Don Fenn Troubadour

Troubadour

Don Fenn

Synergy, Oct 2005, $22.95

ISBN: 0975592262

Following a break-through with a patient, sixty-two year old psychotherapist Peter Icarus can barely move to urinate. Worn out by self deprecation reflections on his personal failures, he sits on the throne to pee and ponder, like Rodin's Thinker, how with three ex-wives, two adult children, and three grandchildren he feels lonely. When he receives an email he assumes it is a hoax, but still wonders what does he have to lose if he accepts the odd invitation; so he agrees to journey to a planet Troubadour, in which humanity is two centuries ahead of what is current San Francisco.

On Troubadour, he remains isolated except for two constant visitors. The wise male, Rain, is his host, whose wisdom enables Peter to look deep inside on why he fails at relationships. The woman, Wind, offers him more of an emotional attachment, that provides Peter with an anchor as he peels away his protection to understand his fears that have crippled him. However, he also wants physical comfort from Rain, as he needs her, but she has her own quest, to learn why she has failed at life.

Troubadour is a fascinating Utopia that looks at the role of society quite differently than the mindset of modern western governments, as the individuals mental health is fostered to achieve a higher level of harmony with oneself, and in relation with others; like an Eastern libertarian philosophy. The storyline focuses mostly on melancholy Peter, who finds a new look on life, while perplexed about Troubadour. A deep science fiction character study, readers will place themselves in the shoes of Peter, contemplating how to improve relationships with loved ones while also reconsidering the role of government in ones life.