This juxtaposition of a far-flung futuristic setting filled with anachronistic social and physical constructs is disconcerting and atypical of this genre. The guilds that exist in this world are a throwback to the late-medieval, early-Renaissance trade unions that took in people and trained them all their lives for specific duties. From the lightless tunnels to the freezing necropolis, the Citadel can be seen as emblematic of a dying culture and a dying world. Much of the first half of the novel takes place in a decrepit, dark city of medieval-style towers known as the Citadel, which is where the guilds are traditionally make their home. Shadow of the Torturer is a far future setting, where the Sun has cooled, leaving the Earth (or Urth as it’s referred to in the novel) a dying landscape. Not a single word chosen by the author is random and throughout this novel, one can see the author’s love and command of language. From character names to descriptions to articles of clothing, Wolfe uses language in the most deliberate fashion. In Shadow of the Torturer, the first in a four book series known as The Book of the New Sun, Wolfe’s strongly allusive language is on full display. To say that Gene Wolfe is a difficult author is both a compliment and a knock.
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