If the topic is interesting to you, the hosts are smart and have nice voices and decent microphones. Definitely read all the books before starting. Big fan, I’ll probably re-listen at some point after I’ve re-read BotNS.

Read the book and then start from episode 1! The choice the podcast creators have made to analyze the series as a whole rather than as a first time reader makes this the best podcast for truly coming to grips with the series after a first reading. They do rapidly develop their own register of language around fan-theories though so start from the beginning like you would anything you want to enjoy. It really isn’t remotely hard to follow them if you listen to the episodes in order.

As a nose-inna-book little fellow during the era that Hendrix was blowing folk’s mind I’ve been devouring science fiction, fantasy, & weird tales—along with almost every other print genre under the sun (the old sun, that is)—yet, even though I’d heard Gene Wolfe’s name first bandied about during Ron Reagan’s colonization of the White House, I ain’t sampled Mr. Wolfe’s work until last November. How have I arrived here in my late 60’s without reading him earlier? It’s a pure wonderment. I’m about to begin volume three of “Book of the New Sun” so it’s a marvelous thing that I found this excellent podcast… which I shall follow at a pace intended to keep me in blissful suspense. Thank you Sirs. ;)

the hosts have definitely teamed up with the best local businesses to sponsor a fantastic podcast

It may be my fault for dropping in and not starting from the beginning. But the hosts not only assume you’ve read and reread these books (I have) but refer to events and characters in an offhand way that left me in tue dust. What’s more, they refer to theories and analysis as though we already understand them. Furthermore, the credence given to every odd theory just triples the confusion.

Have you ever needed an escape from your escape? Or maybe a new way to view the vast world that you plunge into when you turn the yellow pages that propel you through the corridors of time? These guys provide just that. BotNS is my favorite series, and I would consider Wolfe my favorite author. So it’s fun to hear theories and explanations from those who are much better read than myself (I didn’t read much until a particular incident in college forced me to read the Millenium Trilogy). If you’re a fan of Wolfe and have read BotNS at least once, I highly recommend this podcast. It’s funny, engaging, and an all around good time.

Just finished the series 2 weeks and found you guys now I’m on episode 2:7!! This is so wonderful I never knew how much I was missing thanks !

Based strictly on content, this is the best of the three primary podcasts devoted to Gene Wolfe (the other two being Alzabo Soup and the Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast). The analysis is top-notch and targeting rereaders allows for a more in-depth discussion that takes into consideration the entirety of the work being discussed (as opposed to Alzabo Soup which can be clumsy at times as they try to avoid spoilers). The guys are well respected and connected within the Wolfe community, giving them access to some great guests. I enjoy listening to it immensely, which is why it pains me to have to leave a somewhat negative review. The pace is just too slow to be of much use in an actual reread. As of now in May 2023, the show is nearing four years in production, but they have yet to even get through the second book in The Book of the New Sun. There are sometimes long delays in between episodes and at this pace it’s going to be several more years before they finish the project, if at all (one of life’s great tragedies is that Frank Delaney never got a chance to finish his re:Joyce line-by-line read through of Ulysses). Covering the other books in the Solar Cycle appears to be little more than a pipe dream at this point. Again, I hate to criticize Craig and James too much because I know they have lives and careers and this is just a passion project; yet, even if trying to do a leisurely read-along with them, the pace inhibits its usefulness. I try to reread TBotNS at least every couple of years and I have already lapped them a couple of times. I will certainly keep listening and supporting the guys via Patreon too; I just fear they may have to abandon it at some point before all the books are finished.

I finally got around to starting this show last week and I’m really enjoying it so far (just got past Agilus execution episode) I’ve been reading this story for over twenty years now, and just started another reading (probably at least the 11th time). I have never looked at any of the theories or anything from other fans on the internet and only looked at the story from my understanding of what’s happening. Now reading it with other people’s ideas is certainly eye-opening and interesting. Keep it up.

I am really enjoying this podcast! Always been a big fan of the solar cycle and having some intelligent viewpoints is increasing my ability to understand the underlying references. Most of the religious imagery and classic influences were unknown to me so it’s really cool to get more backstory and it definitely makes me want to go reread the books again! The hosts are great too!

