ReReading Wolfe

Listener comments end at 31:20 The Claw of the Conciliator Chapter 04, "The Bouquet" Morwenna gets executed but who is guilty? It's surprising how much debate there is and how sure opposing partisans are of their positions.   Links: * The Green Children of Woolpit * The Flammarion Engraving   * Basic analysis of word and sentence structure in The Shadow of the Torturer * Facebook: * Facebook ----...

Listener comments end at 17:30 The Claw of the Conciliator Chapter 03, "The Showman's Tent" Severian chases Agia through the fair. He talks religion with the tea lady. He gets his fortune told by a Green Man. Why doesn't the Green Man, who has been through time from the future, remember the coming of the New Sun? Links: * UrthList:  - List of animals with an entry in "The Book of Imaginary Beings"...

Listener comments end at 15:55 The Claw of the Conciliator Chapter 02, "The Man In the Dark" They pull Barnoch from his House/Tomb. So many parallels between the beginning and end of this book. Was Mother Pyrexia a Cumaean-type of Heiro? Links: * Facebook: - Discussion of chapter 2 - Discussion of chapter 1   * Reddit: - Discussion of chapter 2 - Discussion of chapter 1 - This episode is sponsored...

Listener comments end at 09:45 The Claw of the Conciliator Chapter 01, "The Village of Saltus" How long has it been since the riot at Piteous Gate? What is the strange connection Severian has to Morwenna even before the execution? Links: * Facebook: Discussions of the Shadow of the Torturer Summary                         Discussion of the 2020 Christmas Bonus                        Stephen Frug's...

Listener comments end at 47:08 The Shadow of the Torturer Summary We talk about our opinions of Severian and company at this point and how our opinions have changed. Also, yes, it is a good book but WHY is it good? Did we accomplish what we wanted?  Links: * Coalsack Nebula wikpedia   * Gene Wolfe subreddit   * Reddit: Discussions of Chapter 35   * Facebook: Discussions of Chapter 35   * Mike LeJe...

Christmas Special 2020 Craig and James sit down with Glenn McDorman of the Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast to discuss and rate four Gene Wolfe Christmas stories. * La Befana * The War Beneath the Tree * And When They Appear * No Planets Strike Links: * Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast site   * Claytemple Media site * Weird Christmas Podcast site   - This episode is sponsored by Dismal Spice. - You can also...

Listener Comments ends at 29:45 The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 35, "Hethor" This is it! The last chapter of The Shadow of the Torturer! Let's talk about Hethor again. And what DID happen at the end of this chapter? Links: * Facebook: Discussions of Chapter 34   * Reddit: Discussions of Chapter 34 - * Obiwanspicoli's citations where Severian says the havoc at Piteous Gate was caused by uhlans a...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 34, "Morning" The Garden of Eden in Nessus! How is Talos like Pandora? Also, Severian suddenly remembers Valeria 30 chapters later. Links: * A Weird Mystery: James Wynn considers Gene Wolfe’s ‘A Borrowed Man’ * Ultan's Library: A Curiously Conflicted Book: Craig Brewer reviews ‘Interlibrary Loan’ * Facebook: Discussions of Chapter 32, The Play * Reddit: Discussio...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 33, "Five Legs" Severian has a nightmare about going to political science class and having to take a test he didn't study for. Why are Severian's memories about Master Malrubius so fuzzy? What is the point of the events of this chapter? Hi, Triskele! Who's a good boy! Links: A Weird Mystery: James Wynn considers Gene Wolfe’s ‘A Borrowed Man’ Ultan's Library: A Cu...

Important: Due to the visual nature of this interview, this episode is best viewed at the YouTube channel.  The Don Maitz Interview Don Maitz created the covers for The Book of the New Sun and The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories. And also how he got started and the book cover illustration industry.  Links: The Don Maitz/Janny Wurtz website - This episode is sponsored by...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 32, "The Play" Marc Aramini assists on this one to talk about symbolism and Talos's play. Severian and Dorcas try out some improv drama.  Links: On Ultan's Library: "A Weird Mystery: James Wynn considers Gene Wolfe’s 'A Borrowed Man'" Cody Martin doesn't think Thecla gets the treatment most exultants do after execution.  Boombaptraprap talks about chapter 31 and...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 31, "The Shadow of the Torturer" We are Jung! Severian removes his first head, finds the Claw, and has a vision of a Temple in the Sky! Links: Chapter 30 episode subreddit   Chapter 29 episode subreddit   Chapter 30 episode Facebook post   Chapter 29 episode Facebook post   Jack Redelfs on why the castrate failed Autarch's   "Black Robes in Paraguay" by William F...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 30, "Night" What the heck is the deal with Hethor? Also, New Wave SF sex! Links: Adrian de Forest on Agia's coin, her name, and Ultan's rats Eurobubba sees something going on with Agia and Agilus' halos, also her name LaughterHouseV wonders what Agia scratched  Urth List Ryan Dunn asks Is Agia a Robot? Goonhandz and James talk about Agia Michael Andre-Druissi tak...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 29, "Agilus" Severian visits Agilus in prison. Agia draws... what? A face? A map? A symbol?  Links: Michael Andre-Driussi and Cody Martin comment. - This episode is sponsored by Chekhov's Ornamental Firearms. - You can also get episodes on your podcast app or on our Youtube channel . If you have problems accessing the podcast on your favorite platform, let us kno...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 28, "Carnifex" Severian wakes up in the lazaret to discover he's being attended to by a baboon. He wanders around the Hall of Justice and comes back to talk to Dorcas. Links: Michael Andre-Driussi, Cody Martin, Bowenkage, and Ubikan r esponded to chapter 27 and other things .  Sean Michael Robinson on Cadroe of the Seventeen Stones Ian C Smith on Raucho and the e...

