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The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 23 May 2010 12:34
by Omphalos
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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..

Re: The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 23 May 2010 13:03
by lotek
cool; thanks!
I've never actually read that one, good reminder there!

Re: The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 23 May 2010 15:14
by DuneFishUK
I could have sworn the main characters name was Dasien :? ... but it has been a while :P

Another one to re-read at some point. Thanks for posting :)

Re: The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 23 May 2010 15:42
by inhuien
Ah the Jaspers, you gotta love the Jaspers.

Re: The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 23 May 2010 15:51
by Omphalos
DuneFishUK wrote:I could have sworn the main characters name was Dasien :? ... but it has been a while :P

Another one to re-read at some point. Thanks for posting :)
Actually, I think it's Desein according to wiki. We both got it wrong. :oops:

Re: The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 23 May 2010 16:21
by SandChigger
I thought it was Dasein, after Hegel. ;)

Re: The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 23 May 2010 22:25
by Omphalos
SandChigger wrote:I thought it was Dasein, after Hegel. ;)
Well, yes. But knowing the etiology helps not a bit in getting it spelled correctly.

Re: The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 26 Feb 2012 03:13
by Ford4D
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?

Re: The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 26 Feb 2012 06:40
by Lundse
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...

Re: The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 27 Feb 2012 06:07
by inhuien
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?
Nope.

Re: The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 29 Aug 2013 15:42
by SpiceMustFlow
"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.

The Words must flow!

Re: The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 29 Aug 2013 15:46
by Apjak
...any chance of getting a collection of his newspaper work?

Re: The Santaroga Barrier, by Frank Herbert

Posted: 30 Aug 2013 06:49
by Freakzilla
See the "Introduce Yourself" forum. :wink: