Sun Tzu proved on the battlefield that his theories were effective (for example, at the Battle of Boju), that he had a successful military career, and that he wrote "The Art of War" based on his tested expertise. However, the "Zuozhuan", a historical text written centuries earlier than the "Shiji", provides a much more detailed account of the Battle of Boju, but does not mention Sun Tzu at all. Beginning around the 12th century, some scholars began to doubt the historical existence of Sun Tzu, primarily on the grounds that he is not mentioned in the historical classic "Zuo zhuan", which mentions
The Book of the New Sun sub-series. The two later subseries are "The Book of the Long Sun" (1993–1996, four volumes) and "The Book of the Short Sun" (1999–2001, three volumes). "Long Sun" is set on a generation ship and "Short Sun" features the inhabitants of that generation ship after their long journey. Two of the "Long Sun" books were nominated for Nebula Awards. Severian, an apprentice in the torturers' guild, barely survives a swim in the River Gyoll. On his way back to the Citadel Severian and several other apprentices sneak into a necropolis where Severian first encounters Vodalus, the legendary revolutionary. Vodalus, along with