Heliopolis (novel)
Encyclopedia
Heliopolis is an utopistic
or dystopia
n novel by Ernst Jünger
published in 1949. In the fictional city of Heliopolis the henchmen of a Proconsul and a Landvogt (“country master” or “land reeve”) fight each other. Commander Lucius de Geer belongs to the staff of the Proconsul, but he stands more and more aloof these inner fights. Finally he leaves Heliopolis. The novel connects speculative fiction
with philosophic
excursions and historical allusions.
The novel takes place in the future at a time not exactly given. Heliopolis is described as a metropolis in the Mediterranean. It controls enormous areas and regions. The names of the countries in the novel indicate, that Jünger did not want to imply a specific location. In Greek mythology the Hesperides
are regions in the far west of the then known world, here they are new discovered areas not completely explored. Also the "Burgenland" ("Castle County"), Asturia, the Parsi and the Mauretania
ns do not really match existing countries or people of this or similar name. They rather stand for different political directions or systems.
Jünger readopts several names and topics from his earlier novel On the Marble Cliffs
like the Landvogt and the Mauretanians, and would again use several aspects of Heliopolis later in Eumeswil
. Eumeswil shows a fictional world based on Heliopolis carrying on the developments described here.
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
or dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n novel by Ernst Jünger
Ernst Jünger
Ernst Jünger was a German writer. In addition to his novels and diaries, he is well known for Storm of Steel, an account of his experience during World War I. Some say he was one of Germany's greatest modern writers and a hero of the conservative revolutionary movement following World War I...
published in 1949. In the fictional city of Heliopolis the henchmen of a Proconsul and a Landvogt (“country master” or “land reeve”) fight each other. Commander Lucius de Geer belongs to the staff of the Proconsul, but he stands more and more aloof these inner fights. Finally he leaves Heliopolis. The novel connects speculative fiction
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
with philosophic
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
excursions and historical allusions.
The novel takes place in the future at a time not exactly given. Heliopolis is described as a metropolis in the Mediterranean. It controls enormous areas and regions. The names of the countries in the novel indicate, that Jünger did not want to imply a specific location. In Greek mythology the Hesperides
Hesperides
In Greek mythology, the Hesperides are nymphs who tend a blissful garden in a far western corner of the world, located near the Atlas mountains in North Africa at the edge of the encircling Oceanus, the world-ocean....
are regions in the far west of the then known world, here they are new discovered areas not completely explored. Also the "Burgenland" ("Castle County"), Asturia, the Parsi and the Mauretania
Mauretania
Mauretania is a part of the historical Ancient Libyan land in North Africa. It corresponds to present day Morocco and a part of western Algeria...
ns do not really match existing countries or people of this or similar name. They rather stand for different political directions or systems.
Jünger readopts several names and topics from his earlier novel On the Marble Cliffs
On the Marble Cliffs
On the Marble Cliffs is a novella by Ernst Jünger published in 1939 describing the upheaval and ruin of a serene agricultural society...
like the Landvogt and the Mauretanians, and would again use several aspects of Heliopolis later in Eumeswil
Eumeswil
Eumeswil is a philosophical postmodern novel by the Goethe Prize winning German author Ernst Jünger . Written in 1977 in the author's mature years, Eumeswil is set in an undatable post-apocalyptic world, somewhere in present-day Morocco....
. Eumeswil shows a fictional world based on Heliopolis carrying on the developments described here.