The Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

Many are the reviews declaring Gene Wolfe’s THE BOOK OF THE NEW SUN to be incomprehensible rubbish. Certainly not a series (or a book, depending how you look at it) for everybody, it does often require a puzzling out of the scenes and thoughts that the main character, Severian, experiences and expresses — and knowledge of mythology, paganism, anthropology, and other historical and cultural elements doesn’t hurt. Far from entertainment-lite, it’s definitely for readers who prefer the more thought-provoking side of the SFF genre. Perhaps in response to comments about this perceived opacity, Wolfe published The Urth of the New Sun in 1987 (four years after Citadel of the Autarch Read More

The Shelters of Stone by Jean M. Auel

I suspect that Jean M. Auel disappointed quite a few readers with The Shelters of Stone, the fifth book her EARTH'S CHILDREN series. It appeared 12 years after The Plains of Passage and does little other than repeating all that has gone before. While I didn't think it was as dreadful as the final book, The Land of Painted Caves, it's most certainly not the highlight of my reading year.

After a year long trek across Europe, Alya and Jondalar finally arrive at the home of his people, where they plan to mate and settle. Ayla is apprehensive about meeting his people. She worries they may not accept her and wonders if it was a mistake to leave the Mamutoi who have adopted her. She quickly finds her place among the Zelandonii though. Her unusual background and talents gain her the attention of Zelandonii, the... Read More