The John Crowley Interview John Crowley has never read a whole Gene Wolfe story but he's read Hamlet's Mill and that is the only 20th-century work included in the Chrasmological Writings (The Book of the Long/Short Sun). So we talked to him about that and about related works.  Then Craig and James talk about why James is so obsessed with the Wolfe/Hamlet's Mill connection. Links: Hamlet's Mill - W...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 27, "Is He Dead?" Severian battles with averns at the Sanguinary Fields. Dorcas takes him to find medical help. Links: Michael Grant on Agia being provoke to worried about the note only after Severian mentions Vodalus Sean Michael Robinson why Dorcas doesn't let Severian buy clothes for her at the Inn of Lost Loves. Also, why Severian is such a good wine critic....

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 26, "Sennet" Severian and Dorcas and Agia continue their search for the writer of the secret note. Severian considers the connection between love and desire and offers bad relationship advice. Links: The Dragonstairs Press release official of the print version of Rereading Wolfe's interview with Michael Swanwick about Gene Wolfe. Handbound and signed by Swanwick....

The Jack Dann Interview Dude, it’s Jack Dann. What more do you want to know?  Links: The Official Jack Dann page Jack Dann’s ISFDB page Errata: Jack requested that we note the following corrections: "Joy In Our Cause" was written by Carol Emschwiller, not Kit Reed. - This episode is sponsored by Collaboration. - You can also get episodes on your podcast app or on our Youtube channel . If you have...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 25, "The Inn of Lost Loves" Severian, Agia, Dorcas, go to supper at a restaurant in a tree. Severian finds a note on his plate. Links: Aeneid Book 6 At Ultan's Library, Marc Aramini reviews "Gene Wolfe's 'The Book of the New Sun': A Chapter Guide" Ask Me Anything on Reddit: The Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast Austin Beeman: Was Dorcas Possessed ? Gary Ownens: Does th...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 24, "The Flower of Dissolution" Severian, Agia, Dorcas, and Hildegrin cross the Lake of Birds. Severian and Dorcas both pick flowers. Links: Sean Michael Robinson on Beatrix Potter of the New Sun Mike Bennewitz on Hildegrin's persistent presence at resurrections Sean Michael Robinson on the coincidence of Severian happening upon Dorcas's body Mike Farrar's theory...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 23, "Hildegrin" Severian and Agia meet Dorcas and Hildegrin in the Garden of Endless Sleep.  Links: clew-ah-saw-nay or cloyzn-nay? Curiositus Urthus: Old Man at the Gyoll = Old Man at Lake of Birds?  Old Man By the Gyoll Among the Nenuphars Octagonal Prisms (FB) Octagonal Prisms (Wikipedia) Michael Andre-Driussi's Reddit Ask Me Anything Book of Gold Origin Story...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 22, "Dorcas" Severian and Agia go to the Garden of Endless Sleep. Severian meets his grandfather who is looking for Grandma 'Cas. Then Severian falls into the lake and has an underwater encounter.  Links: Cloisonné in wikipedia    Ultan's Library interviews Marc Aramini Michael Andre-Driussi's Gene Wolfe's First Four Novels: A Chapter Guide The Something Awful Fo...

Michael Swanwick, Nebula and Hugo award winner, talks about Gene Wolfe and his own writings.    Links: Tor review of Shadows of the New Sun that contains Swanwick’s short story “The She-Wolf’s Hidden Grin” " The Hagiography of St Dozois " by Michael Swanwick " The Gardner Dozois You Didn’t Think You Knew " by Michael Swanwick Tor review, “ 25 Years in the Making — City Under the Stars by Gardner D...

The Shadow of the Torturer Chapter 21, "The Hut in the Jungle" Marc Aramini assists. In the Jungle Garden, Severian and Agia sit in a hut and listen to a conversation among the inhabitants.   Links: Craig posts a bibliography of Wolfe criticism   Father Inire, Lewis Carroll, and Rubber Bend   Baudrillard, Domnina as a horror story, catoptromanchy  and Agia/Agillus Jonathan Goodwin on captoptramanc...