it's a book in which everything's changed except human nature

Er ... in what sense? Able doesn't seem remotely realistic as a human to me. He's almost pure archetype. The characters around him, well, more so, I guess, but they're still more defined by their roles than not.

I find Wolfe a very easy writer to admire, but a difficult one to love.

Definitely true. I can admire the technical skill that went into The Wizard-Knight, but it's not a book I feel an urge to return to, even though I know I can't possibly have got everything out of it first time around.