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The Book of the New Sun

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The Book of the New Sun
AuthorGene Wolfe
LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Book of the New Sun
GenreScience fiction
PublisherSimon & Schuster
Publication date
1980-1983
Publication placeUnited States
ISBN0-312-89017-6 and 0-312-89018-4 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
OCLC30700568
813/.54 20
LC ClassPS3573.O52 S53 1994

The Book of the New Sun is a novel in four parts written (1980–83) by science fiction and fantasy author Gene Wolfe. It chronicles the journey and ascent to power of Severian, a disgraced journeyman torturer who rises to the position of Autarch, the one ruler of the free world. Severian, who claims that he has perfect memory, tells the story in first person; the books are presented by Wolfe as a translation of Severian's writings into contemporary English. The series takes place in the distant future, where the Sun has dimmed considerably and the Earth (referred to in the series as "Urth") is slowly cooling.

Place within the genre

The New Sun series belongs to the Dying Earth subgenre (a title inspired by Jack Vance's popular Dying Earth series), a kind of science fiction/fantasy set in a distant future when the Sun is dying, set against a background of mysterious and obscure powers and events.

Language

The Book of the New Sun has been widely analyzed for its deeper meanings; some of these analyses have been published, such as Michael Andre-Druissi's Lexicon Urthus (ISBN 0-9642795-9-2) and Robert Borski's Solar Labyrinth. Wolfe makes extensive use of allegory within the series, as Severian is identified as a Christ/Apollo figure: he is destined to revitalize the Sun and save the Earth while at the same time destroying it. Adding further to the books' many riddles is Wolfe's usage of archaic, obscure (but never invented) words to describe the world of the far future. In an Appendix at the end of The Shadow of the Torturer, Wolfe explains that this is one of the difficulties in translating Severian's writing ("in a tongue that has not yet achieved existence") into English. An example can be found in Severian's fuligin cloak ("the color that is darker than black"), probably derived from fuliginous, an obscure and archaic word meaning sooty.[1] Other examples are optimates, named for a political faction in Republican Rome, aquastor, a spiritual being that appears in the works of Paracelsus, and fiacre, a small carriage (which is, in fact, a French word with that meaning).

Volumes

The four volumes in the series are:

Name Published Notes
The Shadow of the Torturer Simon & Schuster, 1980 Nebula Award nominee, 1980;[2]
World Fantasy Award winner, 1981;[3]
British Science Fiction Award winner, 1981;[3]
John W. Campbell Memorial Award nominee, 1981;[3]
Locus Award nominee, 1981[3]
The Claw of the Conciliator Timescape Books, 1981 Nebula Award winner, 1981;[3]
Locus Award winner, 1982;[4]
Hugo Award nominee, 1982;[4]
World Fantasy Award nominee, 1982[4]
The Sword of the Lictor Timescape Books, 1981 British Science Fiction Award nominee, 1982;[4]
Nebula Award nominee, 1982;[4]
British Fantasy Award winner, 1983;[5]
Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel winner, 1983;[5]
Hugo Award nominee, 1983;[5]
World Fantasy Award nominee, 1983[5]
The Citadel of the Autarch Timescape Books, 1983 Nebula Award nominee, 1983;[5]
British Science Fiction Award nominee, 1983;[5]
Nebula Award nominee, 1983;[5]
John W. Campbell Memorial Award winner, 1984[6]
Name Published Notes
The Urth of the New Sun Tor, 1987 A coda that takes place years after the events of The Book of the New Sun
Hugo Award nominee, 1988[7]
Nebula Award nominee, 1988[7]
Locus Award nominee, 1988[7]

Wolfe has since written two series that exist loosely within Severian's universe, The Book of the Long Sun (a four-book series set on a generation ship; two of the books were nominated for Nebula Awards) and The Book of the Short Sun (a three-book series following the inhabitants of the generation ship after their long journey has finally finished).

Wayne Barlowe's Barlowe's Guide to Fantasy has an alzabo from The Sword of the Lictor as one of its entries.

Interpretations

Interpretations abound in a variety of other books such as Michael Andre Druissi's Lexicon Urthus, Peter Wright's Attending Daedalus, John Clute's Strokes, and Robert Borski's Solar Labyrinth. Among other theories:

  • Severian's home city of Nessus is actually a future Buenos Aires.
  • The characters Agia and Agilus are Severian's cousins.
  • Father Inire and Ossipago are not only the same character, but the offspring of Severian and one of the Hierodules.
  • Wolfe's earlier book, The Fifth Head of Cerberus is in fact set in the same universe, and is a prequel to the Book of the New Sun, the Book of the Long Sun, and the successor Short Sun books.
  • Severian's companion and lover Dorcas is his paternal grandmother (Ouen the waiter is her son, and is hinted to be Severian's father).
  • The Autarch is Thecla's father.
  • Merryn is Severian's sister. Alternatively, as proposed by Robert Borski, Jolenta may be Severian's sister.

See also

References

  1. ^ (1979). The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (A-O). Oxford University Press, New York, New York.
  2. ^ "1980 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
  3. ^ a b c d e "1981 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
  4. ^ a b c d e "1982 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "1983 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
  6. ^ "1984 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
  7. ^ a b c "1988 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
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