The novel is written in a translation style, meaning Wolfe is acting as if he is translating the manuscripts of a much older Severian who has taken to writing about his life’s experiences. This is not to say that there is no shortage of pontification.

The novel moves at a brisk pace and, unlike his contemporaries in both the fantasy and science fiction genres, Wolfe does not waste any time on long explanations of the society and structure, preferring instead that such things be revealed through dialogue. This is a primary example of Wolfe’s allusive, mercurial nature as an author. It is associated with severe, which means something very great or very demanding but also sever, which means to cut off or put an end to. The character’s name is an interesting choice and quite deliberate. Wolfe utilizes a first-person narrative with the main character of Severian, a journeyman in the torturer’s guild (the Seekers of Truth and Penitence) who is cast out for the harsh crime of compassion. 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.

Severian the torturer