Gene Wolfe
(Gene Rodman Wolfe)
(1931 - )Gene Wolfe's enigmatically stylish first novel The Fifth Head of Cerberus, with its meditations on identity, shape-shifting aliens and variously abused clones, made him instantly a figure to watch, as did short stories like the ones contained in The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories. His most important book is The Book of the New Sun, a quartet consisting of The Shadow of the Torturer, The Claw of the Conciliator, The Sword of the Lictor and The Citadel of the Autarch. Severian, an apprentice torturer, wanders towards his destiny in a far future world that is always more complex than it appears; a cyborg fellow prisoner turns out to be a robot patched with flesh. A narrative involving escapes, betrayals, sword-fights, miracles and battles is also a complex text involved in games of allusion that range from Dickens to Borges; the four volumes contain almost a book's worth of interspersed stories and fables. Other major Wolfe works include various slightly less elaborate sequels to The Book of the New Sun--The Urth of the New Sun, The Book of the Long Sun--and the inventive urban fantasy Free Live Free .
Series
Urth : Book of the New Sun
1. The Shadow of the Torturer (1980)
2. The Claw of the Conciliator (1980)
3. The Sword of the Lictor (1982)
4. The Citadel of the Autarch (1982)
5. The Urth of the New Sun (1987)
Shadow and Claw (omnibus) (1994)
Sword and Citadel (omnibus) (1994)
The Book of the New Sun (omnibus) (1998)
Severian of the Guild (omnibus) (2007)
1. The Shadow of the Torturer (1980)
2. The Claw of the Conciliator (1980)
3. The Sword of the Lictor (1982)
4. The Citadel of the Autarch (1982)
5. The Urth of the New Sun (1987)
Shadow and Claw (omnibus) (1994)
Sword and Citadel (omnibus) (1994)
The Book of the New Sun (omnibus) (1998)
Severian of the Guild (omnibus) (2007)
Soldier of the Mist
1. The Soldier of the Mist (1986)
2. The Soldier of Arete (1989)
3. Soldier of Sidon (2006)
Latro in the Mist (omnibus) (2003)
1. The Soldier of the Mist (1986)
2. The Soldier of Arete (1989)
3. Soldier of Sidon (2006)
Latro in the Mist (omnibus) (2003)
Urth : Book of the Long Sun
1. Nightside the Long Sun (1993)
2. Lake of the Long Sun (1994)
3. Calde of the Long Sun (1994)
4. Exodus from the Long Sun (1996)
Litany of the Long Sun (omnibus) (1994)
Epiphany of the Long Sun (omnibus) (1996)
1. Nightside the Long Sun (1993)
2. Lake of the Long Sun (1994)
3. Calde of the Long Sun (1994)
4. Exodus from the Long Sun (1996)
Litany of the Long Sun (omnibus) (1994)
Epiphany of the Long Sun (omnibus) (1996)
Urth : Book of the Short Sun
1. On Blue's Waters (1999)
2. In Green's Jungles (2000)
3. Return to the Whorl (2001)
1. On Blue's Waters (1999)
2. In Green's Jungles (2000)
3. Return to the Whorl (2001)
Novels
Operation Ares (1970)
Peace (1975)
The Devil in a Forest (1976)
Free Live Free (1984)
There Are Doors (1988)
Castleview (1990)
Pandora by Holly Hollander (1990)
Pirate Freedom (2007)
An Evil Guest (2008)
The Sorcerer's House (2010)
Home Fires (2011)
The Land Across (2013)
A Borrowed Man (2015)
Peace (1975)
The Devil in a Forest (1976)
Free Live Free (1984)
There Are Doors (1988)
Castleview (1990)
Pandora by Holly Hollander (1990)
Pirate Freedom (2007)
An Evil Guest (2008)
The Sorcerer's House (2010)
Home Fires (2011)
The Land Across (2013)
A Borrowed Man (2015)
Omnibus
Sailing to Byzantium / Seven American Nights (1989) (with Robert Silverberg)
Fugue State / The Death of Doctor Island (1990) (with John M Ford)
Fugue State / The Death of Doctor Island (1990) (with John M Ford)
Collections
The Fifth Head of Cerberus (1972)
In the Wake of Man (1975) (with R A Lafferty and Walter Moudy)
The Island of Doctor Death (1980)
The Wolfe Archipelago (1983)
Bibliomen (1984)
Planet Engineering (1984)
Gene Wolfe's Book of Days (1985)
For Rosemary (poems) (1988)
Storeys from the Old Hotel (1988)
Endangered Species (1989)
Castle of Days (1992)
Young Wolfe (1992)
