Let´s talk about Dune...

[BeardofPants]

Hey mark: you discovered the advantages of being in the cult, I see. Good ol' sand trout.

Originally posted by Captain Stern

I'm not sure, but I think that it's got to do with removing both removing threats from his persona, and also to do with the Breeding Programme that he is undertaking with regards to his Golden Path. You do find out where the Fish Speakers come from, and their purpose later on in the book. And don't worry - Leto's day of reckoning does come about.

[Captain Stern]

BOP: Leto's day of reckoning does come about.

Oh, man! Why did you have to go and reveal that!

I hope this reckoning doesn't come about through Siona (though I'm sure it will no doubt)... but don't tell me! I already dislike Siona. She reminds me of Jessica post Dune book 1. I never thought Herbert would take her in that direction. Like abandoning Alia wasn't bad enough, she had to shack up with Gurney too!

[BeardofPants]

Hey, I didn't say what happens. chill. Besides which, it's mentioned all the way through the book - by leto himself.

[Captain Stern]

Siona... what a heartless, cold, stubborn, pretentious, horrible old cow!

And Duncan Idaho was hardly any better.

I know Leto had to die sooner or later, but like that?? To kill him in the full knowledge that she could be dooming the race all over again just so that she could get her revenge?!

I'm so angry!

I only wish that Siona had her comeuppance, but it's obvious by the last chapter that she won't and that the sequel will skip that period of the story.

*take's deep breaths*

[Cirdan]

They only functioned exactly as Leto intended. He manipulated avery aspect of their lives in order to bring them to that ultimate moment. Only the God Emperor could destoy himself but suicide would destroy the plan of the Golden Path. I seems like the interrim period is being covered in retrospect in Heretics.

I like Heretics so far. It's like cycling back to the contentious days of Dune but on a larger scale. Historical cyles of expansion through periods of competition, control, dispersion, (repeat)....

Heretics:

Finally someone figured out hoe to synthesize melange.

So, is melange God poop?

[Arathorn]

So, is melange God poop?

Well, Shai'hulud (the sandworms of Dune) were considered gods...

[olsonm]

Well, I just finished Dune. I don't really have anything to add other than "me likey!" But if anyone can give me some spoiler-free opinions about the next books in the series (basically what you thought of it in comparison to Dune) it'd be appreciated.

[BeardofPants]

My harem grows ever bigger.

edit: Oh, and as a completely impartial bystander(), yes, read them all. They get better and better.

[Rían]

I resurrected this thread so I could see what people liked/disliked about Dune.

I finished it, and the quick one-sentence review is that it's interesting, imaginative, a page-turner at points, but there's no heart in it I tried and tried to really like it, because I like BoP (whose sig inspired me to read it), but I just didn't connect.

I'll post more next week - weekends are notoriously bad for me to Moot - and I'll read some more posts here.

[Cirdan]

Originally posted by RÃ*an
I resurrected this thread so I could see what people liked/disliked about Dune.

LOL!!! You Christians... 3 days of inactivity and the first thing you think of...


Just finished Chapterhouse. The ending just left me wanting for more. The epilog caught me by surprise. I think Heretics was my favorite... just couldn't put it down. I found Chapterhouse a bit of a slow starter but just enough mystery to get through to the ending. The commentary about governments and democracy were pretty funny.

I was hoping to see more of Sheeana and the offspring of Murbella and Duncan Idaho.

[old scholar]

i loved the dune book especially the first three
i heard that herbert planned to write a sequel were an unsen evil came from the borders of the galaxy and that the project may me resurected by his son

[Rían]

Originally posted by Cirdan
LOL!!! You Christians... 3 days of inactivity and the first thing you think of...

[BeardofPants]

Originally posted by Cirdan
Just finished Chapterhouse. The ending just left me wanting for more.

Yes, the bastard had the gall to die before finishing off the series. His son is supposed to be writing the 7th dune book sometime, but oh.... sacrilege!


