The
Keys to The Lost Symbol 
In April of 2009 the publication of Dan Brown's long awaited new novel was announced with a publication date of September 15, 2009. In spite of a previous slip by a publisher's representative who had called the novel The Solomon Key, the new novel is entitled The Lost Symbol. Few secrets are revealed in the announcement save that the action will be compressed into twelve frantic hours. It is probably safe to assume that the novel will still unfold in Washington, D.C. and involve the Masons and their connections to leading figures in American history. Be sure to return for further updates as September approaches. This site will eventaully provide a full set of annotations to explain the references and allusions in the novel for the curious. See the initial efforts now in the form of a blog. For those who can't wait you might want to examine a list of possible interesting links.
Even
before the publication of Dan Brown's next novel, purported to be
titled The
Solomon Key, articles,
books, and yes
even web pages such as this were beginning to appear. Many of these were
commercial
ventures hoping to capitalize on the economic success of Dan Brown's The
DaVinci Code, and those books
and
other efforts connected with it.
My
original goal was more modest: to provide a set of links to information
(mostly
electronic) that would enhance the reading and answer questions raised
by
pointing to sources and themes contained in the novel.
Before
I begin let me record my own debt to the three already existing attempts: David Shugarts, Secrets of the Widow's Son, Greg Taylor, DaVinci in America: Unlocking he
Secrets of
Dan Brown's The Solomon Key
(already
renamed as The
Guide to Dan Brown's The Solomon Key) and W. Frederick Zimmermann, The
Solomon Key and Beyond: Unauthorized Dan Brown Update.
How
does one begin to comment on an unreleased novel? Dan Brown himself has
left us
several hints concerning Robert Langdon's next adventure. The
presumption is
that it will center on
All
of this is great fun if you love puzzles, codes, or are simply curious.
This is
just a beginning. For those interested in the eventual outcome, visit
my own The
Keys to The Da
Vinci Code.
In the fall of 2007 in anticipation of the novel I offered a seminar based on possible themes to be found in The Solomon Key. Students researched a number of topics and wrote papers and Power Point presentations. Many of the themes will also be of interest to those who have seen the movie, National Treasure II.