Strange Travelers (2000)
Innocents Aboard (2004)
Starwater Strains (2005)
The Very Best of Gene Wolfe (2009)
The Best of Gene Wolfe (2009)
The Wildside Book of Fantasy (2012) (with Lin Carter, Paul Di Filippo, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Robert E Howard, Clive Jackson, Tanith Lee, Fritz Leiber, E Hoffmann Price, Thomas Burnett Swann and Lawrence Watt-Evans)
In the Wake of Man (1975) (with R A Lafferty and Walter Moudy)
The Island of Doctor Death (1980)
The Wolfe Archipelago (1983)
Bibliomen (1984)
Planet Engineering (1984)
Gene Wolfe's Book of Days (1985)
For Rosemary (poems) (1988)
Storeys from the Old Hotel (1988)
Endangered Species (1989)
Castle of Days (1992)
Young Wolfe (1992)
Strange Travelers (2000)
Innocents Aboard (2004)
Starwater Strains (2005)
The Very Best of Gene Wolfe (2009)
The Best of Gene Wolfe (2009)
The Wildside Book of Fantasy (2012) (with Lin Carter, Paul Di Filippo, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Robert E Howard, Clive Jackson, Tanith Lee, Fritz Leiber, E Hoffmann Price, Thomas Burnett Swann and Lawrence Watt-Evans)
Novellas
Non fiction
The Castle of the Otter (1982)
Letters Home (1991)
Shadows of the New Sun (2002)
A Walking Tour of the Shambles (2002) (with Neil Gaiman)
Gate of Horn, Book of Silk (2012) (with Michael Andre-Driussi)
Letters Home (1991)
Shadows of the New Sun (2002)
A Walking Tour of the Shambles (2002) (with Neil Gaiman)
Gate of Horn, Book of Silk (2012) (with Michael Andre-Driussi)
Anthologies containing stories by Gene Wolfe
Orbit 2 (1967)
Nova 1 (1970)
Universe 2 (1972)
Universe 3 (1973)
Again Dangerous Visions Book 1 (1973)
Nebula Award Stories 8 (1973)
The Best Science Fiction of the Year 2 (1973)
Worlds Far and Near (1974)
The Best Science Fiction of the Year 3 (1974)
Nebula Award Stories 9 (1974)
Universe 5 (1975)
Best SF: 1974 (1975)
aka The Year's Best Science Fiction 8
The Best Science Fiction of the Year 5 (1976)
The Ides of Tomorrow (1976)
To Follow a Star (1977)
Universe 7 (1977)
The Best Science Fiction of the Year 6 (1977)
Immortal (1978)
Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year 1978 (1979)
The Best of Analog (1979)
The Best Science Fiction Novellas of the Year 1 (1979)
New Terrors 1 (1980)
Dark Forces (1980)
Nebula Winners 14 (1980)
Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year 1980 (1981)
Unicorns! (1982)
The Best Science Fiction of the Year 11 (1982)
The Road to Science Fiction 4 (1982)
Nebula Award Stories 17 (1983)
Top Fantasy (1984)
The Best from Universe (1984)
100 Great Fantasy Short Short Stories (1984)
Masques (1984)
Top Science Fiction (1985)
Mercenaries of Tomorrow (1985)
The Year's Best Fantasy Stories 11 (1985)
Nebula Awards 20 (1985)
Afterlives (1986)
The Architecture of Fear (1987)
Jack the Ripper (1988)
The Year's Best Fantasy Second Annual Collection (1989)
aka Demons and Dreams
Nebula Awards 24 (1990)
Lovecraft's Legacy (1990)
Book of Dreams (1991)
The Night Fantastic (1991)
Best New Horror 2 (1991)
The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories (1992)
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror Sixth Annual Collection (1993)
Aliens and UFO's (1993)
Isaac Asimov's War (1993)
The Ultimate Zombie (1993)
The Norton Book of Science Fiction (1993)
Christmas Forever (1993)
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: A 40th Anniversary Anthology (1994)
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: The 50th Anniversary Anthology (1994)
Modern Classic Short Novels of Science Fiction (1994)
The Ascent of Wonder (1994)
Future Primitive (1994)
Cthulhu 2000 (1995)
Tomorrow Bites (1995)
Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears (1995)
The Best of Weird Tales (1995)
Dante's Disciples (1996)
Year's Best SF (1996)
UFOs (1996)
Cybersex (1996)
Visions of Wonder (1996)
Space Opera (1996)
Wild Women (1997)
Modern Classics of Fantasy (1997)
The Horns of Elfland (1997)
Return of the Dinosaurs (1997)
