Must have Books - The Book of the Long Sun

Litany of the Long Sun: Nightside the Long Sun and Lake of the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe

Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun tetralogy ranks as one of the greatest literary achievements of 20th-century science fiction. Litany of the Long Sun, comprising the first two books in the series, is suffused with looming transcendence and theophany. Wolfe takes familiar speculative fiction tropes and embeds them in a tale so complex and wonderful that readers may find themselves wondering whether what they're reading is science fiction, fantasy, or something different altogether. Or whether it matters.
The story of Patera Silk, a devout priest whose destiny is wrapped up with the gods he serves, takes place within the Whorl, a vast, cylindrical starship that has traveled for generations and is crumbling into disrepair. Through a strange and amazing series of events, Silk finds himself descending to base thievery, running afoul of a notorious crime lord, befriending a cyborg soldier, and encountering at least one of the gods of Mainframe. But when Silk encounters the Outsider, who may be a God of a very different sort, all his beliefs are shaken to the core, and his life swiftly takes a messianic turn. In a rousing climax, Silk becomes the reluctant leader of a political rebellion against the corrupt Ayuntamiento, who rule the city-state of Viron.

It is not necessary to have read Wolfe's Book of the New Sun series, which takes place many centuries earlier, to enjoy the Long Sun novels, but keen-eyed readers will find many clues as to the origin of the Whorl and its gods in those stories. Further, although Wolfe's reputation for literary precision and trickery is well deserved, the Long Sun series (which continues in Epiphany of the Long Sun) is one of the more accessible places to start appreciating the author's treasures.

This book contains the first two books in the Book of the Long Sun Series, Nightside the Long Sun and Lake of the Long Sun .

Epiphany of the Long Sun: Calde of the Long Sun and Exodus from the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe

and theAs with art, (which these books clearly are), it sometimes takes repeated readings (and countless musings) for the meaning to be fully understood. When reading Wolfe's novels, there is always the hidden truth that things are not always what they seem. Epiphany is the continuation of the intrigue and revolution that grips Viron. A city within the "Whorl" that is a giant starship of planetoidal proportions. Some questions are answered in this book but new plots are introduced. For example the politics and culture of the women of Trivigaunte. The mystery of the novel persists and continues to ask, who are the gods of Mainframe? The sequel: On Blue's Waters (The Book of the Short Sun, Vol 1) should make-up for any short-comings of this work. The end was a little confusing and leaves you wanting more. Good art sometimes repels, as much as it attracts. I found myself at times liking/disliking Patera Silk (for his naivety and gullibility). Also another irritant, is the superstitious dogma of the people of Viron. You are left wondering, when will these people wakeup? Dr. Crane was a character that we all missed! When will we meet the mysterious god called the "Outsider" who initially gave Patera Silk his enlightenment and the inspirational mission to save Viron? You are left wondering, are the gods indeed supernatural? Or are they something created by a genius?

In these works, there are numerous parallels to our society, literature and ourselves. A good example is that there is some similarity of General Mint to Joan of Arc. The true Epiphany of this work is that there is a little bit of Patera Silk in all of us. We are all part of Viron here on Earth, our "Whorl." Highly recommend!

This book contains the final two books in the Book of the Long Sun Series, Calde of the Long Sun and Exodus from the Long Sun.