25 Facts About Gene Wolfe

Gene Rodman Wolfe was an American science fiction and fantasy writer.

Gene Wolfe was noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith.

Gene Wolfe was a prolific short story writer and novelist, and won many literary awards.

Gene Wolfe is best known for his Book of the New Sun series, the first part of his "Solar Cycle".

Gene Wolfe was born in New York City, the son of Mary Olivia and Emerson Leroy Gene Wolfe.

Gene Wolfe dropped out during his junior year and subsequently was drafted to fight in the Korean War.

Gene Wolfe was a senior editor on the staff of the journal Plant Engineering for many years before retiring to write full-time, but his most famous professional engineering achievement is a contribution to the machine used to make Pringles potato chips.

Gene Wolfe lived in Barrington, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, with his wife Rosemary, where they raised four children.

Gene Wolfe underwent cataract surgery on his right eye in early 2013.

Gene Wolfe died at his Peoria home from cardiovascular disease on April 14,2019, at the age of 87.

Gene Wolfe's first published book was the paperback original novel Operation Ares.

Gene Wolfe first received critical attention for The Fifth Head of Cerberus, which examines "colonial mentality within an orthodox science fiction framework".

In 1984, Gene Wolfe retired from his engineering position and was then able to devote more time to his writing.

Gene Wolfe then wrote a sequel, The Book of the Short Sun, composed of On Blue's Waters, In Green's Jungles, and Return to the Whorl, dealing with colonists who have arrived on the sister planets Blue and Green.

Gene Wolfe subsequently wrote two novels held in particularly high esteem, Peace and The Fifth Head of Cerberus.

Gene Wolfe's writing frequently relies on the first-person perspectives of unreliable narrators.

Gene Wolfe was often considered to be not only one of the greatest science fiction authors, but one of the best American writers regardless of genre.

Gene Wolfe is no less than one of the finest, most original writers in the world today.

Gene Wolfe has continued in full diapason ever since, and a crossover success is long overdue.

Early in his writing career, Wolfe exchanged correspondence with JR R Tolkien.

Gene Wolfe won the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 1996, a judged award at the annual World Fantasy Convention.

Gene Wolfe was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2007.

Gene Wolfe was Guest of Honor at the 1985 World Science Fiction Convention and he received the 1989 Edward E Smith Memorial Award at the New England convention Boskone.

Gene Wolfe was the first Fuller Award recipient to be inducted; and though he was part of the 2019 class, the ceremony to honor him did not occur until 2021.

Gene Wolfe amassed a long list of nominations in years when he did not win, including sixteen Nebula award nominations and eight Hugo Award nominations.