The Year's Best Science Fiction Fourteenth Annual Collection (1997)
Year's Best SF 2 (1997)
Dancing with the Dark (1997)
The Best of Crank! (1998)
The Mammoth Book of Fantasy All-Time Greats (1998)
aka The Fantasy Hall of Fame
Year's Best SF 3 (1998)
The Crow: Shattered Lives and Broken Dreams (1998)
Knights of Madness (1998)
Eternal Lovecraft (1998)
Not the Only Planet (1998)
Moon Shots (1999)
999 (1999)
The Mammoth Book of Seriously Comic Fantasy (1999)
The Furthest Horizon (2000)
Aliens Among Us (2000)
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror Thirteenth Annual Collection (2000)
Graven Images (2000)
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume Eleven (2000)
Nova 1 (1970)
Universe 2 (1972)
Universe 3 (1973)
Again Dangerous Visions Book 1 (1973)
Nebula Award Stories 8 (1973)
The Best Science Fiction of the Year 2 (1973)
Worlds Far and Near (1974)
The Best Science Fiction of the Year 3 (1974)
Nebula Award Stories 9 (1974)
Universe 5 (1975)
Best SF: 1974 (1975)
aka The Year's Best Science Fiction 8
The Best Science Fiction of the Year 5 (1976)
The Ides of Tomorrow (1976)
To Follow a Star (1977)
Universe 7 (1977)
The Best Science Fiction of the Year 6 (1977)
Immortal (1978)
Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year 1978 (1979)
The Best of Analog (1979)
The Best Science Fiction Novellas of the Year 1 (1979)
New Terrors 1 (1980)
Dark Forces (1980)
Nebula Winners 14 (1980)
Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year 1980 (1981)
Unicorns! (1982)
The Best Science Fiction of the Year 11 (1982)
The Road to Science Fiction 4 (1982)
Nebula Award Stories 17 (1983)
Top Fantasy (1984)
The Best from Universe (1984)
100 Great Fantasy Short Short Stories (1984)
Masques (1984)
Top Science Fiction (1985)
Mercenaries of Tomorrow (1985)
The Year's Best Fantasy Stories 11 (1985)
Nebula Awards 20 (1985)
Afterlives (1986)
The Architecture of Fear (1987)
Jack the Ripper (1988)
The Year's Best Fantasy Second Annual Collection (1989)
aka Demons and Dreams
Nebula Awards 24 (1990)
Lovecraft's Legacy (1990)
Book of Dreams (1991)
The Night Fantastic (1991)
Best New Horror 2 (1991)
The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories (1992)
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror Sixth Annual Collection (1993)
Aliens and UFO's (1993)
Isaac Asimov's War (1993)
The Ultimate Zombie (1993)
The Norton Book of Science Fiction (1993)
Christmas Forever (1993)
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: A 40th Anniversary Anthology (1994)
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: The 50th Anniversary Anthology (1994)
Modern Classic Short Novels of Science Fiction (1994)
The Ascent of Wonder (1994)
Future Primitive (1994)
Cthulhu 2000 (1995)
Tomorrow Bites (1995)
Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears (1995)
The Best of Weird Tales (1995)
Dante's Disciples (1996)
Year's Best SF (1996)
UFOs (1996)
Cybersex (1996)
Visions of Wonder (1996)
Space Opera (1996)
Wild Women (1997)
Modern Classics of Fantasy (1997)
The Horns of Elfland (1997)
Return of the Dinosaurs (1997)
The Year's Best Science Fiction Fourteenth Annual Collection (1997)
Year's Best SF 2 (1997)
Dancing with the Dark (1997)
The Best of Crank! (1998)
The Mammoth Book of Fantasy All-Time Greats (1998)
aka The Fantasy Hall of Fame
Year's Best SF 3 (1998)
The Crow: Shattered Lives and Broken Dreams (1998)
Knights of Madness (1998)
Eternal Lovecraft (1998)
Not the Only Planet (1998)
Moon Shots (1999)
999 (1999)
The Mammoth Book of Seriously Comic Fantasy (1999)
The Furthest Horizon (2000)
Aliens Among Us (2000)
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror Thirteenth Annual Collection (2000)
Graven Images (2000)
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume Eleven (2000)
Short stories
| The Horars of War | |||
| The Sailor Who Sailed After the Sun | |||
| "A Story" by John V Marsch | |||
| Trip, Trap (1967) | |||
| How the Whip Came Back (1970) | |||
