Jon Saboe is the author of the recently reviewed The Days of Peleg. Jon’s novel is that rara avis in publishing, a book that successfully combines high adventure with actual history and philosophical themes—indeed, everything that occurs in the novel could actually have happened. The setting moves from ancient Mesopotamia across the Indian and Pacific oceans to the remarkably advanced cultures of South America, and thence across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.
If engaging characters, ancient high technology, history as you’ve probably never been taught, and spiritual depth are what you seek in your reading, then The Days of Peleg is just what you want.
Highly recommended.
———-
Q: What prompted you to write The Days of Peleg?
A. Initially I was intrigued by numerous archeological anomalies such as the Buache map—an ancient document which accurately shows Antarctica without ice, and the Antikythera mechanism—an ancient navigation calculator which gives the correct phases of the moon and relative position of the planets based on a given date entered by turning the dials. I had originally intended a short adventure story designed to explain these and other enigmas, but eventually the book blossomed into an epic nautical adventure novel which chronicles how early humans were fully capable of these and many other feats.
Q: The American Culture weblog concerns itself primarily with issues dealing with America ‘s way of life. How would you relate The Days of Peleg to the American culture?
A. One of the most dangerous threats to our American culture (in my opinion) is the constant encroachment of secularization—historically, a decidedly non-American value. This is not the tired old canard of Science vs. Religion, since our modern scientific world is based upon the religious assumption that the universe is ordered and comprehensible—just as one would expect from an intelligent creator.
Rather, it is the battle between a worldview that teaches that there is meaning and individual dignity vs. one that teaches there is no purpose or reason for existence other than collective survival.
This is an age-old conflict which is explored as a prevailing undercurrent throughout The Days of Peleg, and contributes greatly to the growth and ultimate enlightenment of the main character.
Q: Could you tell us about how you did research for the book?
A. In addition to studying as much as I could find about ancient technologies and artifacts, I did research on the language and mythologies of the Sumerians and the ancient Hebrew Midrashim.
As a result of some of this research, I have placed a complete bibliography and glossary at the end of the book.
Q: Do you have any projects in the works that you would like to tell us about?
A. I am currently working on a prequel, The Days of Lamech, which will be coming out in the spring of 2010. It takes place in the antediluvian world and will hopefully answer the demands of my readers who want to discover more about the Family Wars, the Nephilim slave camps, or the background of Amoela and her historical chronicles.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to say that we haven’t already discussed?
A. I would just like to thank you for your kind words and also for this interview opportunity.
I would also like to thank my readers who are solely responsible for the success of this book.
~~~~~~~~~~~
—Mike Gray
