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- It's Not What You Think!
- this review will contain minor-medium spoilers
- Spice Without The Worms
- Perhaps Herbert's best
- Another helping of jaspers, please
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The Santaroga Barrier
Frank Herbert
Manufacturer: Tor Books
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ASIN: 0765342510 |
Book Description
Santaroga seemed to be nothing more than a prosperous farm community. But there was something . . . different . . . about Santaroga.Santaroga had no juvenile delinquency, or any crime at all. Outsiders found no house for sale or rent in this valley, and no one ever moved out. No one bought cigarettes in Santaroga. No cheese, wine, beer or produce from outside the valley could be sold there. The list went on and on and grew stranger and stranger.Maybe Santaroga was the last outpost of American individualism. Maybe they were just a bunch of religious kooks. . . .Or maybe there was something extraordinary at work in Santaroga. Something far more disturbing than anyone could imagine.
Customer Reviews:
It's Not What You Think!.......2007-09-25
Do yourself a huge favor, and read this book without reading any of the spoilers first. This novel is one of the greatest sci-fi mystery stories of all time, and not one of the dozen people to whom I have lent my dog-eared copy has ever guessed the ending or been disappointed with the unimaginable climax. I am quite overjoyed to see that it is back in print.
For those who only know Herbert from his Dune books, this, and the soon to be reprinted White Plague, show that the master was no one-trick pony. This book may indeed involve ideas that touch upon corporatism and cult dynamics, but it is not story told as an excuse for exploring such ideas, it is simply an incredibly good story, with all the intricate and multilevel subtlties and wordplay that you would expect from the author of Dune, yet set in a little California wine-town. Herbert was able to integrate, extrapolate and speculate in ways to which no other science fiction writer can compare, and his non-Dune books have been far too long neglected. This is one of the best.
Sit down with a nice glass of wine and a plate of cheese and dig in. And don't read the spoilers!
this review will contain minor-medium spoilers.......2007-09-07
just to warn anyone, that this review will contain some minor-medium spoilers
This little novel was originally published in 1968, three years after the classic Dune. And it shares a couple of big ideas with that novel, though this one is set in current (1960's) day rural California. A researcher from U-Cal Berkeley named Gilbert Dasein travels to a very isolated community in rural California called Santaroga. He is being payed to do research there, but his real motive is to meet up with the girl from that community named Jenny, whom he once knew at college, and with whom he is deeply in love.
Santaroga is a very independent place, where they produce their own food, where outside food and drink is not allowed in, outsiders are not allowed to buy homes there, and researchers seem to have a way of ending up dead. And anyone who leaves to join the military or go to college ends up going back, just as Jenny did.
It turns up that there is a naturally occurring substance (called Jaspers) which gets into the food and drink that alters the body and mind, and is ridiculously addictive.
Like Dune, here Herbert explores the effects of a community wide addiction to a naturally occurring super drug...
Only here, there is a question about whether or not Jaspers forms a subconcious group mind, whether it has a mind of its own, and whether or not it takes away your free will and forces you to do bad deeds (criminal acts, in fact) that you are not even aware that you are doing...
Spice Without The Worms.......2007-05-13
It was something of a fascination back in the Age of Aquarius--Was it truly "Better living through Chemistry"--i.e. were the hallucinogens of the day leading to a better world? Herbert seems to be running a minor variant on the whole "spice" thing he was working in "Dune." A northern California town under the sway of some mind-expanding fungus that causes them to stop reacting to the outside world's blitz of advertising and consumerism--which, in turn, draws the interest of those shadowy evil capitalists and media barons. Herbert tries to keep his little Eden a two-edged sword--in addition to brain boosting, the stuff literally blows some folks minds into a near catatonia, is somewhat addictive and may force a kind of subconcious collective mind control on the user. (If memory serves, he explores that further in "Hellstrom's Hive.")
The ideas (as denoted by the MEANINGUL CHARACTER NAMES) are pretty much the all. The characters, except for the lead, are fairly flat--in particular the love interest who seems to be little more than a Stepford excuse to get the hero into the town and expose him to the fungus.
If there is a saving grace, it's that Herbert tries to focus on the attractions that this sort of collective thing offers. Most takes, like "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers," let the paranoia rule. Unfortunately, it can come off as trying to defend Jim Jones and Guyana or the Heaven's Gate cult.
Perhaps Herbert's best.......2006-06-27
After reading Dune, I discovered Santaroga Barrier. Dune and Stranger in a Strange Land were my favorite reads in the 60's. That being the case, I grabbed this book and finished it in one night. It was a far easier read than Dune and perhaps had deeper meaning. It's been over 40 years since reading this novel but it's not been forgotten. As the Dune series holds everyone's attention, this book has been lost in the shuffle, I thought it out of print. Finding it available, I will re-purchase it and share with my family. It is a novel that can be read and enjoyed by those that do not consider science fiction or fantasy their forte. And, has I hope to find out, can be reread to deliver as much pleasure the second time around. If you are looking for an intelligent novel, one to hold your interest from the very first page, yet one that is extremely easy to read, this story should be at the top of your list.
