Gene Wolfe Interviewed by Chris Merrick for the American Audio Prose Library 1984

This interview was conducted in 1984 by Chris Merrick and published by the American Audio Prose Library (Columbia, MO) as a 2-sided cassette tape. Catalog listing: worldcat.org/t...
The original AAPL website is archived here: web.archive.or..., but their website is no longer functioning.
The interview is approximately 60 minutes in length and concentrates on Wolfe's then-recently concluded 4-volume Book of the New Sun (ie prior to Urth of the New Sun). Wolfe also discusses Fifth Head of Cerberus, and current works in progress.
The tape was purchased by myself from the AAPL shortly after publication, and has been digitized in 2023.
There is a companion cassette tape featuring a reading by Wolfe of The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories" and "Solar Labyrinth" (48 mins). I also own a copy of this.
~~Content listing by Mantis (Michael Andre-Driussi of Sirius Fiction siriusfiction....) using tape counter rather than clock time.
Side A
000-063: Intro, biographical notes
065: GW “I discovered pulp...”
090: Intro Chris Merrick. Basic questions.
214: Characters in BOTNS. Baldanders [baldANders] as a “self-made man.” Dorcas. The green man.
335: Considerable evidence for . . . very small, Caucasian race in Europe during the dark ages . . .
385: Previous predictions of the future
405: Human extinction or more humane
430: BOTNS, genesis thereof.
518: Now working on a fifth book
526: About mythology in BOTNS. Byzantine influence.
560: CM “From the point of view of a Christian, Severian begins his life...”
602: About The Fifth Head of Cerberus (5HC)
Side B
036: 5HC
127: CM “TBOTNS is more . . . a Creationist point of view [compared with 5HC]”
242: About Peace
288: Mention of Bibliomen, work in progress
382: CM “Clarity versus ambiguity”
419: CM “When did you begin writing?” [Wolfe's “for furniture” story.]
521: The Castle of the Otter
561: Four current projects are Free Live Free; The Urth of the New Sun; Soldier of the Mist; an opera based on “The Death of Doctor Island,” set to music by Somtow Sucharitkul.
582: In BOTNS, the Book of Gold. [GW says for him it was probably an Oz book, but not the first one.]

[@jaysonista]

Shadow of the Torturer - my book of gold. For what it's worth, as a late teenager in the 90s.

[@pavel1573]

thanks for your service 🙏
Every effort to preserve Wolfe's work and thought is invaluable.

[@Avzigoyhbasilsikos]

Thanks

[@jembailey8757]

Much appreciated. - BOTNS Is my book of gold. I encountered the second volume in a thrift store in the mid 80s but could not find the rest of it for several months. I knew I had found something rare & precious though.

[@rf33922]

This was absolutely fascinating and invaluable. Thank you.

[@stuartsmith5927]

Wow, so amazing to hear him speak. Thank you for uploading

[@late_privktorian_era]

thank you so much for ripping this and putting it up here. really great

[@ApocalypseSometime]

Thank you for posting this ❤

[@rgelsh1]

Let's gooooooo- thank you for the upload!

[@malcolmmills3597]

thanks so much for sharing this! wow

[@stejervis7563]

Fabulous, thank you

[@danielgarlock2074]

I love these bits
But where are the photos of Gene when he was young? and writing,...

[@EndingSimple]

I remember reading The Fifth Head of Cerberus when I was a young boy. It was the first time I had been exposed to the direct opposite of a Christian milieu in fiction. (the address of the house was 666 Saltimbanque and it was set in a very Anne Rice type of Louisanna-ish society). I remember finishing the story and giving thanks to God that I didn't live there.

[@Digital_K]

Thx a lot !!!!!!❤

[@johnfraney4268]

What a treasure

[@taksr]

Thank you!

[@Avzigoyhbasilsikos]

Thanks

[@OccultDemonCassette]

Is this one different than the last upload?

[@ubikcan]

No I just made it public, rather than privately listed

[@rasheedknox2140]

My book of gold was a hardback of the hobbit 😅

[@jaylenecarleen7038]

*Promo sm*