Pirate Freedom by Gene Wolfe (book review).
Gene Wolfe is a very well-respected author of fantasy. I suspect that many readers, just like myself, know of him primarily through ‘The Book Of The New Sun’, published between 1980 and 1987 and justifiably viewed as a classic of fantasy. However, Wolfe has written many other novels, novellas and collections. ‘Pirate Freedom’, a much more recent example of Wolfe’s writing, undoubtedly presents a distinct narrative. Indeed, it is quite unlike anything else this reviewer has read.
At the beginning of the tale, we are following Father Christopher, or rather Padre Christophe, as he originally hails from Cuba, and Spanish is his native language. Wolfe uses the framing device of Christopher writing his memoirs, which are foreshadowed as being very dark when he is confessing. Christopher writes that he started his life being the son of a successful Cuban businessman. The text implies that Christopher’s father is involved in not entirely legal business, and so Christopher is packed off to the monastery school just outside Havana. Wolfe does not give a stated year, but Christopher describes it as being ‘between the time people stopped wearing wristwatches and the time when the communists abandoned Cuba’, which suggests a very near future.
At the monastery, Christopher does quite well, especially in mathematics. In particular, he becomes fond of Brother Ignacio, whom he helps tend the garden and pigs. Nonetheless, Christopher leaves the monastery with every intention of returning, which the monks do not believe for a second. When Christopher returns to Havana, he initially thinks there must be two cities with the same name, as he does not find the tall glass buildings he expects but instead a more primitive and rural town where they are building three stone forts and a church. Unable to find work, Christopher soon starts stealing to stay alive but does help out at one of the churches.
Soon, he is invited to sign on as a sailor on the Santa Charita, an honest merchant ship with a harsh but fair captain. Being a young lad, Christopher finds himself raped and beaten even on a law-abiding ship and learns the hard way that life at sea is not always great. He also finds an actual talent for sailing. When Christopher takes the night watch, he tends to feel like the ship is empty and it is just him and the sea. It is clear that Christopher is finding his niche.
Porting at Veracruz, we find that Christopher takes a dim view of slavery going on there. Details like this make it obvious that the calendar would not show the 2000s. Eventually, when Christopher learns how to use a logbook as part of navigation, he remarks that he was always told that years begin with the digits 20, and the log clearly shows years starting with 17.
Furthermore, in Veracruz, Christopher meets Bram Burt, a midshipman on an English ship. Burt takes a real shine to Christopher, which comes in useful later on. He also meets a young lady named Estrelita, who is the maid for a well-to-do lady. Serenading her at her residence, he gets her beaten and Christopher is told to clear off. Christopher leaves as instructed, but this is not the last we hear of Estrelita.
Upon returning to the ship, the Santa Charita encounters a storm in the Atlantic, leading to its capture by pirates. As fate would have it, Captain Burt leads the pirates. When the crew of Santa Charita are given the option to swap sides and ship with Burt, he is very happy that Christopher chooses to do so, and thus begins Christopher’s career as a pirate.
Having read Wolfe before, I knew he would be writing with real verisimilitude. Wolfe writes fantasy so convincingly, with such detail, it is almost like a documentary. I assume that Wolfe did his homework on pirates of the 17th century, as the insight shown in the detail is utterly convincing. As the text rolls on, we occasionally get references to 20th-century things just to remind us of Christopher’s curious timeslip. For example, Christopher notes that he has seen pirate movies on TV and that they are never even remotely accurate. Wolfe stresses that the line between honest sailor and pirate is a lot thinner than most media make out. For example, he points out that life on an honest ship could be hard work and quite harsh, whereas on a pirate ship there are usually more men and thus less work to do. However, Wolfe also writes that someone who constantly slacks off will discover themselves abandoned at the next island with a pistol and maybe a waterskin.
Wolfe also provides beautiful details about the different configurations and sizes of ships. Specifically, Wolfe meticulously describes the sail configurations and the placement of various cannons, not only to gain a competitive edge in battle but also to maintain the ship’s equilibrium and smooth operation. Overall, the effect is darned impressive and really makes Christopher’s memoirs feel like reality.
Christopher’s adventures are extensive, taking in many different experiences and many different ships and crewmates. As the book concludes, it draws to a wistful and slightly bittersweet ending, although not without a note of hope.
As I noted above, this is an unusual tale. The cover proudly proclaims ‘A Sci-Fi Essential Book’, but to be completely honest, I am not sure it is. Science Fiction, that is. Christopher’s timeslip from the 2000s back to the 1700s is never actually explained. It just is. Quite apart from that, most of the book reads like a historical fantasy. But I do not mean to denigrate the writing with this faint praise, as, overall, I found it a most effective and very enjoyable read. It is simply more of a high-quality fantasy than science fiction.
So, do I recommend this book? I certainly do. Unless one has a rabid aversion to pirate tales, then this is quite a refreshing take on the fantastic. It would be a colossal mistake to overlook this book and its author. You owe it to yourself to enjoy this book!
Dave Corby
August 2025
(pub: TOR/Forge, 2007. 320 page hardback. Price: $24.95 (US), $28.95 (CAN). ISBN: 978-0-7653-1878-7).
check out website: www.tor-forge.com
