After the success of The Shadow of the Torturer, the remaining volumes in The Book of the New Sunreceived additional approbation. The Claw of the Conciliatorearned Wolfe his second Nebula in 1981, while Locushonoured the novel with its Best Fantasy Novel Award in 1982; The Sword of the Lictor received the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1983; and The Citadel of the Autarchtook the John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1984. Robert Frazier's interview from Thrust: Science Fiction in Review(Winter–Spring 1983) follows the publication of The Citadel of the Autarchand sees the playfulness Wolfe expressed in his interview with Hall becoming more adroit.

I first met Gene Wolfe in a hallway in Waterloo, Iowa in 1978. He promptly steered me away from the rather stuffy SFRA party where I knew no human, and engaged me in a conversation that left poetry in the dust. My initial impression of Gene stands essentially unaltered today. He is an amiable and caring man blessed with a wry sense of humour that is both subtle and thought-provoking. He is apt to answer a query with a terse and precise reply, rather than talk on and on in vacuous phrases. Luckily, he is also blessed with great patience.

RF: Let's start with a bit of fat on the fire. Do you consider the marketplace of science fiction as your main writing niche?

GW: I think I understand what you mean by ‘marketplace’ and ‘niche’ in this. I think you mean, ‘Do you, Gene Wolfe, consider yourself primarily a writer of science fiction?’

RF: I feel like magic circle time. You are going to ask questions back before answering mine. My answer is yes. Do you?

GW: More or less, if you mean for ‘science fiction’ to include fantasy and speculative fiction and all that – sf in the broadest sense, in other words. The real question, which I am still asking myself, is whether I want to stay where I am. If by ‘niche’ you mean permanent abode, I don't know. I'm not content to have all my work labeled sf and sold in the sf marketplace, because I don't think it is all sf.