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The Book of the New Sun

Author	Gene Wolfe
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	The Book of the New Sun
Genre(s)	Science fiction
Publisher	Orb Books
Publication date	1980-1983
ISBN	0-312-89017-6 and 0-312-89018-4

The Book of the New Sun is a novel in four parts written by science fiction and fantasy author Gene Wolfe. It chronicles the journey and ascent to power of Severian, a journeyman torturer who is exiled from the Seekers for Truth and Penitence (the guild of torturers) for committing the one unforgivable act: showing mercy to his victim by allowing her to commit suicide and thereby avoid further excruciation. Following the exile, he takes a journey that culminates in his rising to the position of Autarch, the one ruler of the free world. Severian, who claims that he has perfect memory, tells the story in first person; the books are presented by Wolfe as a translation of Severian's writings into contemporary English. The series takes place in the distant future, where the Sun has dimmed considerably and the Earth (referred to in the series as "Urth") is slowly cooling.

The four volumes in the series are:

• The Shadow of the Torturer (nominated for the 1980 Nebula Award, winner of the 1981 World Fantasy Award)
• The Claw of the Conciliator (nominated for the 1982 Hugo Award, winner of the 1981 Nebula Award)
• The Sword of the Lictor (nominated for the 1983 Hugo Award and the 1982 Nebula Award)
• The Citadel of the Autarch (nominated for the 1983 Nebula Award). This title is occasionally mistitled as 'The Citadel of Autarch'

A coda, The Urth of the New Sun (nominated for the 1988 Hugo Award and Nebula Award), which takes place several years after the events of The Book of the New Sun, was added later. Wolfe has since written two series that exist loosely within Severian's universe, The Book of the Long Sun (a four-book series set on a generation ship; two of the books were nominated for Nebula Awards) and The Book of the Short Sun (a three-book series following the inhabitants of the generation ship after their long journey has finally finished).

The New Sun series belongs to the Dying Earth subgenre (a title inspired by Jack Vance's popular Dying Earth series), a kind of science fiction/fantasy set in a distant future when the Sun is dying, set against a background of mysterious and obscure powers and events.

The Book of the New Sun has been widely analyzed for its deeper meanings; some of these analyses have been published, such as Michael Andre-Druissi's Lexicon Urthus (ISBN 0-9642795-9-2). Wolfe makes extensive use of allegory within the series, as Severian is identified as a Christ/Apollo figure: he is destined to revitalize the Sun and save the Earth while at the same time destroying it. Adding further to the books' many riddles is Wolfe's usage of archaic, obscure (but never invented) words to describe the world of the far future. Wolfe explains that this is one of the difficulties in translating Severian's writing ("in a tongue that has not yet achieved existence") into English. An example can be found in Severian's fuligin cloak ("the color that is darker than black"), probably derived from fuliginous, an obscure and archaic word meaning sooty.^[1] Other examples are optimates, named for a political party in Republican Rome, and fiacre, a small carriage (which is, in fact, a French word with that meaning).

• Severian: main character, an apprentice to the Guild of Torturers on Urth
• Roche: young man in the Guild of Torturers
• Drotte: young man in the Guild of Torturers
• Eata: young boy in the Guild of Torturers
• Vodalus: the high-born leader of the rebellion against the Autarch
• Master Gurloes: a leader of the Guild of Torturers
• Master Palaemon: a leader of the Guild of Torturers
• Master Malrubius: a deceased master of the Guild of Torturers
• Thecla: an exultant chatelaine, condemned to be tortured, and with whom Severian falls in love
• Agia: a shopkeeper
• Agilus: a shopkeeper, twin brother of Agia. He wears masks -- perhaps more than one
• Hildegrin: an excavator and agent of Vodalus
• Dorcas: a girl whom Severian finds in the Botanic Gardens
• Dr. Talos: a traveling actor/playwright, described as "vulpine" in appearance and demeanor by Severian
• Baldanders: a giant companion of Dr. Talos, his gigantism caused by artificial means
• Jolenta: a waitress recruited by Dr. Talos for his troupe, and made into a great beauty via his skills in cosmetic surgery
• Hethor: Agia's elderly suitor, a former sailor
• Thea: Thecla's half-sister, Vodalus' lover
• The Autarch: ruler of the Commonwealth
• Father Inire: advisor to the Autarch
• The Green Man: a man with green skin who purports to be from the future
• Jonas: a space-farer with a metal hand
• Typhon: revived former despot who had ruled all humanity
• Piaton: Typhon's servant, a man with great strength
• Pia: slave girl freed by Severian
• Little Severian: child who accompanies Severian for a time
• Ymar: called "The Almost-Just," historical former autarch
• Ossipago: Heirodule who encounters Severian traveling backwards in time
• Famulimas: Heirodule companion of Ossipago
• Barbatus: Heirodule companion of Famulimas, possesses a martial nature
• Ouen: Servant at inn near the Sanguinary Fields who sends a warning letter
• Triskele: Loyal three-legged dog that Severian rescues from Bear Tower
• Valeria: Aristocratic young woman Severian encounters in the Atrium of Time, of an armiger family. Described as having a heart-shaped face
• Ultan: blind, ancient, wise librarian of the Autarch
• Rudesind: elderly painting cleaner who instructs Severian
• Cyriaca: Wife of minor landholder near Thrax
• Winnoc: self-sold slave of the Pelerines
• Guasacht: leader of cavalry troop joined by Severian in the north
• Miles: soldier encountered by Severian in the northern woods
• Daria: female cavalry soldier
• Loyal to the Group of Seventeen: captured Ascian soldier who is exceptional in that he is fluent in Severian's language
• Mannea: Pelerine elder who gives Severian a special mission
• Ash: wise observor who lives in a strange house above a canyon

This short section requires expansion.

Interpretations abound in a variety of other books such as Michael Andre Druissi's Lexicon Urthus, Peter Wright's Attending Daedalus, and Robert Borski's Solar Labyrinth. Among other theories:

• Severian's home city of Nessus is actually a future Buenos Aires.
• The characters Agia and Agilus are Severian's cousins.
• Father Inire and Ossipago are not only the same character, but the offspring of Severian and one of the Hierodules.
• Wolfe's earlier book, The Fifth Head of Cerberus is in fact set in the same universe, and is a prequel to the Book of the New Sun, the Book of the Long Sun, and the successor Short Sun books.
• Severian's wife Valeria is his maternal grandmother.

• Ascian language
• Terminus Est

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

The Book of the New Sun

1. ^ (1979). The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (A-O). Oxford University Press, New York, New York.

• ISBN 0-312-89017-6 — Volume 1, Shadow & Claw
• ISBN 0-312-89018-4 — Volume 2, Sword & Citadel