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The Fifth Head of Cerberus

  • Book
  • Apr, 1972
  • #ScienceFiction
Gene Wolfe
@GeneWolfe
(Author)
www.goodreads.com
Paperback
4.3/5 240 ratings
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3.98/5 5.2k ratings
3 Recommenders
3 Mentions
3 Asks
Back in print for the first time in more than a decade, Gene Wolfe's The Fifth Head of Cerberus is a universally acknowledged masterpiece of science fiction by one of the field's mo... Show More

Back in print for the first time in more than a decade, Gene Wolfe's The Fifth Head of Cerberus is a universally acknowledged masterpiece of science fiction by one of the field's most brilliant writers.

Far out from Earth, two sister planets, Saint Anne and Saint Croix, circle each other in an eternal dance. It is said a race of shapeshifters once lived here, only to perish when men came. But one man believes they can still be found, somewhere in the back of the beyond.

In The Fifth Head of Cerberus, Wolfe skillfully interweaves three bizarre tales to create a mesmerizing pattern: the harrowing account of the son of a mad genius who discovers his hideous heritage; a young man's mythic dreamquest for his darker half; the bizarre chronicle of a scientists' nightmarish imprisonment. Like an intricate, braided knot, the pattern at last unfolds to reveal astonishing truths about this strange and savage alien landscape.

(From Goodreads)

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Number of Pages: 252

ISBN: 0312890206

ISBN-13: 9780312890209

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A cavalcade of anger and fear @ClemUhhh · Jun 27, 2022
  • Answered to What's your favorite pre-2010 sci-fi book that isn't from a very famous author?
  • From Twitter
Perry E. Metzger @perrymetzger · Mar 7, 2023
  • Answered to What is one thing (article, books) you read once a year?
  • From Twitter
Gene Wolfe’s “The Fifth Head of Cerberus” was on heavy rotation for me for a while. These days it’s mostly Stoic philosophy that gets that sort of repeated attention.
The ReReading Wolfe Podcast @ReReadingWolfe · Mar 31, 2023
  • Answered to What do you rec to the reader who’s read everything?
  • From Twitter
Before giving up on Gene Wolfe, try 'The Fifth Head of Cerberus.' It'll either recontextualize The Book of the New Sun, or you'll know Gene Wolfe is not for you. He's a good writer for the reader who has read everything. The more you take to the books, the more you get from it.
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  • tapir worf
    • Ask
    What do you rec to the reader who’s read everything?
    28 answers
  • Shane Parrish
    • Ask
    What is one thing (article, books) you read once a year?
    74 answers
  • Adriana Porter Felt
    • Ask
    What's your favorite pre-2010 sci-fi book that isn't from a very famous author?
    65 answers
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