
and, well, call it "alternate word usage" in BOTNS.  I love his vision.  I 
originally picked up BOTNS because it was compared to Vance's "Dying Earth" 
series.  It turns out the comparison was quite weak - the only real 
similarity is that both take place in the far future when the sun is 
declining.  The _feel_ of the world in BOTNS is completely and utterly 
unique.  It captured me as very few works ever have and I immediately ordered 
everything by him I could locate.  But reading Wolfe is _work_.  It's a labor 
of love, but a labor none-the-less.  It means tracking down obscure words and 
then digging into their etymology to figure out what he means.  It requires 
noting minute details and figuring out how they tie together.  He demands  
thought and effort and attention.

Readers are becoming a distinct minority.  And for most of those who do cling 
to the habit, many or most of them use it as a means of escape and 
relaxation.  They don't want a writer who demands so much of them.  Those of 
us who enjoy literature which requires active participation are a minority 
within a minority.