, but didn't realize that they were conscious. That said, I think Icehenge is a very politically important book, though it may be difficult for those who might benefit most from it.
Often, Wolfe's stories can be likened to one segment of Kurosawa's
Rashomon
, or one viewpoint of Faulkner's
As I Lay Dying
. The puzzles are more difficult because we must usually tweak out the "truth" from internal inconsistencies, rather than having extra help of external inconsistencies to rely on.
While we all bring something to the table as interpreters when we read, Wolfe insists that his readers bring much more than usual.
The obliviousness of the characters to their own flaws is the humour of the stories. Even the relatively decent and able characters are devoid of self-awareness, and we as readers find satisfaction in how much better we are than they.
Slashdot Mirror
- Icehenge
and- The Fifth Head of Cerberus
, but didn't realize that they were conscious. That said, I think Icehenge is a very politically important book, though it may be difficult for those who might benefit most from it.Often, Wolfe's stories can be likened to one segment of Kurosawa's
- Rashomon
, or one viewpoint of Faulkner's- As I Lay Dying
. The puzzles are more difficult because we must usually tweak out the "truth" from internal inconsistencies, rather than having extra help of external inconsistencies to rely on.While we all bring something to the table as interpreters when we read, Wolfe insists that his readers bring much more than usual.
His output isn't as consistent (or vast) as Vance's, but "Little Big" and "Engine Summer" have some really beautiful wordsmithing in them.
The obliviousness of the characters to their own flaws is the humour of the stories. Even the relatively decent and able characters are devoid of self-awareness, and we as readers find satisfaction in how much better we are than they.
Get the joke?