Well, after getting rather hyped up to read this book after a sci-fi club thread with some of you I'm happy to say I finished Dune! What a read! First of all, I loved it. Secondly, it pushed Spice onto me and now I'm like an addict begging for more. I really loved the setting of Arrakis and there seems to be so much depth to the universe's planets and the Imperium. The whole ducal system with a royal family is fascinating with the intermingling of the CHOAM company's seemingly capitalistic stance. I'm still letting the book sink in a bit in my mind but couldn't wait to make a post here explaining how much I loved it.
The inter-dimensional and physical capabilities of Paul Maud'dib and the Bene Gesserit are some of the coolest power trees in a book I've read. I love how it all connects to a physical cellular and ancestral emotional drive almost gaining in power and understanding with every generation until culminating in the Kwisatz Haderach. And the combining consciousness effect that the Spice has? so cool. The long exposure held on the Fremen people is fascinating. The fact that they all have this subtle, ever-present race identity they share and subconsciously tap into. Needless to say, can't wait to pick up the Frank Herbert sequels!
Cool! I actually finished the second book not long ago, and I'm curious to read the other installments by Herbert. I would say the second book actually goes into more detail of the aspects that intrigue you. The prophetic messiah story is very present, but there's also a lot more scheming and politics that are enjoyable to read.
Lucky you.
My best friend introduced me to Dune way back they. Herbert became instantly my fist favorite author, and In a few year span I read everything by him. At least 2 times. From the Destination Void universe (very good), to the short-story collection, to my least favorite (because not Sci-fi) : the Soul Catcher.
If I owe someone to not totally suck in English, I owe it to Herbert. Because back then not all his book were translated in french, and I could only read them in English (and don't understand them)
My favorite is the Messiah of Dune (I loved the bad guys plan). But people consider that the god-Emperor is the better in the serie.. but how can you identify with a giant worm?
Hhmm, I think my favorite arc might be Lady Jessica. She kind of has this pivotal point in a multitude of storylines and her becoming a Reverend Mother in a way she never thought she would was very interesting. She was obviously a supremely talented Bene Gesserit and I think her decision to bear a son indicated that she was so unconsciously connected to the BG breeding plan that it was an instinctual answer to finding the Kwisats Haderach.
There were so many great arcs though, I also really, really, loved the brief glimpse into Pardot Kynes arc that was at the end of the appendices. I wish that there could've almost been a more dedicated prologue characterizing him a bit more.
As for my least favorite story arc, I was pretty unimpressed with the way Liet Kynes died. I thought his death scene was well written but I wanted more from his character. I thought there was more potential with him but I think Herbert may have killed him to kind of even the playing field between Paul and the Fremen, they both lost their fathers. I also thought The Shadout Mapes was killed just a little too early. But these are relatively minor complaints.
One unanswered question I have is that I could've sworn multiple times in the book it was mentioned that a side effect of Spice addiction was prolonged life and yet I was pretty sure some of the birth/death dates for some of the characters (Lady Jessica chiefly on my mind) only barely made it to a hundred years old after being on a spice heavy diet for a multitude of years.
I think there are a lot of characters where it feels like we don't get a chance to fully explore all their interesting aspects and developments. This is especially true in the second book as well. I guess part of the intrigue of a good universe is that you don't pull away the curtain too fast or too completely though.
One of the things I was bummed on about Dune is there seemed to be a big hubbub about some secret reason shields were not used on dune. I must have snoozed on this, because I can not for the life of me think of a satisfying answer to what that secret was.
- I think her decision to bear a son indicated that she was so unconsciously connected to the BG breeding plan that it was an instinctual answer to finding the Kwisats Haderach.
I LIKE this idea. I like it a LOT. Good insight my dude, that might as well be canon for me. Plus the whole point about choosing to be different is very interesting. Was her choice worth it?
I expected more from Liet Kynes too. He was sitting at such a fun power conflux, but then, that's why he died arguably. The Shadout also feels like a letdown when you think about how smart and tough a Fremen has to be to make it to old age.
The long life thing I believe refers also to quality of life. Plus if a person can afford to eat lots and lots of spice they are likely influential enough to get murdered as well. Death by involuntary perforation is abundant in the Dune universe.
I would say her choice is worth it if you consider revenge worthy. In the end, a lot of her decisions directly loosed Maud'Dib upon the Harkonnens and the Imperium so in that sense, I'd say hell yeah, kill Harkonnens! I also feel like by the end of the book she had lost a good deal of faith in the Bene Gesserit. She had seen their mistakes through her son's eyes and how they failed to react to a lot of pivotal points. Closing the book on her finals words of "History will call us Wives." left me thinking that she felt a deal of disappointment with the BG's handling of their own end-game.
And I think you hit the nail on the head as to why the Shadout was disappointing. You'd definitely have to be pretty cunning to live that long as a Fremen.
That's great, and Dune remains my favorite fictional work of all time. I really like all 5 of the series (which is all that has ever been written), even if 3-5 take place so far in the future of the universe that they're almost not sequels.
From what I understand there are myths about other books but they should not be sought out or spoken of. Sometimes, epic time jumps are what makes a series. I'm excited to see where it goes! The ending of Dune has me thinking Maud'Dib has embraced the Jihad he foresaw.
I won't spoil Dune Messiah (which I hope you're starting soon if you haven't already!), but I'll just say the answer can best be described as "yes and no."
I need to read this.. My partner has been shoving it under my nose for a while, but I started the Wheel of Time (for the second time, I couldn't slog through the middle) so I'll read it once I, hopefully, slay this beast.
I hear it's a hell of a ride.
- I love how it all connects to a physical cellular and ancestral emotional drive almost gaining in power and understanding with every generation until culminating in the Kwisatz Haderach.
To me this is what showed off Herbert's writing skill.
He made things intergenerationally, historically convoluted and managed to tie it all up with a bow and piece of spice candy to boot.
Yes, the dedication to generational plans amidst the different factions was one of the things that stood out the most to me. Humans nowadays can barely plan for their own lifetimes, let alone putting efforts into plans they'll never see carried out. It really helped me grasp the scale of the universe.