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Loading... Gate of Horn, Book of Silk: A Guide to Gene Wolfe's The Book of the Long Sun and The Book of the Short Sunby Michael Andre-Driussi
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In this companion guide, Michael Andre-Driussi illuminates Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun and Book of the Short Sun science fiction series through dictionary-style entries on the characters, gods, locations, themes, and timelines of the novels. Gate of Horn, Book of Silk, is organized in two parts, with the first half covering the Long Sun series (Nightside the Long Sun, Lake of the Long Sun, Cald of the Long Sun, and Exodus from the Long Sun) and the second half covering the Short Sun series (On Blue's Waters, In Green's Jungles, and Return to the Whorl) half covering one of the two series. "Languages of the Whorl," a section between the two parts, covers all the dialect, slang, and foreign terms used in the books--thieves' cant, flier language, Tick's talk, and more. Ten maps and diagrams are included. This is Michael Andre-Driussi's third guidebook to the rich tapestries of Gene Wolfe's worlds. As fans of of Lexicon Urthus and The Wizard Knight Companion have noted, that each book is both a convenient tool for a question while re-reading the novels but also an enjoyable read in its own right, from A to Z. No library descriptions found. |
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Wikipedia in English
4
brief essays on major characters and themes made the Lexicon a must-read for serious readers of TBotNS.
Wolfe went on to publish The Book of the Long Sun and The Book of the Short Sun, both set in the universe of New Sun, but more closely tied with one another than either is with the original series. The challenges here are different: in Long Sun, we must decode the relationships, including kinship, among numerous key characters, and follow the fast-paced course of Silk's path from simple priest to revolutionary leader. In Short Sun, while it's clear that several different characters are in fact the same person, the sequence of events
requires substantial parsing, and the exact nature of several characters' interactions require a couple of reads and substantial reflection.
Andre-Driussi tackles these challenges for us Gate of Horn, Book of Silk, another tremendous effort of scholarship. The format is again encyclopedic, with separate sections for Long Sun and Short Sun. I would say his most valuable contributions this time lie in the detailed timelines that he has assembled for each series; these allow the reader to see the sequences of events more clearly, understand just who is involved at different points, and have a much clearer idea of what Wolfe is up to and why. He also provides explanations of the expressions used by numerous characters as well as speculation on how they are related and why it matters.
Silk and Horn are among the most well drawn and fascinating characters in speculative fiction. Their combined story is complex and laden with symbolism. The exegesis provided in Gate of Horn, Book of Silk goes a long way toward helping the reader who has puzzled over Wolfe's novels to solve several mysteries and make more sense of these fine novels. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a better understanding of Wolfe's work. (