Just found this podcast and really enjoying it along with a re-read of Shadow of the Torturer.

It is possible I already had some presentiment of my future. Warning: this podcast will take you down the rabbit hole of BotNS theory; this one - and the next one - and the next one. The hosts have great respect and admiration for the author and the material, and bring in other Wolfe writers and theorists to cover the material in depth. Your head will spin and at times you will think “that can’t be right” or “I don’t pronounce that word THAT way”. All grist for the mill. Simply wonderful.

I love the podcast. I started my first reread of BOTNS in late May and have, as of a few days ago, finished my first read of Urth of the New Sun. After nearly 8 years since my first read I really wanted to try and get into the nitty gritty of this book and was very excited to find this podcast. I LOVE wild speculation. I listened to every episode within a month and a half. Now I have to wait patiently(anxiously) for new episodes. If only I could walk the corridors of time to the point where you two have finished the project so I can feverishly listen to the episodes until they’re all used up and I once again am left craving for more.

Relaxed dialogue between these guys explains all the allusions in Gene Wolfe’s classics I was too lazy to look up myself.

I read the first volume of the Book of the New Sun a few years ago. I was captivated by the imagery and language, but suspected I was missing a lot of the content and so I stopped reading with the intent of returning later. This podcast was the excuse I needed to give the books a second go. Personally, I don’t mind the spoilers. I’ve been interspersing my reading of chapters of the book with the podcast commentary and think that works well. The podcast gives enough spoilers to make the books more intriguing and comprehensible without removing the mystery. For context, I just finished listening to the commentary on chapter 15.

For years now, I have been loaning (or giving) friends copies of Wolfe’s Books of the New Sun series for the selfish purpose of gaining another person that I could discuss these books with. Mostly that tactic has failed. As much as I can’t conceive of the notion, Wolfe does not capture and ensnare everyone with his writing. I have had to date 2 friends with whom I could have any meaningful discussion of the story and none who had read the series multiple times like myself. Imagine my excitement when I discovered this podcast. Unlike the other two Wolfe podcasts that I listen to faithfully and enjoy, here was the format that I dreamed of. Fellow fans discussing the material while trying to connect the dots spread throughout many books and several worlds, without worrying about spoiling the story for anyone. I was hooked. When I discovered the podcast, I was in the process of remodeling our house and I had nothing but time to fill my headphones and keep me company while I worked. I’m not ashamed to admit that over the course of a week, I listened to every single episode of this show back to back, all day, every day, until I was caught up. I enjoyed it that much. If there had been five years worth archived, I’m pretty sure I would have listened to 5 years. This show is awesome. Well produced, excellent sound quality and well edited. The hosts are entertaining, insightful and display one of the greatest traits- curiosity. They have willingness to listen, debate and discuss a constantly evolving understanding of this fantastically rich and complex world that Wolfe has given us. Theories get dragged into the middle of the discussion and put to the test. Some stand, some fall and some wounded, slink off to perhaps return again later. James and Craig don’t claim to be experts but they are genuine fans of the material. They are the people that I had been looking for all this time. I don’t subscribe to many podcasts but this is the one that I look forward to again and again. If you’ve read Wolfe before, I can’t recommend this podcast enough. If you haven’t, please go do that now and then come back and listen to this show.

I listen to 2 podcasts, and they are both close to my heart. To both, the quote I think perfectly fit the value of your work From William Wordsworth's The Prelude: "What we love, others will love, and we will teach them how." Thank you.

A great resource for those who want to finally (feel like they will) get to the bottom of Gene Wolfe’s mysterious writings.

One of the best podcasts covering a great subject matter to date. I'm a huge fan of Wolfe and this podcast hits the nail on the head as far as how his work should be analyed and what can be extracted from it, Highly recommended,

As the only person I know who has read BotNS the format of this podcast is perfect! Do I agree with the interpretations provided? Rarely. Do I come away from each listen with new perspectives on this wild ride of a story? Absolutely. James and Craig each bring a wealth of esoteric knowledge to the table which has illuminated many of the details which make Wolfe’s work so rich and ripe for discussion. As a first time Wolfe reader these discussions have been invaluable for me to gain a greater appreciation of the text. Thanks for putting in the time! Don’t bother listening if you want questions answered!

