Gene Wolfe

[DevonM]

I have read Shadow and Claw, and I'm not sure what to make of it. The way Wolfe writes makes it seem like there is a deeper, hidden meaning behind every line. But it may also be just another scifi book. Opinions?

[Drkshadow03]

I have read Shadow and Claw, and I'm not sure what to make of it. The way Wolfe writes makes it seem like there is a deeper, hidden meaning behind every line. But it may also be just another scifi book. Opinions?

I have heard it said that Gene Wolfe is the James Joyce of Sci-fi. You really have to work at his novels to truly understand them. In all honesty I haven't read any of Wolfe's novels, only a short story in a magazine once. But I remember that his language really made you have to read things in to his words and he didn't always spell things out for you.

[JBI]

I have heard it said that Gene Wolfe is the James Joyce of Sci-fi. You really have to work at his novels to truly understand them. In all honesty I haven't read any of Wolfe's novels, only a short story in a magazine once. But I remember that his language really made you have to read things in to his words and he didn't always spell things out for you.

I think the problem is, there is no reliability to the narrator, yet the world is removed, so everything is very, very distorted, and you really need to take good notes to try and get any coherency, though I only read his first book in that Book of the New Sun, Shadow of the Torturer or something.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

I gave Shadow and Claw a try years ago, and quit after a hundred pages or so. Definitely James Joyce-esque. I'm going to give it another try soon, since ive become a much better reader since then.