(urth) A Question

[Tom Kenney]

Hello,

Long time lurker here, coming out of the woodwork for a few reasons.

Regarding the Question: there's no easy way to get into Wolfe.  You need to
take the long view.  Give them a copy of Shadow&Claw and let them work their
way through it.  If they like it - great!  If not, then let it lie for a while,
perhaps making the occasional comment about the Tower being a spaceship or
such.  Let their interest build until they have the chance to pick it up again.
 The reread is what got me hooked.  

The first time I read TBotNS I was fifteen, the text seemed boring compared to
other SF I was reading and I doubted I would read it again..  The second time I
was 23 and enjoyed it superficially; I had picked it off the shelf by chance
that time, heading to the airport.  The third time was when I really sunk my
teeth into it, armed with some of the tips and answers from this list.  It was
also the time I read the majority of it aloud (to my then girlfriend now wife).
 If there was ever a book that would benefit from an audio recording it would
be TBotNS.  Wolfe's prose sings when spoken, and many of the mysteries that
might sneak past tired eyes lodged firmly in my ear.

I'm also feeling quite lucky to be at the Hall of Fame Induction on Saturday. 
As a few people have said, the Man isn't doing much traveling any more.

Cheers,
shampoohorn