The Land Across
The Land Across is a fantasy novel by Gene Wolfe published in 2013 by Tor Books.
Synopsis
Grafton is a travel writer who decides to write the first ever travel guide to "the land beyond the mountains", an otherwise-unnamed Eastern European nation that is almost impossible to reach.
Reception
Gary K. Wolfe describes Across as reminiscent of Kafka, and of "classic horror fiction", while specifying that it "never stops being compelling" and is a "tribute to Wolfe's narrative virtuosity".[1] Similarly, Alan Cheuse called it "strange and engrossing".[2]
Charlie Jane Anders considered it "charming, not to mention thrilling", with "some real poetry and some great moments of describing people", but conceded that the plot "(felt) somewhat random" and was "really hard to summarize".[3] At Tor.com, Mordicai Knode noted that the Latin for "across" and "beyond" is "trans", and combined this with the novel being set in Eastern Europe to conclude that it is "Wolfe's Transylvania novel"; he also posited connections to The Third Policeman.[4]
References
- ^ Science Fiction review: 'The Land Across' by Gene Wolfe and more, by Gary K. Wolfe, in the Chicago Tribune; published February 14, 2014; retrieved January 11 2015
- ^ Review: 'The Land Across,' By Gene Wolfe, by Alan Cheuse, at NPR; published November 27, 2013; retrieved January 11 2015
- ^ Don't expect to figure out Gene Wolfe's new novel on a first reading, by Charlie Jane Anders, at Io9; published December 16, 2013; retrieved February 6, 2019
- ^ Gene Wolfe’s The Land Across is Lonely Planet Meets the Necronomicon, by Mordicai Knode, at Tor.com; published November 12, 2013; retrieved February 6, 2019
- v
- t
- e
- The Shadow of the Torturer (1980)
- The Claw of the Conciliator (1981)
- The Sword of the Lictor (1981)
- The Citadel of the Autarch (1983)
- The Urth of the New Sun (1987)
- Nightside of the Long Sun (1993)
- Lake of the Long Sun (1994)
- Caldé of the Long Sun (1994)
- Exodus from the Long Sun (1996)
- On Blue's Waters (1999)
- In Green's Jungles (2000)
- Return to the Whorl (2001)
- Soldier of the Mist (1986)
- Soldier of Arete (1989)
- Soldier of Sidon (2006)
- The Knight (2004)
- The Wizard (2004)
- Operation Ares (1970)
- The Fifth Head of Cerberus (1972)
- Peace (1975)
- The Devil in a Forest (1976)
- Free Live Free (1984)
- There Are Doors (1988)
- Castleview (1990)
- Pandora, By Holly Hollander (1990)
- Pirate Freedom (2007)
- An Evil Guest (2008)
- The Sorcerer's House (2010)
- Home Fires (2011)
- The Land Across (2013)
- A Borrowed Man (2015)
- Interlibrary Loan (2020)
- The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories (1980)
- Gene Wolfe's Book of Days (1981)
- The Wolfe Archipelago (1983)
- Plan(e)t Engineering (1984)
- Bibliomen (1984)
- Storeys from the Old Hotel (1988)
- Endangered Species (1989)
- Castle of Days (1992)
- The Young Wolfe (1992)
- Strange Travelers (2000)
- Innocents Aboard (2004)
- Starwater Strains (2005)
- The Best of Gene Wolfe (2009)
- "How I Lost the Second World War and Helped Turn Back the German Invasion" (1973)
- "The Death of Doctor Island" (1973)
- "Straw" (1975)
- "The Woman the Unicorn Loved" (1981)
- "A Cabin on the Coast" (1984)
- A Walking Tour of the Shambles (2002)
- "Memorare" (2007)
- Severian
- Ascian language