The Book of the New Sun
Gene Wolfe
27 people recommended it in 18 threads, 2007–2024.
What people on Hacker News said
It's literary SF, overwhelmingly masterful and beautiful in its prose and characters, yet it could give any hardcore SF novel a run in terms of its ideas. It demands and richly rewards a close reading.
Yes, this tetralogy* is spellbinding. The world is vast and cannot be fully comprehended. As you said, it feels quite real, and everything that happens around Severian hints at so much more.
It's a masterpiece. Not just of sci-fi/fantasy but of literature. I have to be careful: if I pick it up and start reading I tend to sink into it and read until the end.
Most non-fiction work of fiction I've ever read, and the best one, above Tolkien, above the Bible, it towers above all texts I have read.
What Gene Wolfe does is he creates books where you need to read between the lines, you need to create hypotheses to understand what's going on.
For a hard read that you may enjoy I'd suggest "The Book of the New Sun".
It's a challenging book but a very thoughtful and rewarding read. Highly recommended.
Where it comes up
- Ask HN: What is your favorite fiction book? 2022 · 4 recommendations
- Ask HN: Please name two of your most favorite books. 2009 · 4 recommendations
- Ask HN: What are the best books you've read that few others have? 2017 · 3 recommendations
- Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021? 2021 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read? 2024 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Any interesting books you have read lately? 2023 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What are your favorite sci-fi books? 2023 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything? 2019 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What are the best Sci-Fi books you've ever read? 2018 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List? 2018 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What are your favorite books of all time, and why? 2017 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models? 2017 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift? 2016 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Books you read in 2015? 2015 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What is the most mind blowing book you've ever read? 2015 · 1 recommendation
- What are your favorite sci-fi and fantasy books? 2015 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Great books you read in 2009? 2010 · 1 recommendation
- Ask YC: favorite books 2007 · 1 recommendation