Soldier of Sidon by Gene Wolfe

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Hello, Stranger.

Let's talk about Gene Wolfe's Soldier of Sidon.

The Short of It

Plot: Our favorite amnesiac soldier is back, but this time he's in Egypt!
Page Count: 320
Award: 2006 World Fantasy Award
Worth a read: Not really.
Primary Driver: (Plot, World, or Character)
Bechdel Test: Fail
Technobabble: No.
Review: Did you like the military adventures of Sir Forgetful the first two times it came out? Then this is a great book for you. A different set of supporting characters and a new location - as well as a significant in-world time jump - offer surface level differentiation from the previous volumes. But once the adventure actually begins it is more of the same. Slow pacing and constant reminders of amnesia punctuated with occasional excellent scenes involving the gods. Also, Wolfe's still terrible at ending books.


The Medium of It
Spoiler Free

LOOK, IT'S THE same book. I don't have anything to say about it. I've already reviewed it twice. He wrote this one after a 17 year break and still ended on a cliffhanger. 
  • Recall: 27x
  • Remember: 84x
  • Forget: 53x
  • Forgotten: 44x
  • Memory: 8x
AND A FEW more, because he writes everything in a papyrus scroll:
  • Write: 114x
  • Writing: 24x
  • Wrote: 20x
  • Scroll: 92x
YOU MAY NOTICE that stylus has fallen off this list, but only because his new writing implement is referred to as a brush, pen, and reed at various points.

AND I KNOW that this is petty, but each time Latro writes something new the first three words of the paragraph are all capitalized. Some paragraphs are extremely short - a page may have three sets of capitalized words. It's just not a pleasant way to read. As hopefully this experiential post illustrates. Perhaps it is just the edition that I have but:
I FEEL WEAK and ill, hot at times and chilled at others, so that I huddle near this fire, which does not warm me. He makes me write this.

IT IS NEARLY noon. I am stronger, but not strong. Last night I was terribly sick, shaking when I was not burning with fever. Perhaps I only dreamed of the woman who burned, yet I hope not. Is there any use in writing of such things? The baboon would say there was, I know. He would make his meaning clear by signs.
PERHAPS THE MOST disappointing part of this adventure is that it kicks off with a promising twist: Latro is with his family. It's different! He's not just out adventuring for the sake of it! Yet it does not last, and once things kick off the shiny new veneer peels away and we're back with the Latro we know and love.

I UNDERSTAND WHY Wolfe picked Egypt for this one and not Brooklyn. "You tell me somethin' and I fuggedaboutit."

Why do you want to read this? Alright, I guess. Link below, I'll get a few cents, blah blah blah.

The Long of It
Spoilers Ahead. Literally the last page of the book.
CAUTUS'S BARKING WOKE me. The women wish me to read this when day returns; but I will write now as the baboon directs, though I know the beautiful one waits for my embrace. There is but a small strip of papyrus left to fill.

“They said you were on the ship, all of them, even Neht-nefret. But you weren't! You weren't! Qanju didn't want us to go, but Mtoto and I stole away the next night and went back to Naqa to find you. I'm your wife, Latro. You're my husband. I've been asking about your sword wherever it was safe to talk to people. I didn't find it, but I'll help you look for it for as long as you want to search. Only … Only you must never leave me again.”

Tomorrow we two (we four) will go in search of Falcata—the scarred child, Cautus, the beautiful woman, and I.

I think her dishonest, but she is young and willing, and who is not?

[THESE ARE THE final words on the scroll from Lake Nasser.]

Boo! This is a lame ending! It doesn't even feel like an ending except that it is! Boo!

I feel like I have been down on a few books of late, so perhaps I should add some other positive recommendations to this fine fellow: I have been listening to the new Sandman audiobook which is absolutely incredible. To be fair it is more of an audio drama than an audiobook: sound effects, full voice cast, music, the works. Highly recommend! It's not at all like Latro's story, but it's great, and I don't want it to sound like I'm a bitter curmudgeon. So give it a listen! And obviously the original comics are fantastic as well - even if you're not a comic book fan, they're worth a look. Maybe I'll toss up a Sandman review at some point...

[THIS IS THE part where I run out of things to say.]

I hope you have an unforgettable day, Stranger.

And don't forget to read a book!

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