Makes other gene wolf podcast cute little niche podcasts...

Gnosticism, postmodernism, high church, low culture, classical antiquity and classic literature and so much more. This podcast offers ideas, hints, opinions, experts and crackpot theories for explicating the great Gene Wolfe's marvellous body of work. The creators share their hard earned insights, the remarkable community of Wolfe scholars, and erudite and charming banter. I have loved Wolfe's Book of the New Sun since I first picked it up on friend's recommendation some 25 years ago. Trying to understand it or the spell it cast over me was like groping in the dark of Plato's Cave. Each listen to this podcast brings into view new treasures among the many many glittering heaps. Three Cheers and Five Stars!

Certain mystes aver that the universe was constructed by these two know it alls. In a time of ancient gods, warlords and kings… these jerks completely spoiled a book I wanted to read. Here's the story, I was hanging out in my friend Larry's basement and I was getting bored because all Larry likes to do all day is reorganize the furniture so in between all the chairs being placed and replaced in the same spots I thought boy howdy I would like to get me something fun to read so I went on out to my local library and sure as you're sitting their reading this did I see a shiny new Copy of The Shadow of the Torturer on the closest shelve to the kids section but wasn't and I went on over there and grabbed it. I was barely out of the door when a large group of sweat obese children were squatting around an iPod listening to something… as I sped past (for they smelt awful and I wanted to get back to Larry and his couches) I heard something like "and that relates to later on when Severian eats Thecla's brain and becomes her." I thought nothing of it at the time, it was only later after having read the first sentence did I know what happened: I WAS SPOILED!! Never again could I feel the sweet joy of Wolfe's fiction spill over me. One time I was eating this soup, what I did was take cream of mushroom and mixed in some tang, anyhow I spilled that all over me and my shirt smelled like oranges for years. Now what does any this have to do with a podcast that over analyze Gene Wolfe novels? No, yes, no, yes, yes, no, yes, yes, maybe.

There are so many great things about this podcast it is hard to list them all. Both hosts have many years experience with Gene Wolfe theories, and the wider Wolfe community, allowing them to cover the practical to the sublime. They bring amazing guests well known to Wolfe fans to their broadcasts for great discussions. And last but not least add entertainment value with Craig’s great opening “sponsors” messages and even James’ music choices. As someone who has been rereading Wolfe since a family friend, and bookstore owner, gave me a copy of the first paperback release of “The Claw of the Conciliator” almost 40 years ago (I started reading in the wrong place - a whole other story), reading along with the podcast feels like a new beginning.

As a long time fanatic of Wolfe, particularly BotNS, I love this podcast. I have spent years in various places on the internet and in real life discussing/arguing/dissecting this work, and this podcast gives one the sense of sitting around the table with good friends and spinning out all of your wildest theories. Those who’ve been as obsessed as I will recognize many names as they float in and out as guests, and theories new and old are pulled from the muck like Dorcas from the black waters. Highly recommended.

I love this podcast and it’s my favorite of the three Podcasts devoted to the fiction of renowned SFF author Gene Wolfe (the others being Alzabo Soup and Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast—both great as well) Metz and Phil (Alzabo Soup Podcast) approach the works as adoring but jaded skeptics, Brandon and Glenn (Gene Wolfe Literary Podcast) as reverent pilgrims at the Holy of holies, but James Wynn and Craig Brewer hit me where I live: they approach New Sun as hyper-literate fan boys (this is not a dig—they seem like the best kind of fan boys, with pure intentions and loads of pertinent info) and somehow carve out a Grand Canyon of real estate in the niche-est of niches. There’s the wackiest of fan theories right next to granular almost sentence-by-sentence analysis—and it’s all outrageously entertaining and enlightening. Highest possible recommendation for any Wolfe fan who’s read through the entire Solar Cycle at least once.

I read the Solar Cycle only once, 12 years ago, with little preparation or context other than recommendations from fellow authors John Crowley and Ursula LeGuin and critic Michael Dirda. Since then I’ve forgotten almost everything, much like Latro. This podcast has been fascinating as a point of reentry, and in fact, it is now the basis of a BOTNS close-reading book club with my wife and three other Wolfe-fiend friends, fellow folklorists, writers, librarians, and archivists. Thank you for your research and work—it’s revelatory and a lot of fun too.