| The Island of Doctor Death [short story] (1970) | Nebula Awards (nominee) | ||
| Against the Lafayette Escadrille (1972) | Nebula Awards (nominee) | ||
| The Fifth Head of Cerberus [short story] (1972) | Hugo (nominee) Nebula Awards (nominee) | ||
| The Headless Man (1972) | |||
| It's Very Clean (1972) | |||
| Mathoms from the Time Closet (1972) | |||
| The Recording (1972) | |||
| The Death of Doctor Island (1973) | Hugo (nominee) Nebula Awards | ||
| Feather Tigers (1973) | |||
| How I Lost the Second World War and Helped Turn Back the German Invasion (1973) | Nebula Awards (nominee) | ||
| La Befana (1973) | |||
| The Rubber Bend (1974) | |||
| The Hero as Werwolf (1975) | |||
| Straw (1975) | |||
| The Eyeflash Miracles (1976) | Nebula Awards (nominee) | ||
| When I Was Ming the Merciless (1976) | |||
| The Marvelous Brass Chessplaying Automaton (1977) | |||
| The Doctor of Death Island (1978) | |||
| Seven American Nights (1978) | Hugo (nominee) Nebula Awards (nominee) | ||
| The Detective of Dreams (1980) | |||
| The God and His Man (1980) | |||
| In Looking-Glass Castle (1980) | |||
| Kevin Malone (1980) | |||
| The War Beneath the Tree (1980) | Nebula Awards (nominee) | ||
| A Cabin on the Coast (1981) | Nebula Awards (nominee) | ||
| The Claw of the Conciliator (excerpt) (1981) | |||
| The Woman the Unicorn Loved (1981) | Hugo (nominee) | ||
| Procreation (1983) | |||
| Love, Among the Corridors (1984) | |||
| The Map (1984) | |||
| Redbeard (1984) | |||
| The Boy Who Hooked the Sun (1985) | |||
| Checking Out (1986) | |||
| All the Hues of Hell (1987) | |||
| Empires of Foliage and Flower (1987) | |||
| In the House of Gingerbread (1987) | World Fantasy (nominee) | ||
| The Peace Spy (1987) | |||
| Game In the Pope's Head (1988) | |||
| The Other Dead Man (1988) | |||
| Sightings at Twin Mounds (1988) | |||
| The Tale of the Rose and the Nightingale (And What Came of It) (1988) | |||
| The Friendship Light (1989) | |||
| Lord of the Land (1990) | |||
| And When They Appear (1993) | |||
| Queen of the Night (1994) | |||
| The Death of Koshchei the Deathless (1995) | |||
| The Ziggurat (1995) | |||
| Ain't You 'Most Done? (1996) | |||
| Bed and Breakfast (1996) | |||
| Bluesberry Jam (1996) | |||
| Counting Cats in Zanzibar (1996) | |||
| Flash Company (1997) | |||
| Kid Sister (1997) | |||
| Petting Zoo (1997) | |||
| Wolfer (1997) | |||
| The Night Chough (1998) | |||
| No Planets Strike (1998) | Hugo (nominee) | ||
| Wrapper (1998) | |||
| A Fish Story (1999) | |||
| How I Got Three Zip Codes (1999) | |||
| The Tree Is My Hat (1999) | |||
| The Eleventh City (2000) |
Awards
|
Books about Gene Wolfe
Attending Dedalus (2003) by Peter Wright
Solar Labyrinth (2004) by Robert Borski
The Long and the Short of It (2006) by Robert Borski
Solar Labyrinth (2004) by Robert Borski
The Long and the Short of It (2006) by Robert Borski
Gene Wolfe recommends
 Portrait of Jennie (1940) Robert Nathan "Real magic realism from a time worse-and better-than most of us can imagine. Read this, and be enchanted. " |  The Model (1987) Robert Aickman "The late Robert Aickman was up to something. and quite consciously. He did not title his little book The Model for nothing. What he has done (and knew he had done) is discover a new wonderland." |  Drowning Towers (1987) George Turner "His most powerful novel...George Turner belongs to the world." | |
 Neverness (1988) David Zindell "One of the finest talents to appear since Kim Stanley Robinson and William Gibson - perhaps the finest" |  Coelestis (1993) Paul Park "A brilliant, stunning, frightening writer." |  Illumination (2001) (Eiden Myr, book 1) Terry McGarry "Recommended without reservation to those who take their magic, and their relationships-seriously." | |
 Trash Sex Magic (2004) Jennifer Stevenson "I'd scarcely begun when I fell under the author's spell." |  Space Vulture (2007) John J Myers and Gary K Wolf "Read it and have a thrilling adventure..." |
|