[ironprism]

Has anyone read Bernard Wolfe's Limbo? I personally have not, but I need some thoughts on its depiction of humanity's suicide.

[Llama]

I read it years ago and recommend it. It's a complex and very dark dystopia, I'm not sure a few short posts are going to do it justice. Plus I'm not sure what you mean by "humanity's suicide", there isn't a collective suicide that I recall (although maybe I've forgotten something), the concept behind it is that men mutilate their limbs in order never to have a war. If you're looking for a summary, David Pringle selected the novel for his "100 Best Science Fiction Novels" and wrote a page long essay on it, it's probably reprinted on the web somewhere.

[BehemothCat]

I read it a few years ago but didn't find it particularly memorable - except in a mildly negative sense. To put it bluntly, I didn't think much of Wolfe as a writer. His concepts were interesting, but his execution was lacking. While his writing style was choppy and unpolished (which, truth be told, was not uncommon in sf in the 50's), that wasn't really what put me off. What did was the endless leaden psychoanalysis (Wolfe was degreed in psychology) that larded the text at every possible opportunity. Occasionally thought provoking, it more often felt amateurish and dated.

That said, I should also say that when the book was written in 1952, it really was a grand and unique effort - very much different from anything else written at the time.

I guess I'd say it was worth reading for historical perspective... but not if you're looking for a good read.

I'm also not sure what you're looking for, but perhaps H. G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau might serve - it has certain similarities to Limbo, but goes down much more smoothly.