Please help a new reader....

[Commonmind]

I am an avid fantasy fan and was referred to Wolfe by several friends over the years. However, I read more than your average Joe and for the past few years I've been reading several series of books that I devoted most of my reading time to; Jordan, Moorcock, Drake, (Tad) Williams, Salvatore, Card, Martin, C.S. Friedman, Weis/Hickman, Neil G. and a slue of others. By coincidence alone I finished the last Wheel of Time book, A Feast for Crows, and quite a few of the most recent books of the aforementioned authors in the last several weeks. So, here I am, with the Edge Chronicles and Spiderwick the only books left on my shelf to read (yes I am a children's fantasy fan too) and looking for something long and tedious to warm my nights. I've heard nothing but great things about Wolfe, and it seems to me I've missed reading another of fantasy's despots (I didn't start reading Martin until recently either). I've declined reading the bibliography listed on the main page and have thwarted the temptations to Wiki Wolfe in hopes that I could start a series of books based on the recommendations of other fans. So, after that long-winded and completely unnecessary, exposition, what is the series I should begin with and is it a finished series (in other words, something I can pick up in one trip to the bookstore and not have to wait around, shaking in my boots, to pick up the latest release)?

[j. d. worthington]

I highly recomment the Book of the New Sun. Yes, it's finished, and it is quite an exceptional piece. It isn't terribly long, though, and has been collected into two volumes:

Book of the New Sun:

The Shadow of the Torturer (1980)
The Claw of the Conciliator (1981)
The Sword of the Lictor (1981)
The Citadel of the Autarch (1982)
The Urth of the New Sun (1987)

These were collected together into Shadow & Claw (1994) and Sword & Citadel (1994), and later The Book of the New Sun Omnibus (1998). There's also a non-fiction related book, The Castle of the Otter, if you're interested.

[Chrystelia]

uh oh, posted in the wrong forum..

[Commonmind]

Originally Posted by j. d. worthington

I highly recomment the Book of the New Sun. Yes, it's finished, and it is quite an exceptional piece. It isn't terribly long, though, and has been collected into two volumes:

Book of the New Sun:

The Shadow of the Torturer (1980)
The Claw of the Conciliator (1981)
The Sword of the Lictor (1981)
The Citadel of the Autarch (1982)
The Urth of the New Sun (1987)

These were collected together into Shadow & Claw (1994) and Sword & Citadel (1994), and later The Book of the New Sun Omnibus (1998). There's also a non-fiction related book, The Castle of the Otter, if you're interested.

Thanks J.D. This is exactly what I was looking for.

[j. d. worthington]

You're welcome!

[iansales]

Originally Posted by Commonmind

I've heard nothing but great things about Wolfe, and it seems to me I've missed reading another of fantasy's despots

Eh? Despot?