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[thomaser]

I'm interested in trying out Gene Wolfe's "Urth"-books, but I'm not sure where to start. As far as I know, there are eight volumes in the series, divided into three parts:

"Book Of The New Sun"
1 - Shadow & Claw (two books in one)
2 - Sword & Citadel (two in one)
3 - The Urth Of The New Sun

"Book Of The Long Sun"
4 - Litany Of The Long Sun (two in one)
5 - Epiphany Of The Long Sun (two in one)

"Book Of The Short Sun"
6 - On Blue's Waters
7 - In Green's Jungles
8 - Return To The Whorl

Is this the best way to read them? And... are they good? The reviews on Amazon are ecstatic, and I really liked Dan Simmons' "Hyperion"-series, which I believe is in the same vein as this one.

 

[Prospero]

You have the series order right.

As for the quality of the books: The Book of the New Sun is some of the most imaginative and intellectually challenging SF/fantasy you'll ever come across. I'd sworn off the genre for years before I came across those books, and it made me remember why I liked it in the first place. In that book Wolfe holds his own against any American writer working inside or outside SF/fantasy (I am absolutely serious about that), and he mops the floor with most other SF/fantasy writers.

They kind of go downhill from there, though--Wolfe's fans tend to think that every sentence he writes is pure genius, but some Wolfe books are better than others. To me, The Urth of the New Sun seemed tacked on to a masterpiece that was already perfect. Long Sun takes place in an interesting world, but has a lot of dead spots in it that drag on longer than they should, and some undeveloped characters. Wolfe makes a comeback in Short Sun, though that series isn't as good as New Sun. I wouldn't hold it against you if you read the Book of the New Sun and then stopped.

You might also consider looking at Latro in the Mist, an unconnected two-novel series that's bound together in one trade paperback.

 

[etiolate]

I started with On Blue's Waters and the Book of the Short Sun. It got to be a little confusing, but that may be from not reading the previous books.

 

[fart]

every sentence gene wolf writes is genius.

no, really.

check out his short story anthologies though. when you write a 3 billion page 9 book long series you're bound to phrase a stinker or two, but in short bursts, everything he puts on the page is a fucking diamond.

buy this: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...1/ref=cm_lm_asin/104-1777242-0657517?v=glance

borrow these: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...1/ref=cm_lm_asin/104-1777242-0657517?v=glance

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...1/ref=cm_lm_asin/104-1777242-0657517?v=glance

the first one is really required reading for short sci-fi, up there with asimov, gibson, et al.

 

[Prospero]

when you write a 3 billion page 9 book long series you're bound to phrase a stinker or two, but in short bursts, everything he puts on the page is a fucking diamond.

True that Wolfe is one of the best prose stylists in SF. Even when the plots of his novels get bogged down, the writing's always beautiful. I'd put him above George R. R. Martin and Tad Williams in that respect, even.

 

[thomaser]

Thanks for the insight! I'll probably buy all the New Sun-books first, and see how I like them. I do have a slightly obsessive behaviour when it comes to series, though, so I'll likely end up reading all of them anyway.

Nothing quite beats a really good world-building fantasy... I mean, THIS world is exciting and fantastic as it is, and will never cease to inspire and interest, but it's always jaw-droppingly great to be able to delve into a fresh, new one from time to time And it's even more exciting to know that, considering the size of the universe, the worlds you read about just might actually exist somewhere. The mind BOGGLES!