This review originally appeared on Goodreads on May 28, 2019.

The Urth of the New Sun

By Gene Wolfe – Orb Books – November 15, 1997

Review by Robin Marx

In this follow-up to The Book of the New Sun, Severian, the Autarch of the Commonwealth of Urth, journeys deep into space. His goal is to acquire the New Sun, a star/energy source/person (or perhaps all of these), which is capable of replacing his planet's dying sun. While his success will ensure the survival of his planet, it carries with it a terrible price.

Much like the preceding four volumes that comprise The Book of the New Sun, I enjoyed this book but I do not feel like I entirely comprehended it. The imagery throughout the book is fanciful and layered. The narrative also has a mythic cast that reminded me a bit of Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah. Wolfe was apparently a devout Catholic and allusions are hidden in the text, but the alienness of the characters and events makes the story feel closer to esoteric Eastern mysticism than familiar Christian biblical scripture.

Adding more layers to the puzzle is the fact that Severian has absorbed the memories (and perhaps identities) of previous Autarchs, his interstellar journey appears to involve time dilation, and even after returning to Urth he encounters and reunites with various characters at different non-chronological points in their lives.

Not only is the story dense and cryptic, it is related by a narrator who is both unreliable and somewhat aloof from events. The reader is often told that he wept or contemplated suicide after some bleak or unexpected turn of events, but everything is related with a baffling degree of clinical dispassion. Severian is basically a messiah figure, but one that is not to be entirely trusted.

Whether or not a reader will enjoy this book depends a great deal on their tolerance for confusion. If vaguery and cryptic dialogue aren't turn-offs, there's a lot to enjoy here. And if you like re-reading and puzzle-solving, this series rewards it. But be certain to read this book soon after The Book of the New Sun, when it's fresh in your mind.

★★★☆☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on October 29, 2017.

The Guiding Nose of Ulfant Banderoz

By Dan Simmons – Subterranean Press – June 30, 2013

Review by Robin Marx

With the death of archmagician Ulfant Banderoz, the Dying Earth seems closer to destruction than ever. Shrue the diabolist decides to make the dangerous journey to Banderoz’s Ultimate Library and Final Compendium of Thaumaturgical Lore and acquire the mystic knowledge housed within.

This charming novella evokes the color and vibrancy of Jack Vance’s classic Dying Earth cycle without attempting the fool’s errand of parroting the style of Vance himself. The end result is a story that feels at home in the setting (pelgranes, deodands, and the Excellent Prismatic Spray are all present and accounted for), but with a milder dose of Vance’s world-weary cynicism. There’s even some optimism mixed in here. That seems like a strange choice for a Dying Earth story, but somehow it works. An absolute gem of a story.

★★★★☆

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