Dune
So I decided for the first fictional rant, I'd talk about something I've read recently that was also important to me. Truth is, I'm a science fiction fan. What says science fiction better than, arguably, the most influential science fiction novel on all time, Dune. Now I did pick up Dune rather late, more of an after-thought than anything else. I was looking for something to read and Dune seemed interesting enough. The best science fiction novel of all time, you'd probably expect it to. Thing was, I heard a lot about Dune, being a science fiction fan it's hard not to, but it was old, so most of my friends hadn't read it. Without a good recommendation, I wasn't sure I had the time for it. Eventually though, I did pick it up and all its sequels.
Dune is a journey into the human condition, it's a beautifully woven tale, of intrigue, betrayal, action, adventure and heroism. It captures your imagination and takes you for a ride you'll have difficulty ever forgetting. In its own right, it's exceptional, wonderful, and just a joy to read. Single-handedly, it may have changed the face of science fiction for years to come. Inspiring other novels, music, movies (like Star Wars), games, television, and much more.
I'm not just going to talk about the novel Dune, but also the movie, as well as the Sci-Fi miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune. So let's start with the most important part, the setting.
Dune is set more than 21,000 years in the future, humanity has colonized many worlds in the known universe. There's a feudal government system, where the Great Houses of the Landsraad owe allegiance to the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV. The spacing guild holds a monopoly on space travel; their Navigators being the only method of safely traversing fold space. From the shadows, the matriarchal Bene Gesserit organize a breeding program to produce a Kwisatz Haderach, a being I'll explaining in a second.
In the human empire, there are Suk doctors, conditioned to do no harm. Their conditioning is so thorough that they are safe to treat the Emperor and any other important member of government without fear of treachery. Besides the Suks, there are the Mentats, specially trained humans who are able to do advanced human computations.
In the aftermath of an event known as the Butlerian Jihad, there is a universal prohibition on all thinking machines, including computers, artificial intelligence, and robots of any kind. Thus creating the need for Mentats to fulfill the role they used to serve.
The core element of Dune is the spice, melange, a narcotic that facilitates advanced mental and physical abilities. It can extend live, and improve health and even grant limited prescience. Both the guild Navigators and Bene Gesserit rely on the spice. For the Navigators, it's what enabled them to guide their heighliners through fold space. They consume large amounts of melange and immerse themselves in vats of orange melange gas, this mutates them into aquatic looking humans, with vestigial limbs and large heads. In the movie, they appear as giant worm-like beings with a v-shaped mouth, a massive head and atrophied limbs. The mini-series portrays a Navigator as having a withered frame wing-like arms, and the blue-in-blue eyes of spice addiction.
The Bene Gesserit rely on the physical and mental benefits of the spice, as well as the spice agony, a deadly trial that not all survive, that unlocks their female ancestral memories and makes them a Reverend Mother. Their goal to create a Kwisatz Haderach, a male who can unlock both his male and female ancestral memories, and the power to bridge space and time. Who they hope will allow them to guide humanity toward their ultimate goal, whatever that is.
The spice can only be found on the desert planet Arrakis, or Dune, it's incredibly valuable; often used as currency. The CHOAM corporation controls allocation of melange, and thus determines the income and financial leverage of each Great House. “He who controls the spice controls the Universe.”
Also on the planet Arrakis are some humans, mostly spice workers and merchants, living in the far-northern latitudes of Arrakis; protected from the harshness of Arrakis' weather by a giant rock formation, the Shield Wall. Scattered throughout the deep southern desert are sietches where an unknown quantity of Fremen live. In the desert, there are a few interesting forms of life, simple kangaroo mice and hawks, as well as, the massive sandworms. Spice can only be mined in the southern desert, and always brings a worm. Spice workers must be quick and well coordinated to succeed without loss of equipment or the precious spice.
The Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV of House Corrino rules from his Royal Court on Kaitain. The House Corrino's homeworld is the prison world of Salusa Secundus. The planet’s climate is so severe the mortality rate is higher than 60%.
The House Harkonnen of Giedi Prime formerly controlled the spice mining operations on Arrakis. Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is the leader of the Great House, he is immensely fat and requires anti-gravity devices to support his weight. House Harkonnen is filled with hedonistic schemers and plotters seeking the downfall of House Atreides.
House Atreides of Caladan is the Great House of the core cast of characters. It's led by Duke Leto Atreides, a popular man among the other Great Houses. He's described as a fair and just statesman, garnering fierce loyalty in those that serve him. Notably among them are the Swordmaster Duncan Idaho, the Mentat Thufir Hawat, and the troubadour-soldier Gurney Halleck. The Emperor grants Leto control of the mining operations on Arrakis. Leto and his advisors suspect foul play, but they take the position anyway, and Leto, his concubine Lady Jessica, his son Paul, and the men loyal to his House make preparation to travel to Arrakis.
After this point there will be many spoilers, so I'll post the purchase link here, for anyone who wishes to read the book rather than read me talk about it.
If you're one of those people who don't care about spoilers, or have read the book, feel free to continue. If you’ve not read the book you’ll probably get lost really quick.
Spoiler Warning!
Much of Dune is about Paul’s destiny as a hero, whether or not He is the Kwisatz Haderach, and/or Dune’s Mahdi, the Fremen Saviour. It’s also about the dangers of a hero, and the fallibility of him. Paul is in a constant battle with his actions and how they push him towards the bloody Jihad he sees with his prescience. When Paul
Dune presents the dangers of a heroes tale often left unheard or unsaid. In Dune you will find a hero who becomes more of a hero in his attempts to just be a man. Paul learns the rules of the desert as well as the Fremen who he lives among, and guides as Muad’Dib.
The movie and the miniseries contain different scenes before the Harkonnen assault on Arrakeen. I like the movie up until that point, after that I became incredibly confused and couldn’t follow the plot for the life of me. The miniseries however, covers the latter parts of the novel much better.
Both include Paul’s test of the Gom Jabbar, though the movie is a bit more accurate with how it plays out.
Paul becoming the Kwisatz Haderach, and his sister being preborn, abomination to the Bene Gesserit, with the memories of all her ancestors, turns out to be rather tragic tale. Paul discovers he has little choice in the events that are coming. The one with perfect prescience is trapped by his visions of the future. The futility of Paul’s struggle to change the course of history is at time heartbreaking.
Dune captures a spirit of wonder and heroism and translates it into a powerful tale of fruitlessness against unchangeable futures. Dune is as much a tale of Paul the hero, as it is, of Paul the fallible. It’s also the tale of Lady Jessica and her betrayal of her sisterhood.
Dune is about human nature, and all the twisted and noble forms it takes. It’s about the difference between what is real and what we imagine to be so. It inspire great works for a reason, it’s the best selling science fiction novel of all time for a reason. No matter how you look at it, there is only one Dune, and it’s a Masterpiece.