Is giving yourself up as a sacrifice the right thing to do in order to bring peace?

What boundaries are crossed when religion turns political and politics becomes religious?

Those two questions came to mind after I finished Calde of the Long Sun, the third book in the Book of the Long Sun tetralogy. Our protagonist, Patera Silk, has become calde (mayor) in the city of Viron on the huge spaceship called the Whorl. War has erupted been those who are human-born and aliens. Silk symbolizes human resilience and becomes entangled in a political conflict that will challenge his beliefs.

Having finished three books in the series, I’m beginning to grasp Wolfe’s underlying message in these novels. He seems to have foreseen how my second question at the start of this review is currently unfolding in American society. Does religion get corrupted when it’s pushed into politics? And does politics get corrupted when it becomes like religion to its adherents?

Superficially, I’d say yes to both questions. However, fiction, unlike a religious sermon or a political rally, has the capacity to explore deeper, more complex perspectives in a world that often prefers simple, binary choices – black or white, left or right, friend or foe. With a gifted writer like Gene Wolfe, the intricate narrative approach in Calde of the Long Sun is becoming clear.

Although Lake of the Long Sun remains my favorite in this series, Calde of the Long Sun stands as a strong third installment in this quartet. On to the last volume, Exodus from the Long Sun.