Breaking new ground in fiction, 6 Aug 2004

By	C. MCCALLISTER "da_dolphin_boy" (The waters of the Great Lakes) - See all my reviews

Take Mankind 9000 years into the future (not 100 or even 300 years, like most authors, or even Arthur C. Clarke's somewhat weak attempt at going 1000 years), and what do you have? It leaves the author pretty free to have anything be true. Frank Hebert clearly and premisely and thoroughly creates a truly alien Human society that is also strongly rooted in its past. The worlds and cultures of "Dune" are strongly influenced by Arabic and Islamic culture, along with a hearty dash of medieval European feudalism.

More specifically, "Dune" introduces us to members of several ruling Houses in a Galactic empire. The Atreides are clearly the good guys, and the Harkonnens are clearly the bad guys. The Emperor, who belongs to House Corrino, is a very political animal. That was not enough for Herbert. He added the Bene Gesserits, a quasi-religious order of women who take as their mission the perfection and control of Humanity through a controlled breeding program covering thousands of years. And, we cannot forget the Bene Tleilax, who seek the Word of Allah in human genetics and the manipulation thereof through cloning and direct genetic engineering. Meanwhile, The Spacing Guild features physically malformed humans who can see through space and are therefore the only beings who can guide ships at faster-than-light speeds.

What brings all the factions together? The spice, melange, that gives users longevity, prescience, and power. Unfortunately for Humanity (but fortunately for the story), melange is found on only one planet - Arrakis (called "Dune" by its nomadic population). The factions fight to control Dune. In the story, the Bene Gesserit millenia-long breeding program is reaching its culmination: a super-human being who can see anywhere and even be more than one place at once, along with getting frequent glimpses of the future.

All of this sounds very bizarre, but Frank Herbet wrote so well that it all becomes very believable. And, who can say it won't turn out that way? This is an epic masterpiece that broke new ground in speculative fiction. I never call anything a must-read, as I don't know who has the right to dictate to anyone what they "must read". However, you're missing something if you don't read (and later re-read) this book and its sequels. I recommend buying a copy when you're a teenager and keeping it to re-read every five years or so. The story will grow as you do, as will your appreciation of it.

 Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)

A brief guide to the philosophy of Dune., 2 Jun 2001

The sci-fi classification does not mean "Dune" is inaccessible to non-sci-fi fans, because most of the traditional sci-fi elements are either absent or mere background. Several remarkable scenes of hand to hand combat are more reminiscent of ancient Roman gladiators than of science fiction! There are weaknesses: mature themes (such as allusions to pedastry) make "Dune" unsuitable for children, and Herbert's use of language is not outstanding. But what especially makes "Dune" great is the complexity of ideas. Herbert has created not just a story, but a memorable world conveying an elaborate philosophy of ideas, with three outstanding themes:

1. ECOLOGY. Arrakis is a barren and bare planet of desert sands, with characters reminiscent of desert Arabs (Herbert studied Arabic extensively in researching for the novel). As well as hosting titanic deadly sandworms, the desert sands feature a mysterious and narcotic spice substance known as Melange, which is central to the diet of its inhabitants, heightens powers of awareness, and is a central part of the economy. The power and value of water in this hostile sandscape environment is manifested in that shedding tears is an expression of great devotion. It becomes evident that there is a plan to rescue this planet from its barrenness and turn it into a paradise. Significantly the book is dedicated to dry land ecologists. Herbert was an accomplished ecologist himself, and one wonders whether he is expressing his own vision of the possibility of a man-achieved paradise on earth.

2. POLITICS. There is a complex interplay of people, tribes, politics and economics, with constant scheming, plots and subterfuge revolving around personal and political ambitions. Herbert has created an intricate and plausible history of tribes and peoples, with unique languages (much originating from Arabic), names and ambitions. The lust for power and wealth is combined with a determination to succeed at all costs, stopping at nothing - even murder - to achieve it. The political corruption and chaos of Dune's world is analogous to our contemporary world, as Herbert once observed in an interview: "the scarce water of Dune is an exact analog of oil scarcity. CHOAM is OPEC." Paul's triumphant leadership is also thematic. In humanizing a messiah figure, Herbert raises an important question: why do people blindly follow leaders? "Dune" conveys his theory that "superheroes are disastrous for mankind" because even the greatest leaders are human. Despite their strengths, relying completely on them is fatal.

3. RELIGION. Religion is inter-woven with politics, and centers on women, such as the powerful matriarch, the Reverend Mother. Herbert at times seems to picture religion as the manipulation of the masses by the intelligent, since the Orthodox Catholic Bible functions as a human invention rather than divine revelation. The strong religious component especially comes to the fore with Paul, a Messiah figure who fulfils prophecies, the long awaited Kwisatz Haderach who is somehow both man and god, and from whom all blessings flow. These prophecies have their own pitfalls - and are used to show the paradox of a system of predistination. The religion is a mixture of Christianity, Islam (jihad and similar Arabic words are clearly borrowed), Buddhist philosophy, and a strong eastern mystical component. Strangely, there is no active involvement of the Creator, since "the most persistent principles of the universe are accident and error." The power of the divine resides instead within oneself, and there are definite occultic overtones, such as the mention of "wierding" (a form of witchcraft), and very obvious new age Eastern spiritualism and mysticism. Herbert also makes a profound connection between technology and religion. In light of the fact that this nove