THE (ALMOST) UNDELETED

"Dune is the greatest SF novel ever written." Those are the generally the first words out of my mouth whenever someone asks me about this book. I know of some places on-line where I can find a few thousand people who will readily agree with me, but if I looked a bit harder, I'm sure that I could find millions. Dune is one of those very few SF books that has enormous appeal outside of the genre. Just look around at the book blogs on the internet; you will find hundreds of bloggers who say things like "I don't really read SF, but Dune was fantastic!" Dune has also garnered in its 40+ year history some serious critical praise as well. This big book has been deconstructed and analyzed by the best of them, so I'll just repeat briefly what we all know, and then get into my ideas about this book. It is the story of Paul Atreides, the unintended end-product of a genetic breeding program, as he became a man. It is the start of Herbert's rally cry against the appearance of charismatic leaders whom the masses always seem to embrace in times of trouble, although that particular theme does not get the attention it truly deserves until the next two books. , more so than Dune Messiah and Children of Dune is rooted more in the adventure-focused camp of tales, though it has an incredible amount of wisdom to impart on its reader. It is a story of political intrigue, in which an emperor and a royal House plot against a rival house, defeat it in a sneak attack the ferocity and size of which took the target completely off guard, and drove its scion and his mother out into the wilderness where they encountered a race of men who were waiting for their Messiah, which the boy pretends to be to great effect. It is the story of how Paul Atreides took advantage of his genetic heritage, became a superman who was viewed by most as a god, and created a future that changed the entire galaxy...Please click here, or on the book cover above, to be taken to the complete review..

Wonderful review, I feel the same but dont have the mastery of words to put it down like you. I know you deal with Law, does that or has that helped with the reviews you do?

I spend A LOT of time at work reading the reviews on your site, they are all well written and thought out. I get a lot from reading but when I try to lay out the concepts in an explanation I shoot myself in the foot.

Is it just the practice makes perfect concept, keep writing and you get better?
Just a knack, some can do it some cant?
Do I need to spend more time (which I know I do and plan too) at study of literature (structure, form, language, etc) to get a better footing?

Just curious, I love all sci-fi, but like I have said in past, my pocket is Military Sci-Fi, and I have wanted to do a similar kind of thing you have done for that sub-genre. I have collected so many books over the past two years, I am literally drowning in them.

Real Life is getting in the way recently, and my reading has come to a screeching halt, struggling thru it to find pockets of time to keep going.

For whats its worth, the past two years, have been Dune filled for me as well, and I wake to it, and rarely slumber before I touch it in someway (thought, web, other) everyday.

I have not been disciplined this year and need to fit in a rereading of DUNE myself. I am now mentoring 3 people on the first book so It helps, and possible two others, who have read in past, but got excited again when I talked about it. The passion for FHt just spills out of me.

My immediate list is 5 books of Military Sci-fi that are new additions to ongoing series, published since begining of November. Fast and fun reads, but just havent had time.

Thanks for the review, appreciate them,
Look forward to more.
Trang

I just read it during a break between proofing drafts of my senior girls' theses (more senior essays, really). Very nice.

Of course we all know how obsessed I've been over the last two years.

Herbert counter intuitively removed most technology from this story so that he could focus on the human fears that kept the byzantine and static Corrine Empire humming along.

Is that supposed to be "Corrino Empire"?

Freakzilla wrote:Herbert counter intuitively removed most technology from this story so that he could focus on the human fears that kept the byzantine and static Corrine Empire humming along.

Is that supposed to be "Corrino Empire"?

Yep. These old eyes.....

Omphalos wrote:

Freakzilla wrote:Herbert counter intuitively removed most technology from this story so that he could focus on the human fears that kept the byzantine and static Corrine Empire humming along.

Is that supposed to be "Corrino Empire"?

Yep. These old eyes.....

Loved it, BTW.