Before we start on this week’s very long essay, support more very long essays freely available on this blog by buying your copy of The Lightning Stenography Device, an alchemical blend of sci-fi and fantasy sure to delight fans of Severian’s journey. Click here to order in hardback, paperback or ebook! Of all four books in the “original” tetralogy, I have to admit that The Sword of the Lictor is … Continue reading An Analysis of the Alchemical Tradition Behind BOOK OF THE NEW SUN, Part IV: Hethor, Typhon and the Temptation of Severian