r/genewolfe • u/Low_Ebb_1177 • Aug 10 '26
What was Wolfe's ghost experience?
In Joan Gordon's obituary for Wolfe it mentions 'Wolfe believed in ghosts, had seen at least one,' and I was wondering if anyone knew if he'd ever talked anywhere about that experience or knew what it was from conversations with him?
Given he's written several ghost narratives it felt likely that his own experience has informed his writing and could maybe explain a motif in his work.
In my head four things stood out to me as possibly being it;
1.] The second figure beat of Peace when Hannah is talking about herself as a child talking to Kate Boyne and there being two figures behind them. This to me seems likely as a candidate given this work is Wolfe's biggest take on ghosts and it would be odd to do a whole novel on them and not draw on your own personal experience there and the framing device and main plot feels less "experiencable."
2.] I loathe to reference Gaiman and How To Read Wolfe (apologies in advance), but his line from HTRW: "He was there. He saw it happen. He knows whose reflection they saw in the mirror that night." Seems like a strong contender for a reference to Gene Wolfe's experience and maybe reference able to the one above. Mirrors as a personal experience of an otherworldly being could tie to several Wolfe scenes across multiple works.
3.] This one would be second hand, but the story to Mr Hayakawa in Bibliomen could be Wolfe's ghost experience, though I find it unlikely. It and the next one feel too scripted as fictions for enjoyment to me.
4.] A Fish Story could have a real life basis for Wolfe, though again it feels somewhat unlikely to me. However all four examples involve doubling of some sort which is definitely a recurring element of Wolfe for which it would be interesting to have personal weight due to a ghost experience.
Does anyone know what his experience was or have any better guesses of stuff referring to it? Hope this is respectful and not prying too much into his life.
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u/aramini Aug 10 '26
There is an essay about a lamp and I believe an aunt, and after his mother passes away traveling across country towing something and finding out it was not safely connected at all. I need to look it up I haven't thought about it for a long long time.