The Book of the New Sun Series
The story of Severian, of the Guild of the Seekers of Truth and
Penitence (a torturer) who is exiled from his order for showing
compassion. Wolfe's best and most popular work. I highly recommend
reading, and especially re-reading it.
Originally published as four books, with a fifth book supplementing
the series, the four books have been collected into two volumes.
- Shadow & Claw
- Collection of the first two books of the series,
The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator.
If you are a newcomer to Wolfe start here! Trade Paperback.
- Sword & Citadel
- Collection of the last two books of the series,
The Sword of the Lictor and The Citadel of the Autarch.
Trade Paperback.
- Urth of the New Sun
- A "Coda" to the Book of the New Sun, continuing Severian's Adventures.
Trade Paperback.
The Long and Short Sun Series
These two series are closely connected. Both are
set in the same universe as the Book of the New Sun,
but the Long Sun chronicles the story of Patera Silk, a priest of the Gods
of Mainframe: the computers of a cylindrical generation starship and
the task given him by the Outsider, the forgotten god, first
to save Silk's local temple from ruin, and then an even bigger task.
The Short Sun series continues the story with Horn, Silk's student,
who journeys across the worlds of Blue and Green to bring Silk to Blue.
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Litany of the Long Sun
- This volume collects the first two books of the series, Nightside
the Long Sun and Lake of the Long Sun. Trade Paperback.
- Epiphany of the Long Sun
- Collects the third book, Calde of the Long Sun, and fourth
book, Exodus from the Long Sun, of the series. Trade Paperback.
- On Blue's Waters
- Continuing where Exodus/"Epiphany" leaves off, this is the account
of Horn, Silk's student, now older and living with his family on Blue, and his
quest to return to the Whorl and find Silk. An intricately woven tale,
as Horn writes about his adventures in the past tense, but interweaving his present
situation after much journeying. Trade Paperback.
- In Green's Jungles
- The story continues as more is revealed about the status of Horn's mission,
the dreaded inhumu, and Urth herself. Trade Paperback.
- Return
to the Whorl
- The final book completes the series, and revelations about the narrator and the secret
of the inhumu are made more clear (but still confusing!). Now in Trade Paperback.
Collections
-
Strange Travelers
- A new collection of previously uncollected short stories. Trade Paperback
- Castle of Days
- A collection of two works, Book of Days, short stories themed
to various occasions,
and Castle of the Otter containing essays and supplemental information from Wolfe
on his Book of the New Sun. Plus 39 additional essays. Trade Paperback
- Storeys from the Old Hotel
- A collection of early Wolfe Short stories. Contains "Westwind", one of my (and his) favorites.
Trade Paperback.
- The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories
- Cute title for a collection, huh? Trade Paperback.
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Anthologies or Other Appearances
- Graven
Images
- This is a new anthology of stories on the theme of the return of
forgotten gods or other supernatural beings. Wolfe has a (very
short) story in here, which I liked.
- Other Voices, Other Doors
- Collection of stories by Patrick O'Leary, frequent contributor to the Whorl mailing list. Wolfe
wrote the forward. I have not read any of these. Trade Paperback
- The Crow: Shattered Lives & Broken Dreams
- Contains a short by Wolfe, about Oreb, the Night Chough (from the Book of the Long Sun).
1998. Paperback.
- The Best of Crank!
- World Fantasy Award Finalist for 1999. Other
nominees. Contains "Empires of Foliage and Flower", a story from the
Book of the New Sun, which is very expensive to obtain otherwise! (The
Cheap Street edition costs hundreds of dollars). 1998. Trade Paperback.
- Sandman: Fables and Reflections
- Gene wrote the preface to this Graphic Novel/Comic
Book by Neil Gaiman. Good stuff that Wolfe fans will probably
appreciate. Trade Paperback.
- Lovecraft's Legacy
- Contains the short story "Lord of the Land", a Lovecraftian pastiche.
Trade Paperback
- Cthulhu 2000
- Also contains the short story "Lord of the Land". This one
perhaps has more interesting other stories than the one above. Trade Paperback.
- My
Favorite Fantasy Story
- This is a collection of the favorite fantasy stories of various
SF luminaries like Terry Prachett, Fred Saberhagen, Katherine Kurtz, and
of course, Gene Wolfe. Wolfe's favorite is a children's story from the
1800s called "Mopsa the Fairy", by Jean Ingelow. Paperback.
Other Novels
- There are Doors
- A haunting novel of a man seeking his love, Lara, a woman and goddess from a parallel universe.
Trade Paperback.
- Free Live Free (released in February, 1999)
- Wolfe's first novel. Trade Paperback
- Peace
- A wonderful novel with very low-key sf/fantasy elements, about
the meditations of a man, Alden Dennis Weer, over his lifetime. This
be good for the non-sf fan. Rather "Borgesian" in its themes and
layered structure. Highly Recommended. Trade Paperback
- The Fifth Head of Cerberus: Three Novellas
- Trade Paperback
- Devil in a Forest
- A "juvenile", aimed at younger readers, though what I've read of it I've enjoyed.
Trade Paperback.
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