Another helping of jaspers, please.......2005-11-24
Having read some Herbert before, I expected the barrier to be a physical barrier on the face of a planet. Wrong. The barrier references the unwillingness of the members of Santaroga, CA, to interact with the outside. See, this is a community that is self-sufficient and "takes care of its own." Its also a community that is consuming large quantities of 'shrooms, in the form of mycelium/fungus named jaspers. Jaspers is basically in all perishables in the community, but it isn't known about outside the community.
Gilbert Dasein, UC Berkeley psychologist, has been hired to perform a study of Santaroga on behalf of a business group that ostensibly wants to understand the barrier between Santaroga and the outside world. Forebodingly, the previous two analysts in this position died from 'natural accidents' while in Santaroga.
As Dasein spends time in Santaroga, he too becomes the victim of several of these 'accidents', in which community members unconsciously try to kill him. This impulse seems to be driven by a collective consciousness to remove outsiders, induced by the jaspers. There are several mentions of the nature of this consciousness, but they aren't detailed enough to get a good grasp of it.
Dasein becomes addicted to jaspers, with its consciousness enhancing and physically restorative properties. While trying to analyze exactly what the substance is, he takes a mega dose and falls into a coma (if I remember correctly).
There is a pretty clear parallel between jaspers and melange, another geriatric substance that is found in the Dune series.
There are several other interesting episodes in the book. There is also a love relationship with Jenny, a former student of Dasein's, though it is rather one-dimensional. Jenny's best line in the book is "I love you! Stay away from me!". Read the book and it will make sense.
I really do recommend this book. It is interesting and doesn't get bogged down as Herbert tended to do occasionally. This is more along the lines of just a fun read, rather than a "great" book that tackles some of the larger issues Herbert was wont to do.
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The Santaroga Barrier
Frank Herbert
Manufacturer: NEL Books, London
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ASIN: B000PS0PJI |
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UK edition. Weird tale in an isolated town.
Book Description
The death of Jesus is one of the most hotly debated questions in Christianity today. In his massive and highly publicized The Death of the Messiah, Raymond Brown -- while clearly rejecting anti-Semitism -- never questions the essential historicity of the passion stories. Yet it is these stories, in which the Jews decide Jesus' execution, that have fueled centuries of Christian anti-Semitism.
Now, in his most controversial book, John Dominic Crossan shows that this traditional understanding of the Gospels as historical fact is not only wrong but dangerous. Drawing on the best of biblical, anthropological, sociological and historical research, he demonstrates definitively that it was the Roman government that tried and executed Jesus as a social agitator. Crossan also candidly addresses such key theological questions as "Did Jesus die for our sins?" and "Is our faith in vain if there was no bodily resurrection?"
Ultimately, however, Crossan's radical reexamination shows that the belief that the Jews killed Jesus is an early Christian myth (directed against rival Jewish groups) that must be eradicated from authentic Christian faith.
Customer Reviews:
Crossan Calls Us to a Mature Faith.......2007-03-29
Crossan compares and contrasts the Passion Narratives (written to explain the crime, arrest, trial and abuse, execution, burial, and resurrection of Jesus) in the four Gospels and includes a fifth, the Gospel of Peter. With uncompromising scholarship, Crossan contrasts the stories with the history of first century Palestine, and discuses the origins of the Passion of Jesus in the Old Testament. While readers must be prepared to let go of myth and miracle, we are left with the sense that something even more powerful existed in the person of Jesus. He was a rebel in the truest sense, fighting against the 'normalcy of civilization,' i.e., empire/domination as usual. God's Kingdom--available here and now, not somewhere hereafter--directly opposed the rule of Rome. As was typical in those times, any troublemaker was quickly dealt with via execution.
I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Crossan at a seminar this past February. He calls us to a mature Christian faith, a faith which strives to restore justice (equality) through service to an unjust world. This is not 'new' Christianity, but original Christianity.
An extended book review.......2006-10-03
John Dominic Crosson's 1995 book is written in response to Raymond Brown's 1994 book The Death of the Messiah. Crosson systematically takes Brown's positions apart, one by one, closely examining the gospels with a special focus on the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Peter (which appears in an appendix). Crosson demonstrates what is most likely historical and what is literary, and his analyses are very impressive. His focus on the death of Jesus provides ample opportunity to accumulate some formidible information about this facet of the life of Jesus.
