Comments on Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Experience: "Dune", Plus Often-Neglected Other Novels by Frank...

Thank you GMPilot - we did write a review for Unde...

2010-02-24T21:52:51.708-08:00

Thank you GMPilot - we did write a review for Under Pressure: scroll down our Frank Herbert page to read it:

http://www.scifi.darkroastedblend.com/2005/10/frank-herbert_08.html

Truly awesome thriller, one of the very best

How could you neglect Herbert's best non-Dune nove...

2010-02-19T21:51:48.361-08:00

How could you neglect Herbert's best non-Dune novel: Under Pressure?

After the success of Dune, some of his other stuff saw print; "Under Pressure" was then known as The Dragon in the Sea in the late '60s.
When Ballantine got the paperback contract, they gave it the title it has now, which was a perfect description on many layers.

Given that the story was first published in the mid-1950s, it has aged very well; as a story about submariners in conflict, I feel it compares favorably to Run Silent, Run Deep, Das Boot or The Hunt for Red October--and it predates almost all of them! Those were all made into really good movies; someone should do the same with Herbert's story...it'll have to be better than that messy Dune.

dune is astounding... i added the following in a b...

2010-01-05T18:08:51.855-08:00

dune is astounding...
i added the following in a book i attempted a while back:

"The dreamer shall awaken? That’s you, buddy. The hand? Referring to metalanguage, including genus of concept. More advanced investment: symbol for
rerooting. If only we can evolve the social equivalent of the opposable thumb.

"The notable near-absence of computers? Emphasis on the human potential, mentats and
all. Vocal weapons? The power of converting thoughts directly into words. And of
course the Bene Gesserit’s Voice, ala hypnosuggestion.

"Spice? Oil, but this may be too close to the original laying by Herbert. More interestingly, the psychotropic effect of pot, ganja, weed. Arrakis? The Arab world, is humdrum. How about the importance of potable water, which is set to be the primary issue in the next global theatre of war?

"Dream sequences? Prescience, not in terms of the character and the fantasy world, but in terms of you watching the film or book enabling a comparison of your future projection with others. The Guild? And the Emperor? The power-brokers: the governments, moneylenders and businessmen. The Guild want to kill Paul before he awakens. Somebody doesn’t want you to wake up to the world situation.

"Guerilla fighting of the people of Dune? Notice, men and women. It’s grassroots up. Everyone does their share. The sense of oneness is shared. The trust they invest in certain leaders. The simple way of electing a leader. Hand-to-hand final fight between Paul and the Harkonnen? Conflict should be resolved in this small way. Not the Emperor and his generals firing through virtual screens. Hand on heart when Duncan leaves Paul? Obvious meme. Let’s not turn it into the Vulcan V, but it might be useful. The Gom-Jabbar and Paul’s test? Reprised in Fight Club, and inherited from North American Indian ritual when a boy becomes a man and has to transcend the fear of pain.

"The film’s retro-styling avoids the obvious dating of so many sci-fi’s. Since the theme is about time and prediction, it is a beautifully appropriate realisation."

of course this blends material with the film
but i'm no snob
and i like my post-production mixes jazzy :)

What a FANTASTIC comment, Jack: Bravo! Your compa...

2009-09-05T11:27:08.494-07:00

What a FANTASTIC comment, Jack: Bravo!

Your comparison between oil and spice is spot on -- I wish I'd thought of it! You're also completely correct that the best SF has it's roots in our current, common world, and it's heart in thoughtful and insightful social commentary.

Looking forward to reading these other titles, I'v...

2009-09-01T11:55:21.873-07:00

Looking forward to reading these other titles, I've read much of the Dune series but not any of Herbert's other works.

In agreement with much of what you wrote about Dune, the best SF novels strike me as those capable of transporting the reader to other realities, while simultaneously eliciting the sensation that an undercurrent of the characters' experiences and world are wholly plausible in this universe, now.

As a complementary example, one realization made the significance of Dune clear within my mind:
Spice == Oil
Dune == The Middle East

Within that framework, the reality and power of the political narrative really hits home - albeit with a fresh perspective one might rarely encounter in most Western media presentations of the topic. This is one reason why I find SF so powerful - by wrapping a story in a fictitious setting and time, one can present the structure of an insight without fear of surface-level cultural associations impeding the interpretation of it.