Comments on: Gene Wolfe’s Pirate Freedom http://www.jgoodwin.net/?p=647 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:56:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Adam Roberts http://www.jgoodwin.net/?p=647&cpage=1#comment-5606 Adam Roberts Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:29:22 +0000 http://www.jgoodwin.net/?p=647#comment-5606 Wolfe's interviews are a genre in their own right. I remember reading one in which a straight-faced Wolfe delivered a long account of why the American war machine was not as effective as it used to be ... at root, the lack of actual <i>horses</i> in the cavalry. Horses, properly armoured, are better than tanks because yaddata yaddata. Wolfe’s interviews are a genre in their own right. I remember reading one in which a straight-faced Wolfe delivered a long account of why the American war machine was not as effective as it used to be … at root, the lack of actual horses in the cavalry. Horses, properly armoured, are better than tanks because yaddata yaddata.

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.jgoodwin.net/?p=647&cpage=1#comment-5596 Jonathan Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:12:21 +0000 http://www.jgoodwin.net/?p=647#comment-5596 I've gathered, both from an interview and from several of his fictions, that Wolfe has a peculiar view of evolution. He seems to be a Lamarckian and to use unapologetically teleological metaphors to describe evolutionary change. I'm so fascinated by his representation of this point that I've wondered if it has some metaphysical/religious base, similar to your claim at the end of your review. I've had several ideas for articles on Wolfe over the last few years, but I think that the evolution approach might be worth going into. I haven't yet read Wright's book, so I don't know how much of a topic it is there. I’ve gathered, both from an interview and from several of his fictions, that Wolfe has a peculiar view of evolution. He seems to be a Lamarckian and to use unapologetically teleological metaphors to describe evolutionary change. I’m so fascinated by his representation of this point that I’ve wondered if it has some metaphysical/religious base, similar to your claim at the end of your review.

I’ve had several ideas for articles on Wolfe over the last few years, but I think that the evolution approach might be worth going into. I haven’t yet read Wright’s book, so I don’t know how much of a topic it is there.

]]> By: Adam Roberts http://www.jgoodwin.net/?p=647&cpage=1#comment-5595 Adam Roberts Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:10:41 +0000 http://www.jgoodwin.net/?p=647#comment-5595 I reviewed <i>An Evil Guest</i> <a href="http://www.strangehorizons.com/reviews/2008/10/an_evil_guest_b.shtml" rel="nofollow">for Strange Horizons</a>, reaching pretty much the conclusion you reach here. Has that novel improved in your mind, after reading, at all? I reviewed An Evil Guest for Strange Horizons, reaching pretty much the conclusion you reach here. Has that novel improved in your mind, after reading, at all?

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