Innocents Abroad by Gene Wolfe

This was my first exposure to Gene Wolfe as a short story writer. It left me wanting more. The authors continues to use many of the themes and literary devices from his novels: memory loss; the unreliable narrator; the familiar presented in unfamiliar way; the interaction between the mundane and the fantastic.

The stories weave together science fiction, horror, fantasy and magic realism. A number of the shorter pieces are fun to read but really seem more like exercise in writing. It's in the longer stories that the author hits his stride and these are pure gold.

I especially loved The Lost Pilgrim. It's setting in ancinet Greece and
There is is a ravenous shark god in The Tree is My Hat and mad bad voodoo in Houston, 1943.

Castleview by Gene Wolfe

This isn't Wolfe at his best. The story is at times maddeningly confusing. It appears to be a mishmash of Arthurian legends, fairy folklore and vampire stories all set in small town America. The characters often seem to act in a contrived manner and for a short novel is has an extensive cast. But it's still Wolfe. The book has some interesting ideas and wonderful images and his prose is always a pleasure to read.

It moves along at a fair old clip and the second half is practically frenetic. This both serves to draw the reader in and then to leave them even more bemused when they have a moment to cogitate on what just occurred.

Definitely worth a read but would not recommend this to a first time reader of Gene Wolfe. The Book of The New Sun series or Soldier in the Mist would be better starting point.

Night Train to Innsbruck: A Commando's Escape to Freedom by Rex Woods

I, Claudius by Robert Graves

A fantastic, informative and enjoyable historical novel. I found Grave's style initially difficult but ultimately compelling. Narrated by Claudius himself the experience is totally immersive.