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    The Books of the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe:
Lake of the Long Sun
reviewed by Underview
Original appearance: Albedo one issue 5, 1994
If you have not read part one of THE BOOK OF THE LONG SUN by GENE WOLFE you should do so now. Otherwise, apart from missing a treat, you will find it takes a while to work out what's going on in part two of the series LAKE OF THE LONG SUN and nothing should be allowed to do that.
The Book of the Long Sun is simply the best multi-volume series doing the rounds at present, if the first two in the series are anything to judge by. Wolfe has effortlessly created a totally believable society, while telling us the minimum we need to know, and treated us to that fundamental of science fiction which is all to often missing from novels by the modern exponents - sense of wonder. There are too few novelists currently working in the genre who seem capable of it, perhaps they feel their audience is too jaundiced or have seen it all before at the movies. Perhaps they have merely lost their own sense of wonder at what can be achieved in SF.
Take a leisurely trip through Gene Wolfe's world of the Long Sun - a generation ship whose destination we do not know and whose origins are only vaguely hinted at. We know it comes from the Urth of the New Sun but why and how are yet to come. Somehow, Patera Silk, who in the first novel began the struggle to save his manteion (part monastery, part church) from the developers. Towards the end of that novel there is a suggestion that Silk may end up as something more than a humble priest, that he is destined for power. In volume two he moves inexorably towards the position of Calde which, though obviously a high office, was never fully explained in the first volume.
In Lake Wolfe reveals just how integral the role of Calde is to life in the world of the Long Sun and how the rulers of Silk's city have done away with the position in order to usurp its power for themselves. But the people want a Calde and if the Silk for Calde graffiti on the walls is anything to go by Silk seems to have the popular vote. After all he has seen one of the Long Sun's gods, spoken to her in fact. Who else could fill the post?
Of course not everyone is in agreement with the graffiti. The government, for instance, whose power would be instantly diminished and who are likely to kill those who stand in their way. It's a good job that Silk is a man of destiny and has the protection of the gods. To a degree.
I do have one gripe which I must aim directly at Hodder & Stoughton. Volume two is not the same height as volume one. What is the point of this? It's bad enough with all the varying paperback formats and hardback designs to maintain any regularity on the bookshelves without two books in a series, from the same publisher, coming out totally mismatched. I would have thought hardback customers were important enough that details such as this would be given some sort of attention.
Calde of the Long Sun
Gene Wolfe is back with the third in his Book of the Long Sun series in which his central character, Patera Silk, is officially raised from humble pastor to the heady rank of Calde. Now it's important to remember that Silk had already been acclaimed Calde by popular acclaim in the previous volume, but what has popular acclaim ever meant in a democracy. The important thing is that he hadn't been elected or, more importantly, appointed by the duly elected government.
For those who've not read the previous volumes, the Calde is the senior political position in the town of Viron where Silk lives. On the death of the last Calde the Ayuntamiento (government) did away with the post - even though the post had been demanded by the holy writings which form the basis of their society - and had ruled as none-too-benign despots ever since.
But in the latest volume, CALDE OF THE LONG SUN he finds himself held forward by the mob as figurehead of a revolution over which he has no control and consequently hunted by the Ayuntamiento who are quite keen to have his head on a stick. As if that wasn't bad enough, while all this revolting is going on Viron is invaded. It's beginning to sound like the script for a Samuel Goldwyn movie: Start with an earthquake and build to a climax.
At this stage - three volumes in the bag - THE BOOK OF THE LONG SUN series feels like it's just about getting up to speed. If Piers Anthony were writing it I shudder to think how many volumes might be awaiting us in the pipeline but as it is Gene Wolfe (whose trilogies have yet to exceed four books) it's unlikely to span more than another three or so. Were we initially promised four volumes?
Anyway, I'd be happy to see another three or four books in the series and I feel that the development of the story to date and the complexity of the generation-ship-world that he has built up and also of the plot demand exposition at length. I just hope Gene Wolfe has the energy to complete this undertaking in the style the first three books demand.
If you've read the first two volumes you won't need me to tell you to buy this book. If you have yet to dip into the world of the Long Sun this is not the place to enter. You need to go out and find volume one, NIGHTSIDE THE LONG SUN. These are not stand-alone novels, it is essential to read them in order. But it's well worthwhile.
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