Frank Herbert wrote:It'll be a beautiful life, he thought. Beautiful . . . beautiful . . . beautiful.
Frank Herbert's 1967 novel The Santaroga Barrier is probably best interpreted as a utopia novel, though there are strong psychological and drug use themes that run through it too. As a utopia, I cannot imagine anyone concluding that it is anything other than another ambiguous utopia. Santaroga tells the story of Gilbert Daesin, a UC Berkley psychologist during a visit to a Northern California community nestled in the fictional Santaroga Valley. Daesin was hired by a conglomerate of businesses to go into the valley and find out why no chain stores survive there; every time one is opened, it died in a very short time for a near total lack of customers. There was something about the Santarogans that made them able to avoid marketing messages, and the corporations wanted to find out what it was and kill it.. But Daesin also had another reason for visiting the valley. His grad-school love, Jenny Sorge, lived there, and he longed to reconcile and rekindle their lost romance. After getting there and reconnecting with Jenny, Daesin was told that if they are to be together, he must move to Santaroga permanently. ..Please click here, or on the book cover above, to be taken to the complete review..
I really enjoyed reading this, I believe I had at in almost one go. I practically inhaled it!
There were some really tasty, tantalizing morsels in here that Frank never elaborates on or expands upon, and I remember somehow expecting (perhaps from my experience with the Dune novels) that he would, at least at some point.
Where there any other novels written with this character?
Haven't read either of the Dune 7 books yet, so please don't spoil any details for me!
SandChigger wrote:I thought it was Dasein, after Hegel.
Dasein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasein), after Heidegger. It mean existence, presence, or in an odd way maybe 'perspetive' - in Heidegger's system (super-superficially recapped), humans/consciousness is the _way_ in which the world is experienced. We are the present-ness of the world. So anyway, Dasein is an interesting choice for a main character whose thoughts we follow (the audiences 'presence' in the story) and for a story about personal vs group consciousness...
Last edited by Lundse on 27 Feb 2012 10:59, edited 1 time in total.
Ford4D wrote:I really enjoyed reading this, I believe I had at in almost one go. I practically inhaled it!
There were some really tasty, tantalizing morsels in here that Frank never elaborates on or expands upon, and I remember somehow expecting (perhaps from my experience with the Dune novels) that he would, at least at some point.
Where there any other novels written with this character?
"Santaroga" is based on the town of Santa Rosa, where Frank Herbert wrote for the Press Democrat between 1949-53. He had his first sci-fi short story published while living here, "Looking for Something" in April 1952 Startling Stories. He also met Ralph and Irene Slattery here, who introduced him to Zen Buddhism, as well as philosophic and psychological topics that wormed their way into Dune. (and Heidegger/Dasein/Jaspers that were absorbed into Santaroga)
I am currently researching Frank Herbert's newspaper writings here at the Santa Rosa newspaper. My working title is "Behind the Santaroga Barrier", but that name is only written in sand.
The first printing will be limited to 100 copies, but I will make it available in eBook form.
I will also interview Tim O'Reilly, who lives in nearby Sebastopol, and spelunk the Cal Fullerton archives.
...any chance of getting a collection of his newspaper work?
I don't think the author should make the reader do that much work - Kevin J. Anderson We think we've updated 'Dune' for a modern readership without dumbing it down.- Brian Herbert There’s an unwritten compact between you and the reader. If someone enters a bookstore and sets down hard earned money(energy) for your book, you owe that person some entertainment and as much more as you can give. - Frank Herbert