The Book of the New Sun
In a far future where the sun itself is dying and Earth has become a shadow of its former self, Severian is an apprentice of the guild of torturers, raised behind the crumbling walls of the Citadel. When he breaks his order's most sacred rule by showing mercy to a prisoner he has come to love, he is cast out on a long road that will carry him, step by uncertain step, toward the throne of the Autarch. Gene Wolfe's tetralogy is less a straightforward quest than a puzzle box, narrated by a man who claims to have a perfect memory and may be the most unreliable narrator in modern fantasy. Layered with archaic vocabulary, theological resonance, and science fiction reimagined as myth, the novel rewards patience with one of the genre's most singular visions.
Where The Book of the New Sun keeps showing up
Four of our editors' lists feature this novel.
Books in conversation with The Book of the New Sun
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about The Book of the New Sun
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
On a far-future Earth called Urth where the sun is dying, Severian, a journeyman of the Torturers' Guild, is exiled for showing mercy to a noblewoman. The four-volume novel follows his rise toward the throne of the Autarch.
Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun has four main novels (The Shadow of the Torturer, The Claw of the Conciliator, The Sword of the Lictor, The Citadel of the Autarch) plus a coda novel, The Urth of the New Sun. The series continues into The Book of the Long Sun and The Book of the Short Sun.
Yes. The Book of the New Sun is widely cited as one of the most challenging works of speculative fiction, with archaic vocabulary, an unreliable narrator, and dense layers of allusion. Most readers either commit to multiple readings or set it aside.
The Book of the New Sun was written by Gene Wolfe, published in 1980 by Tor Books.
The Book of the New Sun is 1225 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Book of the New Sun takes most readers 18 to 27 hours to finish.
The Book of the New Sun is a standalone novel by Gene Wolfe, not part of a series.
The Book of the New Sun is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