As a firm believer that re-reading Wolfe is truly the only way to read Wolfe, I’ve greatly enjoyed these discussions thus far. The crazy and not-so-crazy theory crafting is fun, and at the very least makes you think harder about what you’re reading or remembering. Alzabo Soup is great for a first (or second!) read; immediately following that with Rereading is an enjoyable experience. The “access” to long-time Urth list folks is really icing on the cake - this would be worth listening to if it was either the chapter-by-chapter reads *or* the bonus episodes. I will say that I’m not sure I can get behind all of the musical kitch - not the outro, the soundboards - but it’s five stars nonetheless.

I have read BOTNS once and am now rereading it along with this show. Hosts James and Craig offer clarity to Wolfe and this masterwork without ruining its wonderful opacity and mysterious appeal. The fact that the episodes are over an hour means that I can reread BOTNS concurrently with other books. Yet I’m not in danger of “losing my place” because their discussions pull from past episodes and future chapters constantly - an approach I find especially appropriate for such a complex, interwoven story. The hosts also have pleasant voices and mannerisms I don’t anticipate tiring of.

Any Wolfe fan podcast immediately gets my ear space. And I like that these guys get straight to the point. However, there are a couple issues I take here. There are far, far too many musical interludes. The audio quality is sometimes lacking. And some of the hosts’ theories are straight up crackpot. I also do not find the hosts as charismatic as the other two podcasts. That’s not to say there’s nothing to love here. That they managed to get some really fascinating takes from prominent Wolfe scholars is probably the best single thing. (Also, rating this early in the casts’ lifetime, so hopefully some of my concerns are addressed at a later time)

This podcast is great fun for any Wolfe fan. Gets the theory wheels turning in all the right ways. Also, great outro music choices.

This is exactly what the description says, a full-spoilers reading of Wolfe. Considering how tightly constructed the narrative and themes of New Sun are, this is much welcome. The hosts do a great job bringing up theories from a wide range of sources. Each episode is a lot of fun to listen to. Keep me coming.

Ever since Gene Wolfe died earlier this year, I’ve been hoping it would spur people to re-read his works and engage in new discussion. This podcast is like an early a Christmas present. I appreciate the level of detail the hosts bring, going so far as to read out longs passages from each chapter. They also do a lot of research (and/or cite others’ research) into what Wolfe was trying to convey by using certain words and how the themes and characters in BotNS may relate to other works. By far, though, the thing I like most is that so far (I’ve listened to the first 4 chapters) is that they maintain a good tone when discussing some of the more bonkers theories that avid Wolfe readers have come up with. They’re nice about them and don’t ridicule the theories, while noting when they tend to be built on layers-upon-layers of logical leaps. I also like how one of the hosts is a bit more skeptical—constantly asking how would such a theory advance any plot or theme in the book. They’re a lot nicer than I would be—but personally, I think they should have a third host that just rings an obnoxious “WRONG” buzzer whenever the hosts get too far into the weeds. :) I plan to stick with this for as long as they keep reading and talking, because this is just what I’ve been looking for. Great job, fellas!

Other Wolfe podcasts try to approach the material as if it’s a first reading, which is not how anybody should actually read the books. This podcast dissects the material with insights from all the new sun material and is able to give a much more satisfying interpretation. The hosts are long time devotees to Wolfe and their knowledge of his work and the community that has grown up around it is excellent. Loving this podcast!

Whether you're reading your first Gene Wolfe story or revisiting an old favorite, this is the book club style podcast you need in your life. It makes no illusions that it will, or that it is indeed POSSIBLE to, avoid spoilers chapter to chapter concerning a writer such as this, and from the first chapter it is made clear that the reader is expected to know the ending. However, this chosen style only illuminates a book that, if read alone, is strange, winding, mysterious and very rewarding...if difficult to get through. It is only by putting all of the pieces of the novel "Shadow of the Torturer" together that the full story can be unfolded. That is the service that these hosts provide. Each episode is charming, fascinating, and easy on the ears.