Despite the obvious scholarship and Crosson's easy to read writing style, the book never gets beyond the "Brown said, I say..." level of exposition. Moreover, Crosson has an annoying habit of opening up a topic and then telling the reader to "stay tuned" because he is really going to discuss it later.
There is value in this book, but not as much if Crosson had simply written his own book instead of trying to critique Brown's book. To get the full value from this book, one has to read Brown's original book.
I feel sorry for him........2006-04-17
JD Crossan is an ex-priest and product of the 1960s who left his vocation. Time and time we see this associated with a pathological sense of guilt as is sadly shown by this book. Though clearly talanted, Crossan's personal sense of shame/guilt cloud his reason. His drivel continues in his other works. Look to other writers on Jesus to get healthier analysis of Jesus.
Important Book.......2005-09-12
This is a thought provoking look at the first century c.e. It is important to separate myth from reality when reading Religous documents as history.
Wonderful book.......2005-01-28
Some of the other reviews need to be ignored by people unfamiliar with the topic. To say, as one of the reviewers did, that Christianity has never claimed that the Jews killed Christ is either ignorant or naive. As I don't know the person, I cannot comment either way. The Gospels are an infamous source of anti-semetism and anyone who has studied theology in an academic setting knows this to be fact.
As for the book being "another angle on Mel Gibson's film," well of course the Gibson film is flawed in many resepcts, particularily historicity. And Crossan's book is an "angle" on the Bible, not a film.
The book is exceptional and I would recommend it without hesitation.
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- The Judas brief: Who really killed Jesus
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The Judas Brief: Who Really Killed Jesus?
Gary Greenberg
Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
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The Judas Brief challenges the fundamental Gospel concept that at least some leading Jews played a key role in having Jesus executed. Author Gary Greenberg provides a detailed examination of all Gospel accounts of hostile interaction between Jesus and the Jews, with special attention to the Gospel accounts of the Jewish and Roman trials of Jesus. He then compares these Gospel reports with the historical evidence and reaches some surprising and controversial conclusions, including that: · there was never any organized Jewish hostility to Jesus · the only significant opposition came from Roman authorities · Judas was a close ally of Jesus and represented him in negotiations with the High Priest · the High Priest tried to protect Jesus and his followers from a Roman initiated massacre · Jesus willingly agreed to surrender himself to Pilate as a hostage to insure that his followers remained passive during the holiday · Judas and Caiaphas had expected that Jesus would be released after the holiday · Pilate broke his word and had Jesus executed · Judas committed suicide in grief over the unexpected death of Jesus and the role he had played
'The Judas Brief' is a comprehensive and clearly written account of the many Gospel portrayals of interaction between Jesus and the Jews. It may well provide modern Christian scholars and exegetes with some of the tools necessary to challenge the anti-Semitic reactions that flow from the Gospel accounts of Jewish hostility to Jesus.
Customer Reviews:
The Judas brief: Who really killed Jesus.......2007-06-19
WHO REALLY KILLED JESUS
Book review
By Andre Austin
Author, Gary Greenberg has released a brand new book, The Judas Brief: Who really killed Jesus. His main thesis is an attempt to rightfully indict and exeronate the murders of the man you know as Jesus Christ. He uses all of his lawyer verbal and writing skills coupled with digging deep through the historical records to offer an alternative ethological assumption of the murder of Jesus. Gary cuts through the chase, hyperbole and all of the embellishment handed down to us all the zealous followers of Jesus.
So just who killed Jesus? We are led down a road to believe that Pilate with the assistance of Jewish priest forced Pilate to crucified Jesus. However, all that we know about the cruel Pilate was that only another individual with similar or equal power or the Emperor could make Pilate budge on issues dealing with political and military operations within his jurisdiction. According to the Bible "Herod and Pontius Pilate met together...to conspire against your holy servant Jesus" (Acts 4:27). Herod was called a fox a possible allusion to foxes who wore sheep clothing because by birth he was a Jew but was Roman in all of his ways. So if Herod conspired to kill Jesus just what did he do? When you conspire it's a joint effort of two or more person to achieve a criminal or immoral goal. The goal was killing Jesus. The trumped up charges was he claimed to be Son of God and or Son of Man. Theses terminologies meant King and ultimately treason to Herod and Pilate; and we are lead wrongfully to believe it meant blaspheme to Caiaphas, the Sadducee priest.
For some reason or another the apocrypha book the Gopel of Peter (GOP) didn't make it in the official canon of the New Testament, however it's useful because it continues the dialogue of fully explaining Herod's conspiracy to kill Jesus. According to the GOP Herod was the one who gave the order for the execution. "Herod the king commandeth that the lord (Jesus) be taken saying to them (Pilate), what things soever I commanded you to do unto him (Jesus), do" (GOP). This settles it for me. Like father like son Herod the great attempted to kill Jesus, (with no massive baby killing was the embellishment), in his infancy and his son Herod Antipas finally was able to get him as an adult. In the New Testament Jesus had taunted Herod to try to kill him out of his jurisdiction. Herod beheaded John the Baptist which he thought Jesus was a reincarnation of.
