I'm starting to buy into the whole 'Gene Wolfe is the greatest living author' thing. For starters, he's alive. Got one point there. And he's an author. Yet another point to Mister Wolfe. Then there's the fact that he's a fundamentally brilliant writer. From a mechanical view his vocabulary is enviable. His sentences are perfect. Read for artistry his prose is stunning. His work can be read over and over without diminishing but improving. I totally have a Gene Wolfe boner right now.