Soldier of the Mist

Soldier of the Mist
First edition (UK)
Author	Gene Wolfe
Cover artist	Mark Harrison
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	Soldier
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	Gollancz (UK) Tor (US)
Publication date	October 1986 (UK) November 1986 (US)
Media type	Print (Hardback and paperback)
Pages	335 pp
Award	Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (1987)
ISBN	0-575-03928-0
Followed by	Soldier of Arete

Soldier of the Mist is a 1986 fantasy novel by American writer Gene Wolfe, published by Gollancz in the UK and then Tor Books in the US. It has two sequels: Soldier of Arete (1989) and Soldier of Sidon (2006). Soldier of the Mist and Soldier of the Arete have been collected as Latro in the Mist.

Synopsis

The story is presented as the recovered diary of Latro, a Roman mercenary who fought for Xerxes at the Battle of Plataea. As a result of head injuries incurred during the battle, Latro suffers from both retrograde and anterograde amnesia; due to the former, he does not know his own name, and must accept that others call him "Latro" (meaning "soldier"); due to the latter, he has been given scrolls on which to write down recent events so that he may (in principle) "READ THIS EVERY MORNING".

He has also developed the ability to see and interact with gods, ghosts, and mythological creatures; due to his amnesia, he does not know that this is unusual.

Reception

Soldier of the Mist won the 1987 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel,^[1] and was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel^[2] and the World Fantasy Award.^[3]

Kirkus Reviews described it as "marvelously fluent" and "evocative".^[4]

References

↑ The Locus Index to SF Awards: Locus Awards Winners by Category, at Locus; retrieved September 21, 2014
↑ Nebula Final Ballots from the 1980s, archived at AwardWeb; retrieved September 21, 2014
↑ 1987 World Fantasy Award Winners and Nominees, at the World Fantasy Convention; retrieved September 21, 2014
↑ SOLDIER OF THE MIST by Gene Wolfe, archived at KirkusReviews.com; originally published November 3, 1986; retrieved September 21, 2014

External links

Interview in which Wolfe describes, among other works, Soldier of the Mist
Soldier of the Mist title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Soldier of the Mist at Goodreads

Works by Gene Wolfe
The Book of the New Sun	The Shadow of the Torturer (1980) The Claw of the Conciliator (1981) The Sword of the Lictor (1981) The Citadel of the Autarch (1983) The Urth of the New Sun (1987)
The Book of the Long Sun	Nightside the Long Sun (1993) Lake of the Long Sun (1994) Caldé of the Long Sun (1994) Exodus from the Long Sun (1996)
The Book of the Short Sun	On Blue's Waters (1999) In Green's Jungles (2000) Return to the Whorl (2001)
The Soldier series	Soldier of the Mist (1986) Soldier of Arete (1989) Soldier of Sidon (2006)
The Wizard Knight	The Knight (2004) The Wizard (2004)
Stand-alone novels	Operation Ares (1970) The Fifth Head of Cerberus (1972) Peace (1975) The Devil in a Forest (1976) Free Live Free (1984) There Are Doors (1988) Castleview (1990) Pandora, By Holly Hollander (1990) Pirate Freedom (2007) An Evil Guest (2008) The Sorcerer's House (2010) Home Fires (2011) The Land Across (2013) A Borrowed Man (2015)
Short story collections	The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories (1980) Gene Wolfe's Book of Days (1981) The Wolfe Archipelago (1983) Plan(e)t Engineering (1984) Bibliomen (1984) Storeys from the Old Hotel (1988) Endangered Species (1989) Castle of Days (1992) The Young Wolfe (1992) Strange Travelers (2000) Innocents Aboard (2004) Starwater Strains (2005) The Best of Gene Wolfe (2009)
Short stories/Novellas	"How I Lost the Second World War and Helped Turn Back the German Invasion" (1973) "A Cabin on the Coast" (1984) A Walking Tour of the Shambles (2002) "Memorare" (2007)
Fictional creations	Severian Terminus Est Ascian language Inhumi

Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
1978–1990	The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien (1978) Harpist in the Wind by Patricia A. McKillip (1980) Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg (1981) The Claw of the Conciliator by Gene Wolfe (1982) The Sword of the Lictor by Gene Wolfe (1983) The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1984) Job: A Comedy of Justice by Robert A. Heinlein (1985) Trumps of Doom by Roger Zelazny (1986) Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe (1987) Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card (1988) Red Prophet by Orson Scott Card (1989) Prentice Alvin by Orson Scott Card (1990)
1991–2000	Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin (1991) Beauty by Sheri S. Tepper (1992) Last Call by Tim Powers (1993) The Innkeeper's Song by Peter S. Beagle (1994) Brittle Innings by Michael Bishop (1995) Alvin Journeyman by Orson Scott Card (1996) A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (1997) Earthquake Weather by Tim Powers (1998) A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (1999) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (2000)
2001–2010	A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin (2001) American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2002) The Scar by China Miéville (2003) Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold (2004) Iron Council by China Miéville (2005) Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (2006) The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner (2007) Making Money by Terry Pratchett (2008) Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin (2009) The City & the City by China Miéville (2010)
2011–present	Kraken by China Miéville (2011) A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin (2012) The Apocalypse Codex by Charles Stross (2013) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (2014) The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (2015) Uprooted by Naomi Novik (2016) All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders (2017)
Best Novel (1971–1981) Best SF Novel (1980–present) Best Fantasy Novel (1978–present) Best First Novel (1981–present)

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