Some critics love Soyinka's prose, and it has nothing to do with Achebe.
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Though better admired for his playwriting, many followers of the Nobel Laureate find his prose rather overbearing, even haughty. Yet, it is this particular part of its nature that confers on it the insignia of importance, importance not being the equivalent here of big words.
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There is nothing wrong with simple prose, particularly if the simplicity is deliberate and cleverly guided away from becoming a constraint to the expression of the message. Yet, the ability to attain precision in winding prose is the point where science and technology meet art. High art.
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But it is a dangerous thing to define a literary writer by his artistic style alone. He is not only an artist- he is, most importantly, a Voice.
He was a great man for Nigeria and it would be like that for a very long time. May his soul rest in peace...