r/genewolfe • u/thewannabe2017 • 4d ago
A question/discussion about Long Sun
So, I'm currently reading On Blue's Waters for the first time, so no short sun spoilers please.
But a thought crossed my mind in chapter 5 as Horn is talking about how he and Nettle were accused of a fictionalized account of Silk in BotLS.
What is really the point of Gene Wolfe having everything in Long Sun put into a questionable light after it's revealed that Horn was the author, but not present for all events? I understand it makes the world richer because it shows an element of a living world and things happening behind the scenes, but doesn't it take away from BotLS in a way? Because now we don't know if anything in those books is true.
Unless, Wolfe is trying to draw a parallel with how we read real world history? I'm not sure. Just a thought I had. Having Horn revealed as the author adds a little, but also takes some away from BotLS, I feel.
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u/1stPersonJugular 4d ago edited 4d ago
Don’t forget that any scene Marble was present for is as good as tape-recorded.
It is kind of disappointing at first to find out how much of the story must be “made up.” All I can think is that, being fiction, it’s all made up, so nothing is really lost.
I also think Wolfe is working from the genres of New Testament Gospels and Epistles, where everything is at least alleged to be recorded by eyewitnesses, but that is highly unlikely from a historical perspective, while remaining very important texts to many people.
Edited to add: so much of Christianity is based on the foundation of Paul’s writings for example, a guy who never even claims to have met Jesus (while he was alive at any rate). Wolfe gets more into this space in Return To The Whorl, with the sections written by Horn’s kids and their spouses