Written by Michael Schwartz
Saniel’s novel, Ultimaya 1.0: The Trouble with the Wishes of Leopold Stokes, is at once a refined work of art and a spiritual transmission that invites deep reflection on issues of ultimate concern. (See the glowing review it received in Kirkus Reviews.) The text throughout expresses integral waves of being and perceiving; at least three of which stand out:
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The diverse literary and narrative sources of the novel are woven into an open dynamic whole – the styles remain recognizable on their own terms while also being integrated into a coherent aesthetic. The relative autonomy of styles cum their holonic ordering is an expression of second-tier cognition.
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The novel narrates a wide variety of states of consciousness, all of which are mysteriously interconnected in the story (and far more complexly interwoven than, say, in the Bhagavad Gita). There is an uncanny, difficult to pin down order to these transpersonal states and the realms they open, but there is no doubt that they come to serve the protagonist, Leopold Stokes, on his spiritual journey – a journey that remains rooted in the everyday (no spiritual bypassing here!).
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Even though early on in the novel a character occasionally disapproves of fundamentalist versions of Christianity, the authorial tone in the end playfully leaves room for recognition that all these waves of religious expression are to be honored, a sentiment proper to a second tier (or higher) stage in the line of faith as explored by James Fowler. (Saniel met James Fowler at one of the Integral Spiritual Center gatherings in Boulder, CO, and in honor of and inspired by Fowler has developed a zone 1 analog to Fowler’s zone 2 line of faith, which Saniel calls the Ages of Trust.)
Please enjoy the interview—and beyond that, we encourage you to read this novel which has already been praised by so many. Be assured: it is a fun and accessible read at that!
December, 1992. Leopold Stokes, a small town Carolina banker with big dreams, ambitions – and a temper – springs for his first laptop. On the computer is a software program: "Ultimaya 1.0," which promises to "fulfill his deepest wishes." Leo can't resist. He opens the program – and is soon hurtling into the adventure of a lifetime...
Part Aladdin and His Magic Lamp with a computer program for a genie, part Sorcerer's Apprentice with no sorcerer to take command, and part modern-day Christmas Carol that keeps us guessing until the very end, Ultimaya 1.0 is a hip, hugely satisfying sci-fi fantasy. It touches our hearts, engages our minds, and keeps us laughing even while we tumble with Leo into sometimes wrenching outcomes and consequences. And it'll keep us pondering the mysteries of what it means for Leo to fulfill his deepest wishes, and for us to fulfill our own, for a long time to come.
Ultimaya 1.0 is a superb gift for anyone you know who's got any spiritual interests at all – and an even better one for anybody who's beginning to search for deeper meaning, connect with God or Spirit, and live with passion, wisdom, and love.
“Ultimaya 1.0 doesn't explain the Mystery, but deepens our intimacy with It. Sit back, relax into the story, fasten your seatbelt, and keep your eyes as open as possible as the rollercoaster crests its first big hill and starts to really fly... Highly recommended!” –Robert Augustus Masters
“Saniel Bonder is one in whom the Conscious Principle is awakened, and he is attempting to forge a new path of mutuality in the midst of ordinary, messy, everyday realities ." –Ken Wilber
“The Matrix meets Alice in Wonderland in Ultimaya 1.0, which takes us way, way down the rabbit hole. A rollicking good read!” –Stephen Dinan
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