Rian, don't worry, I won't take it personally that it didn't grab you. I'm interested in hearing why, though.

[Cirdan]

Originally posted by BeardofPants
His son is supposed to be writing the 7th dune book sometime, but oh.... sacrilege!

Since he chose to write the prequels first I'm not holding my breath for a masterpiece, useless he was just honing his skills.

How about Sheeana gets pregnant by Teg and then undergoes the Leto II transformation and spawns a race of worm people who battle for control with the the Face Dancing Honored Matre Bene Gesserit witch whores for control of all the Universes?

[old scholar]

i heard somewhere that the 7th book envolves some evil that pursued the honored matres out of their homes after the scattering and that the beneg and the honored matres need to join forcees to save the day
but yours is good too

[Arathorn]

Originally posted by Cirdan
LOL!!! You Christians... 3 days of inactivity and the first thing you think of...

LOL!!! I'm a Christian and I like Dune. My favorite's God Emperor and then Dune and Heretics of Dune.

Maybe you meant American Christians. <ducks>

[Cirdan]

Originally posted by old scholar
but yours is good too

Thanks... but I still haven't worked in the Duncan Idaho ghola. It just wouldn't be the same without him. Maybe something twisted with Scytale converted into a cross-dressing axlotl tank?

[Cirdan]

Originally posted by Arathorn
LOL!!! I'm a Christian and I like Dune. My favorite's God Emperor and then Dune and Heretics of Dune.

Maybe you meant American Christians. <ducks>

hehe. Yea, those are my favorites, too. People seem to love or strongly dislike God Emperor. I went to Amazon to look at customer reviews. All 2, 4 or 5 stars. Barely any three.

I loved the layout of Heretics with time compressing as the plot lines multiply until the passage of the last day takes quite a few chapters. The only complaint I had was that it seemed that he decideed it had gotten long enough and wrapped up the story too quickly. Ah weel, leave them wanting more.

PS I just like to tease Ri. Although I can see where Herbert is kind of hard on the concept of religion. But he's pretty evenly cruel to all aggregations of power.

[Rían]

Originally posted by Cirdan
PS I just like to tease Ri.

(um, actually I didn't even get what you meant by 3 days of inactivity - the thread had been inactive more than 3 days, so I don't know what you're referring to - I'm in one of my dense moods, I guess (no snide comments about that mood being permanant, please! ) - but of course I knew what you meant re 3 days and resurrection and appreciated the spirit of fun!)

I'll put up some details prob. tomorrow, BoP - hoping for a bit of Moot time.

[Rían]

OK, let me try to express my thoughts about Dune, since you wanted to hear, BoP. It might take a few go's to get across what I mean, so be patient and ask me if it doesn't make sense.

What I meant by "no heart" is the biggest flaw in the book, IMO. It's the whole feeling I get that people are almost ... consumed, in a sense. They're only good for whatever they can give someone, then when they're used up, they're tossed aside like an empty can. It's almost ... ogre-ish, if you know what I mean.

Mentats are good - why? - because they're super-intelligent.

If someone can be BG-trained so they're useful for the BG goals, then great - if it ruins their life, so what? Our goals are furthered.

Would telling someone something hurt their heart? Well, go ahead and tell them, if it furthers your own goal.

Would marrying Jessica or Chani be an act of self-sacrificing love that might ruin my future alliances and chances at the throne? Yes - so don't marry them. Instead, marry the emperor's daughter, in the full knowledge that you'll never love her or even try to love her; so what if HER life is ruined. After all, gotta go for my goal!



The whole still-suit thing made me kinda gag, too! (every time it was mentioned, it made me realize how much I swallow my own saliva, and it somehow tasted bad! ) But I think it's kind of an analogy, intentional or not, of the whole book - me, me, me; use, use, use. Altho I fully understand the importance of it in an environment like that, and am sure it was a technological marvel.

The few glimpses of non-goal-oriented choices were like a breath of fresh air. I'm sure that's why so many people liked Duncan Idaho. I also liked Leto - better than his son, Paul.