From: "David A Baird" 
Subject: Re: (urth) First Mail
Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 20:58:22 +0200

Thanks Mantis

I read TFHOCerberud just before restarting TBOFNS and need to read it
again - is that a cpmplex plot or what!? I love the way Wolfe approaches his
subject with ambiguity, it leaves a lot of room for thought on the part of
the reader but does take some concentration :-)

Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan'l Danehy-Oakes" 
To: 
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 8:27 PM
Subject: RE: (urth) First Mail


> Mantis replied...
>
> > Hello there Dave Baird, and welcome aboard!
>
> Second that.
>
> > >So, a bit of guidance from those of you that know  better than I - what
> is
> > >the complete list of books related and what should I  read next?
>
> > Yay, an easy question!
>
> Actually two questions, of which only the first is "easy" (and even that
> somewhat quibblesome):
>
> > 1) THE BOOK OF THE NEW SUN
> > 2) THE URTH OF THE NEW SUN
> > 3) THE BOOK OF THE LONG SUN (four volumes)
> > 4) THE BOOK OF THE SHORT SUN (three volumes)
>
> ... plus various short stories scattered across a variety of
> anthologies, collections and magazines ...
>
> ... plus THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS, which, if very unlikely to
> be set in the same universe, is at least thematically related to
> the Books of the  Sun, a/k/a the Lupiverse, a/k/a the Briah
> Cycle ...
>
> ... none of which, however, addresses Dave's _second_ question,
> "what should [he] read next?"
>
> Dave, if you want to continue with the main line of the Lupiverse,
> you should definitely move on to the Books of the Long Sun and the
> Short Sun, in that order.
>
> tBotLS is set in the same universe, but in terms of plot, is
> related only tangentially to the adventures of Severian.
>
> tBotSS is a direct sequel to tBotLS, and also relates more
> directly to tBotNS in terms of plot than does its predecessor.
>
> (At least one short story, "The Map," deals with a character
> from New Sun. At least one, "The Night Chough," deals with a
> character from Long/Short. I believe -- though I haven't
> tracked all of them down -- that the other short stories set
> in the Lupiverse are simply that -- "set in the same universe.")
>
> ***HOWEVER***, this assumes that "what should I read next" is
> a simple question of continuing in the same universe. Wolfe has
> written a number of other novels ranging from "superb" to "Huh?
> What was _that_?" (and one which he himself considers an utter
> stinkeroo and will not allow to be reprinted, OPERATION ARES,
> though I rather like it). Which descriptions fit which of these
> novels is a matter of some debate.
>
> If you want to branch out of the Briah Cycle, I would highly
> recommend either the short story collection, "THE ISLAND OF
> DOCTOR DEATH AND OTHER STORIES" AND OTHER STORIES, or the
> novels FREE LIVE FREE and PEACE. Others will have other
> ideas on the subject.
>
> --Blattid
>
>
> --
>
>


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