History Literature / BookOfTheNewSun

* ChristianityIsCatholic: Wolfe is Catholic and the religions existing in the world are based upon Catholicism.

* DirtyCommies: For the deep future neo-feudal setting, the Ascians turn out to be a very modern Communist stereotype: an authoritarian police state that suppresses individuality and speaks exclusively in slogans about how all actions should benefit "the people". The Ascians themselves are physically identical and uniformly miserable. Not to mention how they're actually servants of dark powers that want to destroy the world -- compare how certain Christian groups identified Gog and Magog of apocalyptic prophecy with Soviet Russia.

* ScienceIsBad: Severian's rival messiah-figure, [[spoiler:Baldanders]], is contrasted against Severian's deep faith and possession of a holy relic by being scientist with access to advanced technology and a contempt for religion. His laboratory is accordingly filled with human experiments and other crimes against nature, not to mention how the modifications he's made to his own body will eventually force him to live in the sea (domain of the pseudo-Satanic Erebus and Abaia). Allegorically, the two represent different paths that humanity could: [[spoiler:Baldander]]'s godless science, which creates only monsters, or Severian's religious renewal. Severian, of course, wins out.

* NormallyIWouldBeDeadRightNow: The avern plant is firmly established to be deadly to all Urth lifeforms, mammals, birds, insects and plants alike, to make it clear to the reader that [[spoiler: Severian]] should absolutely not be getting back up after being cut with a leaf.

The book delights in shrouding its events, characters, history, and even locations in a thick layer of ambiguity. As Severian is a relatively uneducated UnreliableNarrator in a time far removed from our own, he often fails to grasp thesignificance of what he sees, frequently misremembers earlier chapters, and will inexplicably contradict himself on a number of occasions. As a result, the reader is left to draw many of their own conclusions themselves, putting together [[ViewersAreGeniuses obscure literary references and terms with briefly mentioned symbolism]] to connect the dots. While the book can be enjoyed and appreciated on the surface level as a ScienceFantasy journey of heroism, the book is encouraged to be [[RewatchBonus read multiple times]].

''The Book of the New Sun'' is a lengthy ScienceFantasy novel by Creator/GeneWolfe, originally published as four spearate books. Wolfe, and this novel in particular, have a cult following for its deceptively engaging WorldBuilding couched in ScienceFiction trappings that take the form of the narrator's memoirs.

The book delights in shrowding its events, characters, history, and even locations in a thick layer of ambiguity. As Severian is a relatively uneducated UnreliableNarrator in a time far removed from our own, he often fails to grasp thesignificance of what he sees, frequently misremembers earlier chapters, and will inexplicably contradict himself on a number of occasions. As a result, the reader is left to draw many of their own conclusions themselves, putting together [[ViewersAreGeniuses obscure literary references and terms with briefly mentioned symbolism]] to connect the dots. While the book can be enjoyed and appreciated on the surface level as a ScienceFantasy journey of heroism, the book is encouraged to be [[RewatchBonus read multiple times]].

The book delights in shrowding its events, characters, history, and even locations in a thick layer of ambiguity. As Severian is a relatively uneducated UnreliableNarrator in a time far removed from our own, he often fails to grasp thesignificance of what he sees, frequently misremembers earlier chapters, and will inexplicably contradict himself on a number of occasions. As a result, the reader is left to draw many of their own conclusions themselves, putting together [[obscure references and terms with briefly mentioned symbolism]] to connect the dots. While the book can be enjoyed and appreciated on the surface level as a ScienceFantasy journey of heroism, the book is encouraged to be [[RewatchBonus read multiple times]].

''The Book of the New Sun'' is a lengthy ScienceFantasy novel by Creator/GeneWolfe, originally published as four spearate books. Wolfe, and this novel in particular, have a cult following.

The earlier chapters, in particular have a LowFantasy feel. The story takes place in a feudal society a million years in the future. Severian, an apprentice of the Torturer's Guild, narrates his story. After falling in love with one of his charges, Severian is exiled from the guild and sent to a distant city as its appointed [[TheExecutioner executioner]]. Along the way he meets many strange people and experiences many life-altering events.

Later reprintings have collected the book into two volumes (‘’Shadow & Claw’’ and ‘’Sword & Citadel’’) or into one. A follow-up novel called ‘’The Urth of the New Sun’’ subsequently appeared.

The ‘’Book’’ a work of staggering complexity, in which the narration [[ViewersAreGeniuses explains little outright]]. ‘’Lexicon Urthus’’ by Michael Andre-Driussi (if you can find a copy) explains much, though it does contain many spoilers.

It is, along with the ''Literature/BookOfTheLongSun'' tetralogy and ''Literature/BookOfTheShortSun'' trilogy, part of the Briah cycle, also known as the Solar cycle.

* AnAxeToGrind: Averted with Severian. Despite becoming a public executioner, his weapon for the job is the sword ''Terminus Est'' rather than an ax.

%%* BrotherSisterIncest: [[spoiler: Agia and Agilus]].

* IncestIsRelative: [[spoiler: Dorcas is Severian's grandmother, although neither of them know this at the time. Agia and Agilus are brother/sister lovers and may also be related to Severian, who has a definite thing for Agia.]]

* TheManInFrontOfTheMan: [[spoiler: ThoseTwoBadGuys, Dr. Talos and Baldanders. Talos, who clearly seems to be the leader, is a clever, glib conman with fox-like features. Baldanders clearly comes off as the subordinate, and appears to be a GentleGiant and rarely speaks. In actuality, Baldanders is some sort of HumanoidAbomination MadScientist who turns out to be a threatening villain, and Talos is an ArtificialHuman, who is his creation.]]

* ThoseTwoBadGuys: Dr. Talos and Baldanders.