To hit on Wolfe quickly: I would definitely recommend his work. I won’t say whether you’ll like him or not (that’s a tricky thing to try to predict), but I think you’ll certainly be interested. He generally writes what I might call theological SF; there’s often a concern with the proper relationship between worshipper and deity (a good shortish example is “The Last Thrilling Wonder Story,” which, miraculously, is entirely available on Google Books). On top of that, though, there’s a pervasive wrestling with ethical concerns that makes for surprisingly high stakes in reading.

I kind of like that you’ve taken your blog as an obligation to folks who might read it. As you say, on the one hand that’s a surrender to…hm, externalities? Even though you’ve created them? But on the other hand, I think it also speaks to the notion of communal participation that underlies so much of IJ’s distant hopefulness—that whole ubuntu thing. It feels a little bit like, as a reader of your blog (now that I am one), I’m helping support your resolve to read the book, by taking part in one of the things that keeps you reading.

Thanks for writing—both here and at your place!

This is the first post that has made me really attend to the surrender part of the “why I’m reading IJ” question. I think a big part of what has kept me going is actually my blog itself, feeling like if I spent enough effort to start it up and help people to find it, I should press on through. Of course, the book is by no means a drudge, I’m just trying to reflect that surrender is present is so many types of readings.

P.S. I haven’t read Wolfe, but your comments make me think he is required reading!