Beyond Time and Memory: An Exploration of the Fiction of Gene Wolfe, 1987-1990

by Marc Aramini

The second volume in a comprehensive analysis of Gene Wolfe’s literary works, covering the novels Soldier of the Mist and Soldier of Arete, The Urth of the New Sun, There Are Doors, Pandora by Holly Hollander, and Castleview. The short stories include the surreal “All the Hues of Hell”, “Empires of Foliage and Flower”, the exotic “Tale of the Rose and the Nightingale”, the eldritch “Lord of the Land”, the apocalyptic “The Haunted Boardinghouse”. An appendix deals with the poetry of Gene Wolfe, collected in For Rosemary.

600 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2021

About the author

Born of military parents, Marc Aramini has lived throughout the United States and even for a time in Western Europe, but has spent most of his adult life in the American Southwest. With an undergraduate degree from Notre Dame in Biochemistry and a Masters Degree in Literature, he has worked in gyms, banking, and teaching at both the high school and college levels. He also had a handstand balancing act in a circus show, though his primary job there was in finding properties, attaining permits, and negotiating short term agreements. One day he hopes to return to college teaching.

Reviews

[Robert Defrank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aramini continues his exemplary and exacting analysis of Gene Wolfe's fiction with a second collection of deep dives into the Wolfian canon. Whether one is a long-time Gene Wolfe fan, a relative newcomer to his fiction such as myself, or a reader contemplating giving the Master a try, these books are proving must-have guides to the references and themes that underlie everything. I've taken to keeping it handy for when I tackle a new Wolfe piece, and although one might argue with his conclusions on occasion, the time and devotion to plumbing these tales demands respect, and will prove invaluable in enjoying what Wolfe was capable of.