The book doesn't end when you read the last page. So true. I read Shadow many years ago and still go back to it. Sometimes for a specific passage and sometimes, like Severian I get caught up in my memories.

Now I wonder, did I even read those 12 books.

A beautiful and deeply layered series. I've been reading them regularly since 1987. Sad so few people know of them.

Really good video. I love BotNS its my favourite

"The coming of the new sun" is literally that. Excellent review.

Severian is not a Christ figure. Wolfe was very specific on that. Nor does he time travel to become Christ and found Christianity - where on earth did you get this, he becomes Apu-Punchau.

I just wanted to read this because it reminds me of Hyper Light Drifter and I wish to rediscover the child like wonder of exploring the ruins and decoding the secrets of a fallen alien civilization. But this video just sounds absurd, still gonna read the book tho.

Nice video!

While BOTNS is a work of genius, I wouldn't categorize it as postmodern (same goes for Infinite Jest, which is a work of *metamodern* rather than postmodern fiction). Stylistically, BOTNS is much closer to a work of high modernism such as Uylsseys than it is to something like Gravity's Rainbow. Just the fact that the book uses the hero's journey as a broad template and has something approaching a linear structure is enough to disqualify it as postmodern fiction. The book may be aware of itself as a text, but thats not something postmodernism has any exclusive claim to (hell, something as old as Don Quixote was aware of itself as a text back in the 1600s).

What’s the background video from?

"now there is a reactionary and anti-liberal audience that finds his work appealing" - you sound like Homer trying to get Krusty to oppose pants

This is Neuro Jack. Looking forward to talking again

To anyone hesitant on the book: even as a liberal leaning guy, I can't help but admire what the work is in itself. Cautionary as it is reflective. Philosophical as simultaneously it feels like someone is sincerely talking out of their ass. On one hand even in religious contexts, while it is forbidden to mimic God and God Incarnate (Jesus) that doesn't dismiss the potency of one growing and manifesting themselves to act and mimic in the sense of striving for essence. Sevarian is both normal as he is abnormal. IF he was given Kantian ethics from birth then the possibilities of his genuine good COULD be considered Christ-like. Instead we are given a character is is both aware and unaware as we are of his ramifications (like Eren Jaeger to my fellow weebs) and reconciled for his assholeness as he basically achieved godhood and yet is a slave to causality. (Which to any Aquinas fan basically shoots down that he is God). What I'm saying is, the world is philosophically sound BECAUSE of its absurdity. It's millions of years in the future to a life we cannot comprehend as much as hes in "South America" but is in a world of a weakening sun. It's grasping concepts that genuinely would cripple the mind in a sense similar to Quantum Suicide. It's told be THE most irredeemable figure who considers himself a rebel against the system as much as he is a COMPLETE jackass. Like Greek heroes who cheat on their wives with essentially demons and Vikings who don't even repent after murdering under werewolf-like contexts. It makes "sense" in *context* and cultural norms. His norm is our taboo. Period. But oddly enough you need to take "liberal arts" to grasp it. Excellent video, I hope more folks jump down the rabbit hole because it helped me rekindle a love for lots of subjects.

I have tried several times to read this book cause I like the idea and environment, but because how the book is written makes it a quite unpleasant experience

Bro you started off the video giving the impressing you wouldn't spoil the book. But then spoil the living fk out of it. I haven't read urth of the new sun yet.

Literally some fed made a comment and wrote "Why do you Nazis always have to ruin shit?" Just saying I don't tolerate modernity, the real sickness the liberalism. Spoken like a true Ascian. This is why we can't have cosmic socialism. 🤓

Great video! I just have a quick question: Would you recommend non-English speakers to read a translated version, then read again the English version?

Is it the case that the aliens want humanity to die off? I remember that they wanted humanity confined to Earth (Urth), but were undecided (or not unanimous) about our ultimate fate? Did I misinterpret this?