Litany of the Long Sun

A nominee for the “Nebula” award, and for the “Sphinx” and the Gigamesh almanac prize. The story of Father Silk, a pious priest-augur whose fate is to serve the gods, teach children from the Sacred Scriptures, and be the head of a small temple. The gods rule the world of the Cycle-turnover (Kruhovorot), a gigantic cylindrical starship that has carried generations through the journey and is now slowly falling apart. On the inner surface, lit by the artificial Long Sun, there are cities, forests, and lakes—and the inhabitants have long forgotten the true nature of their world.
As a result of strange and surprising events, Father Silk loses his church, faces injustice and local crime, uncovers a conspiracy among the city’s residents on the other side of the Sun, and witnesses the appearance of the gods. He meets a mysterious stranger who may turn out to be a God from the outside world, and all his beliefs are called into question. Perhaps, to find a solution to his problems, Father Silk will have to lead a political uprising against the corrupt Ayntamentyo who rule the city-state of Viron. To become the messiah of the Cycle-turnover.
But he himself absolutely doesn’t want that.
“Despite the fact that Wolf’s reputation as a literary-accurate and clever writer is more than deserved, this story is one of the most accessible—one with which you can start valuing the author and his treasures.” — Teresa Littelton
“A tetralogy full of dazzling details and mysteries, with characters in rich Dickensian traditions. This must be read twice. Wolf is always more many-sided than you think.” — New Scientist
“With one proposition after another, Gene Wolfe writes as well as no one in contemporary science fiction. He conveys the atmosphere of other times and places with a mix of archaic vocabulary and futuristic science—both soothing and unsettling.” — The New York Times Book Review
“A story that promises countless wonders—from the Homer of modernity.” — The Washington Post Book World
“Perhaps Wolf has already established himself as an authoritative science fiction author for you. If not, ‘The Book of the Long Sun’ will likely do it.” — Chicago Sun-Times
“High style and top-class storytelling.” — Library Journal