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Gate of Horn, Book of Silk: A Guide to Gene Wolfe's The Book of the Long Sun and The Book of the Short Sun
In this companion guide, Michael Andre-Driussi illuminates Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun and Book of the Short Sun science fiction series through dictionary-style entries on the characters, gods, locations, themes, and timelines of the novels.
Gate of Horn, Book of Silk, is organized in two parts, with the first half covering the Long Sun series (Nightside the Long Sun, Lake of the Long Sun, Caldé of the Long Sun, and Exodus from the Long Sun) and the second half covering the Short Sun series (On Blue's Waters, In Green's Jungles, and Return to the Whorl). "Languages of the Whorl," a section between the two parts, covers all the dialect, slang, and foreign terms used in the books—thieves' cant, flier language, Tick's talk, and more. Ten maps and diagrams are included.
This is Michael Andre-Driussi's third guidebook to the rich tapestries of Gene Wolfe's worlds. As fans of of Lexicon Urthus and The Wizard Knight Companion have noted, each book is not only a convenient tool to look up a term while re-reading the novels but also an enjoyable read in its own right, from A to Z.
Gate of Horn, Book of Silk, is organized in two parts, with the first half covering the Long Sun series (Nightside the Long Sun, Lake of the Long Sun, Caldé of the Long Sun, and Exodus from the Long Sun) and the second half covering the Short Sun series (On Blue's Waters, In Green's Jungles, and Return to the Whorl). "Languages of the Whorl," a section between the two parts, covers all the dialect, slang, and foreign terms used in the books—thieves' cant, flier language, Tick's talk, and more. Ten maps and diagrams are included.
This is Michael Andre-Driussi's third guidebook to the rich tapestries of Gene Wolfe's worlds. As fans of of Lexicon Urthus and The Wizard Knight Companion have noted, each book is not only a convenient tool to look up a term while re-reading the novels but also an enjoyable read in its own right, from A to Z.
308 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 31, 2019
3.5 - 4 stars
Short review: a fine companion piece and quite useful when reading the Long and Short Sun series’ by Gene Wolfe, but pales somewhat in comparison to the much weightier Lexicon Urthus: A Dictionary for the Urth Cycle written by the same author for the New Sun series.
Somewhat longer review: I would have thought that a book covering both the Long Sun and Short Sun series' by Gene Wolfe would have been somewhat longer than what Andre-Driussi produced. I in no way mean to disparage the very real work I am sure was put into this study, but I have to admit that I was hoping for more. To be fair the (at least seemingly) much weightier _Lexicon Urthus_ had a lot more strange words to define, but I was hoping for a bit more analysis of the mysteries and secrets of these parts of the Solar Cycle than was apparent. As far as the Long Sun section goes the most useful part is probably the one covering the languages of the Whorl that helps decipher Wolfe’s use of thieves’ cant and the bizarre language used by Tick the catachrest. The Short Sun section, which covers what is perhaps Wolfe’s most convoluted and difficult set of books by far, was more helpful, especially with the included plot timeline which helps to sort out the fractured events of the story which are constantly jumping from present to past to future and back again with a narrator who is himself confused at a fundamental level…of course if you read this before you have already been through the books at least once you will spoil many, if not all, of the mysteries for yourself.
Ultimately I’d say this is another very useful companion to Wolfe, but really should only be read by those doing a re-read, unless you have no interest in trying to figure out some of the mysteries and missing elements of the story on your own.
Short review: a fine companion piece and quite useful when reading the Long and Short Sun series’ by Gene Wolfe, but pales somewhat in comparison to the much weightier Lexicon Urthus: A Dictionary for the Urth Cycle written by the same author for the New Sun series.
Somewhat longer review: I would have thought that a book covering both the Long Sun and Short Sun series' by Gene Wolfe would have been somewhat longer than what Andre-Driussi produced. I in no way mean to disparage the very real work I am sure was put into this study, but I have to admit that I was hoping for more. To be fair the (at least seemingly) much weightier _Lexicon Urthus_ had a lot more strange words to define, but I was hoping for a bit more analysis of the mysteries and secrets of these parts of the Solar Cycle than was apparent. As far as the Long Sun section goes the most useful part is probably the one covering the languages of the Whorl that helps decipher Wolfe’s use of thieves’ cant and the bizarre language used by Tick the catachrest. The Short Sun section, which covers what is perhaps Wolfe’s most convoluted and difficult set of books by far, was more helpful, especially with the included plot timeline which helps to sort out the fractured events of the story which are constantly jumping from present to past to future and back again with a narrator who is himself confused at a fundamental level…of course if you read this before you have already been through the books at least once you will spoil many, if not all, of the mysteries for yourself.
Ultimately I’d say this is another very useful companion to Wolfe, but really should only be read by those doing a re-read, unless you have no interest in trying to figure out some of the mysteries and missing elements of the story on your own.
April 10, 2019
Ah, another Wolfe reference book by Michael Andre-Driussi, the writer of THE New Sun reference book, Lexicon Urthus-- and this one does not disappoint either.
While LU was concerned solely with details of the New Sun books and short stories, this volume is a just-as-exhaustive reference book of Wolfe's seven volume Long Sun/Short Sun series. As with its predecessor, this one lists all the names found in those texts along with their meanings and origins, maps, and a general glossary of obscure terms. It also contains a great introduction by Wolfe himself.
I enjoyed just flipping through this one, reading the entries, studying the maps. It evoked Wolfe's Long Sun/Short Sun universe so well that I found myself craving a re-read of the series with this reference book at hand. I must say, being in the middle of that re-read now, that the books are very much enriched and illuminated by Andre-Driussi's work. A must have for fans of Wolfe in general and the Long Sun/Short Sun books in particular.
While LU was concerned solely with details of the New Sun books and short stories, this volume is a just-as-exhaustive reference book of Wolfe's seven volume Long Sun/Short Sun series. As with its predecessor, this one lists all the names found in those texts along with their meanings and origins, maps, and a general glossary of obscure terms. It also contains a great introduction by Wolfe himself.
I enjoyed just flipping through this one, reading the entries, studying the maps. It evoked Wolfe's Long Sun/Short Sun universe so well that I found myself craving a re-read of the series with this reference book at hand. I must say, being in the middle of that re-read now, that the books are very much enriched and illuminated by Andre-Driussi's work. A must have for fans of Wolfe in general and the Long Sun/Short Sun books in particular.
November 27, 2018
An inimitable guide through the dense and wondrous Book of the Long Sun and Book of the Short Sun. For fans of Wolfe's who are eager to have the scales lifted from their eyes.
May 29, 2021
An excellent reference book for The Book of the Long Sun.
December 11, 2016
Another great dictionary of the works of Gene Wolfe, this time covering Wolfe's Long Sun and Short Sun series. Great for helping suss out some of Wolfe's more subtle allusions, but do not read before you have read the series it is based on!
December 4, 2012
Only for Gene Wolfe geeks, obviously, but the love and attention to detail that went into the book is remarkable.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews