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The Book of the New Sun Series

This epic saga transports readers to a far-future Earth where the sun is dying and humanity clings to survival amidst the ruins of a once-great civilization. The narrative follows the journey of a young man exiled from his torturers' guild, embarking on an adventure to find a powerful artifact. His path is fraught with peril, mystery, and profound philosophical musings on memory, identity, and redemption. It stands as a masterpiece of science fantasy, pushing the boundaries of the genre.

Die Klaue des Schlichters
The Book of the New Sun 1: Shadow and Claw
The Urth of the New Sun
Die Zitadelle des Autarchen. Das Buch der Neuen Sonne, 4.
Shadow & Claw
Shadow & Claw: The First Half of the Book of the New Sun

Recommended Reading Order

  1. 1

    The Book of the New Sun 1: Shadow and Claw

    • 608 pages
    • 22 hours of reading
    3.8(566)Add rating

    Recently voted the greatest fantasy of all time, after The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun is an extraordinary epic, set a million years in the future, on an Earth transformed in mysterious and wondrous ways, in a time when our present culture is no longer even a memory. Severian, the central character, is a torturer, exiled from his guild after falling in love with one of his victims, and journeying to the distant city of Thrax, armed with his ancient executioner's sword, Terminus Est. This edition contains the first two volumes of this four volume novel, The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator

    The Book of the New Sun 1: Shadow and Claw
  2. 2

    Die Klaue des Schlichters

    • 332 pages
    • 12 hours of reading
    3.8(23)Add rating

    Eine Million Jahre in der Zukunft. Die Technik ist bis auf wenige Reste verschwunden. Die Menschheit dämmert auf einer mittelalterlichen Kulturstufe dahin und harrt der Ankunft der Neuen Sonne, die ein neues Zeitalter der Zivilisation heraufführen soll. Dies sind die Abenteuer des junen Severian, der im nachtschwarzen Gewand des Henkers das Land durchstreift und in den Besitz der Klaue des Schlichters gerät, eines Gebildes aus fernster Vergangenheit, das magische Kräfte birgt.

    Die Klaue des Schlichters
  3. 3

    Das Schwert des Liktors. Das Buch der Neuen Sonne, 3.

    3.6(18)Add rating

    Eine Millionen Jahre in der Zukunft. Die Technik ist bis auf wenige Reste verschwunden. Die Menschheit dämmert auf einer mittelalterlichen Kulturstufe dahin und harrt der Ankunft der Neuen Sonne, die ein neues Zeitalter der Zivilisation heraufführen soll. Dies ist die Geschichte des Henkers Severian, der sein Amt als Liktor niederlegt und die Ruinen einer uralten Stadt durchstreift, die Seele eines fremdartigen Wesens aufspürt, das den Körper eines Menschen bewohnt, und in der dunklen Burg am Meer den Außerirdischen begegnet.

    Das Schwert des Liktors. Das Buch der Neuen Sonne, 3.
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  4. 4
  5. 5

    The Urth of the New Sun

    4.1(6888)Add rating

    The long awaited sequel to Gene Wolfe’s four-volume classic, The Book of the New Sun. We return to the world of Severian, now the Autarch of Urth, as he leaves the planet on one of the huge spaceships of the alien Hierodules to travel across time and space to face his greatest test, to become the legendary New Sun or die. The strange, rich, original spaceship scenes give way to travels in time, wherein Severian revisits times and places which fill in parts of the background of the four-volume work, that will thrill and intrigue particularly all readers of the earlier books. But The Urth of the New Sun is an independent structure all of a piece, an integral masterpiece to shelve beside the classics, one itself.

    The Urth of the New Sun

  • Shadow & Claw: The First Half of the Book of the New Sun

    • 528 pages
    • 19 hours of reading
    4.2(191)Add rating

    "The Book of the New Sun is unanimously acclaimed as Gene Wolfe's most remarkable work, hailed as "a masterpiece of science fantasy comparable in importance to the major works of Tolkien and Lewis" by Publishers Weekly. Shadow & Claw brings together the first two books of the tetralogy in one volume: The Shadow of the Torturer is the tale of young Severian, an apprentice in the Guild of Torturers on the world called Urth, exiled for committing the ultimate sin of his profession -- showing mercy toward his victim. Ursula K. Le Guin said, "Magic stuff ... a masterpiece ... the best science fiction I've read in years!" The Claw of the Conciliator continues the saga of Severian, banished from his home, as he undertakes a mythic quest to discover the awesome power of an ancient relic, and learn the truth about his hidden destiny. "One of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction in the twentieth century." -- The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction"--

    Shadow & Claw: The First Half of the Book of the New Sun

  • Shadow & Claw

    • 415 pages
    • 15 hours of reading
    4.1(16850)Add rating

    The Shadow of the Torturer is the tale of young Severian, an apprentice in the Guild of Torturers on the world called Urth, exiled for committing the ultimate sin of his profession -- showing mercy toward his victim.The Claw of the Conciliator continues the saga of Severian, banished from his home, as he undertakes a mythic quest to discover the awesome power of an ancient relic, and learn the truth about his hidden destiny.The Book of the New Sun is unanimously acclaimed as Gene Wolfe's most remarkable work, hailed as "a masterpiece of science fantasy comparable in importance to the major works of Tolkien and Lewis" by Publishers Weekly, and "one of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction in the twentieth century" by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Shadow & Claw brings together the first two books of the tetralogy in one volume.

    Shadow & Claw

  • The Book of the New Sun 2. Sword and Citadel

    4.3(233)Add rating

    An extraordinary epic, set a million years in the future, in the time of a dying sun, when our present culture is no longer even a memory. The torturer's apprentice, Severian, exiled from his guild after falling in love with one of his prisoners, is now the Lictor of Thrax, a city far distant from his home. But it is not long before Severian must flee this city, too, and journey again into the world. Embattled by friends and enemies alike, pursued by monstrous creatures, the one-time torturer's apprentice must overcome hitherto unimagined perils, as he moves closer to fulfilling his ultimate destiny. This edition contains the concluding two volumes of this four-volume novel, The Sword of the Lictor and The Citadel of the Autarch.

    The Book of the New Sun 2. Sword and Citadel

  • Sword & Citadel

    • 416 pages
    • 15 hours of reading
    4.4(11439)Add rating

    The Book of the New Sun is unanimously acclaimed as Gene Wolfe's most remarkable work, hailed as "a masterpiece of science fantasy comparable in importance to the major works of Tolkien and Lewis" by Publishers Weekly, and "one of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction in the twentieth century" by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Sword & Citadel brings together the final two books of the tetralogy in one volume:The Sword of the Lictor is the third volume in Wolfe's remarkable epic, chronicling the odyssey of the wandering pilgrim called Severian, driven by a powerful and unfathomable destiny, as he carries out a dark mission far from his home.The Citadel of the Autarch brings The Book of the New Sun to its harrowing conclusion, as Severian clashes in a final reckoning with the dread Autarch, fulfilling an ancient prophecy that will forever alter the realm known as Urth.

    Sword & Citadel