The Book of the New Sun

Illustrated by Sam Weber

Introduced by Neil Gaiman

WHAT MAKES THIS LIMITED EDITION SO SPECIAL(from Folio Society website)

This remarkable work, often described as ‘the Ulysses of fantasy’, demanded Folio’s most lavish treatment: a fully illustrated limited edition.

Each volume features a striking Sam Weber binding design, printed on a fine cloth to ensure that the details and colours are reproduced to perfection, and the colours employed build as the series progresses. Red foil diamonds have been blocked on the spines to denote the order of the books and the page numbers too are bordered by tiny red diamonds replicating this device. There are 20 different decorative initials, hand-drawn by Sam Weber and printed in red at the start of the chapters, each references an incident or character from the books for the reader to puzzle over. The head and tail bands, end papers and page edges are all in deepest black befitting the tale of a torturer in contrast to the blood red of the limitation label. The labels, each numbered by hand, bear the signatures of Gene Wolfe, Sam Weber and Neil Gaiman and are placed at the front of the first volume in each set.

Sam Weber’s illustrations are fabulous. In 2017 Folio Publishing Director Tom Walker travelled to New York to discuss the project with the illustrator. Weber had suggested The Book of the New Sun as the work he wanted to illustrate and his dedication to the project has been extraordinary. He made models of some of the items in the illustrations so that he could establish how the light would fall on them and employed people to sit for the characters featured. Each volume includes a colour frontispiece and double-page illustration with a further three mono illustrations. All are printed on FSC certified Natural Evolution Ivory paper ensuring that the muted palette and extraordinary detail reproduce perfectly.

The slipcase in which all four volumes are presented is bound in Imperial black cloth and there is a pleasing curve to the top and bottom lips. The sides are blocked with motifs from the work – a rose and the sword Terminus Est – in the palest gold and the box is lined with stunning silver mirrored paper. For this limited edition our editors and designers really have thought of everything and we believe it to be a fitting testament to the work of one of the very greatest writers of science fiction.

Limited to 750 hand-numbered sets

A signed and numbered limited edition of Gene Wolfe’s award-winning masterpiece of speculative fiction illustrated by Sam Weber and introduced by Neil Gaiman.

PRODUCTION DETAILS

• Four volumes, each three-quarter bound in black buckram blocked in red foil
  • The Citadel of the Avtarch
  • The Sword of the Lictor
  • The Claw of teh Conciliator
  • The Shadow of hte torturer
• Cloth front boards printed with designs by the illustrator
• Black page edges
• Set in Jenson with Priori Serif display and printed on Abbey Pure Rough paper
• Decorative initial letters designed by the illustrator
• Printed in two colours throughout
• 1,196 pages of text in total
• Colour frontispiece and double-page illustration in each volume
• Three black and white full-page plates in each volume
• Illustrations printed on Natural Evolution Ivory paper
• Handmade cloth-bound slipcase blocked on two sides in pale gold foil with designs by the illustrator and lined with silver mirrored paper
• Each volume 10˝ × 6¾˝