(urth) stories in Best of Gene Wolfe

[Matthew Keeley]

On Fri, Oct 10, 2008 at 9:23 PM, don doggett <kingwukong at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Here's the list, in order, from the table of contents of my arc:
>
> The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories
> The Toy Theater
> The Fifth Head of Cerberus
> Beech Hill
> The Recording
> Hour of Trust
> The Death of Dr. Island
> La Befana
> Forlesen
> Westwind
> The Hero as Werwolf
> The Marvelous Brass Chessplaying Automaton
> Straw
> The Eyeflash Miracles
> Seven American Nights
> The Detective of Dreams
> Kevin Malone
> The God and His Man
> On the Train
> From the Desk of Gilmer C. Merton
> Death of the Island Doctor
> Redbeard
> The Boy Who Hooked the Sun
> Parkroads- a Review
> Game in the Pope's Head
> And When They Appear
> Bed and Breakfast
> Petting Zoo
> The Tree is My Hat
> Has Anybody Seen Junie Moon
> A Cabin on the Coast
>
>
> And that's it. Comment, cheer, grouse, or shrug.
>
> Don
>

Thanks for the info Don.

I'm not familiar with all the stories in here, but it seems like he's
drawing a lot from his earlier stuff - three-fourths of the Wolfe
Archipelago, plus "Fifth Head" and the novellas from his first two
collections. I don't see anything new in here?

"Hour of Trust" ? Didn't see that coming. And "And When They Appear" -
people tell me that's about the bleakest thing Wolfe ever wrote. I
think I read an Amazon review that said that one story made the reader
stop enjoying Wolfe.

No "A Solar Labyrinth" ? I'm rather surprised, as it's significant (I
think) and short. Still, Storeys from the Old Hotel is pretty
well-represented. I like "The Recording" quite a bit - it reads a bit
like Wolfe channeling fellow Illinois writer William Maxwell. Or
perhaps Bradbury in a dark mood. Good story either way.

I'll buy the book.

-Matt