As I read The Judas Brief, I began to see the real picture. Judas didn't betray Jesus the correct term was "hand over" temporary for house arrest at the Sadducee priest house. It is very unclear in the gospels just what Judas Iscariot's betrayal consisted. Matthew says that Judas' payment and death were prophesied by Jeremiah, and then he quotes Zecharian 11:12-13 as proof!
According to Matthew 26:15, the chief priests "weighed out thirty pieces of silver" to give to Judas. There are two things wrong with this:
a. There were no "pieces of silver" used as currency in Jesus' time - they had gone out of circulation about 300 years before.
b. In Jesus' time, minted coins were used - currency was not "weighed out."
By using phrases that made sense in Zechariah's time but not in Jesus' time Matthew once again gives away the fact that he creates events in his gospel to match "prophecies" he finds in the Old Testament. The embellishments were for moral teachings not historical teachings. Judas was a trusted treasury and rebuke Jesus for using expensive oil that could be used for the poor. This behavior is inconsistent with a man wanting to kill Jesus for money. Although the bible says Satan entered Judas the only apostle called the devil was Peter and that was because Peter didn't want Jesus to die. Judas also didn't commit suicide which Greenberg points out the contradiction. And if you read also another apocrypha book called the Gospel of Judas you will see the allegation that Judas was murdered.
The deal was brokered that Jesus would remain under house arrest after the Passover festivals was over. When Herod found out about it he countermanded Pilate to put Jesus on the cross. The Jewish authorities had to hand him over to Pilate and Herod to avoid widespread killing spree. So Jesus died so that many Jews could live at that time and place. Judas and the others didn't believe in suicide, martyrdom or sacrifice but it was out of their hands now. The Jews had very little to do with Killing Jesus.
It appears that at one point in time Christians and Jews didn't get along. It's possible that in that zeal of animosity the Jews involvement with killing Jesus was hyped up.
I stopped everything I was doing to finish this book. Two thumbs up for this page turner. It was worth my money.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Skeptic (Altadena, CA), published by Skeptics Society & Skeptic Magazine on March 22, 2004. The length of the article is 2024 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Blood and passion: a review of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, and an analysis of who really killed Jesus.(Movie Review)
Author: Tim Callahan
Publication:
Skeptic (Altadena, CA) (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2004
Publisher: Skeptics Society & Skeptic Magazine
Volume: 11
Issue: 1
Page: 85(2)
Article Type: Movie Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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This digital document is an article from Catholic Insight, published by Catholic Insight on May 1, 2000. The length of the article is 1003 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Who killed Christ?(assertion of Jewish responsibility for crucifixion by Jesuit priest)(Brief Article)
Author: Alphonse de Valk
Publication:
Catholic Insight (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2000
Publisher: Catholic Insight
Volume: 8
Issue: 4
Page: 30
Article Type: Brief Article
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Who Killed Jesus? Exposing the Roots of Anti-Semitism in the Gospel Story of the Death of Jesus.(Brief Article): An article from: Journal of Church and State
Geoffrey C. Bowden
Manufacturer: J.M. Dawson Studies in Church and State
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ASIN: B00097NKH4
Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
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This digital document is an article from Journal of Church and State, published by J.M. Dawson Studies in Church and State on March 22, 1997. The length of the article is 442 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Who Killed Jesus? Exposing the Roots of Anti-Semitism in the Gospel Story of the Death of Jesus.(Brief Article)
Author: Geoffrey C. Bowden
Publication:
Journal of Church and State (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1997
Publisher: J.M. Dawson Studies in Church and State
Volume: 39
Issue: n2
Page: 342-343
Article Type: Book Review, Brief Article
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Who Killed Mrs. Jesus?
Jeffrey McGraw
Manufacturer: Amazon
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ASIN: B000PC732Q
Release Date: 2007-04-13 |
Book Description
“Who Killed Mrs. Jesus?' is an updated homage to Nick and Nora Charles of Dashiell Hammett's Thin Man novel which celebrated banter, love, mystery and noir thrillers extraordinaire. If enough people would email me and let me know they would like to see a full length Rex and Ginger Tolliver novel, I certainly would accommodate them. In the meantime, it's Ross Malone's return in “Breeder.”
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- The Sunborn
- The Three-Cornered War (The Regiment Series)
- The Union Forever (Lost Regiment)
- The Wall of the Sky, the Wall of the Eye
- The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan)
- Tokyo Mew-Mew, Book 3 / Party of Five
- Tomas Sanchez
- Too Close to the Sun: The Audacious Life and Times of Denys Finch Hatton
- Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism
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