Origins & Early Life

Gene Rodman Wolfe (May 7, 1931 – April 14, 2019) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose, his fascination with memory and the strong influence of his Catholic faith. He was a prolific short story writer and novelist who won many literary awards. He was honored as a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Wolfe is best known for his Book of the New Sun series (four volumes, 1980–1983), the first part of his "Solar Cycle". In 1998, Locus magazine ranked it the third-best fantasy novel published before 1990 based on a poll of subscribers that considered it and several other series as single entries. Ursula K. Le Guin called Wolfe "our Melville". Wolfe was born in New York City, the son of Mary Olivia (née Ayers) and Emerson Leroy Wolfe.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He had polio as a small child. He and his family moved to Houston when he was 6, and he went to high school and college in Texas, attending Lamar High School. While attending Texas A&M University, he published his first speculative fiction in The Commentator, a student literary journal. Early in his writing career, Wolfe exchanged correspondence with J...

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