Gene Wolfe’s epic The Book of the New Sun is a great literary masterpieces of speculative fiction. Often described as ‘the Ulysses of fantasy’, it has commanded lavish treatment from the master publishing house – The Folio Society. The art director and editorial team worked with the author, prior to his sad passing, and Wolfe approved each stage of illustration and production.
The hand-numbered sets, limited to strictly only 750 copies, feature an exclusive limitation page signed by Gene Wolfe, Neil Gaiman and Sam Weber.
Each of the four volumes, in a single handmade slipcase, features a striking binding design by award-winning illustrator Sam Weber, who has also created an extraordinary sequence of haunting artworks, including double-page spreads and hand-drawn decorative initial letters at the start of each chapter. This edition includes a new introduction by modern master of fantasy and life-long fan of Wolfe, Neil Gaiman (American Gods).
The Book of the New Sun tells the story of Severian, a young torturer just learning his trade, who makes the mistake of falling in love with one of his victims. Unable to bear the sight of her pain, he offers his love the mercy of a sharp blade, and for this crime he is exiled from his home.
He is ordered to travel to the distant city of Thrax, there to take up the position of Executioner, but the journey will be longer and stranger than he can imagine. On the road Severian finds new friends and enemies, and discovers a strange jewel that seems to command power over life and death – a power that others will kill to obtain…
Neil Gaiman writes in his introduction:
“I revisit The Book of the New Sun once a decade, and I learn more about the art and skill of reading it. And what I bring to reading it makes the reading experience deeper and more pleasurable, brings the story more precisely into focus, clarifies and delights. Gene Wolfe defined good literature once as ‘literature that could be read with pleasure by an educated reader, and reread with increased pleasure’, and this is so very true of The Book of the New Sun. Your first journey through brings pleasures, brings story, brings Severian. Future journeys only make it better.”
The Folio Society limited edition of Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun, introduced by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Sam Weber, is available exclusively from The Folio Society.
