(urth) Meta-fictions

[Craig Brewer]

Just about done with Short Sun (again), but endings have me thinking again about the "Appendices" in New Sun and their absence in Long/Short. Has there been any speculation on the role of "Gene Wolfe" (the "translator" who got his hands on Severian's manuscript) with Long/Short Sun or even (if they're distinct in the end) _The Book of Silk_ and _The Book of Horn_?

Of course, although we get metafiction in both, we don't get the same type of metafiction. Horn writing long sun and Hide/Horn/wives writing _The Book of Horn_ is one thing...but what is the relation of these later compositors to "Gene Wolfe" in New Sun? Any significance to their difference? Or did he just give up the pretense?