I have read Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune and Dune: Chapter House.
These incredible science fiction works for me defines the ultimate in sensibility and sort of crosses the line between flight of fancy and the tale of humanity twenty-thousand years from now. The ultimate trip down what if lane. How do things evolve and change and how would humanity operate under an imperium spanning thousands and thousands of light years apart.
A family saga at heart. Hard core technology on the surface. Ecology studies and the effects of man on ecosystems. Yet, no earth, destroyed long before the story starts. Only a fading memory on the long chain of mankind. It is the humbling tale of man named Paul and his descendants and the ever addicting spice. He becomes a hero in this first book and falls in the second. His twins with Chani take up his work in the third book and his son melds with the Sandworms of Dune. In God Emperor thousands of years have passed and humanity is without single authority other than the God Emperor. In fifth the planet known now as Rakis is destroyed and in the sixth it ends on cliff hanger. It took nearly twenty years to finish the story, but his son Brian with the help of Kevin J Anderson finished Dune with Hunters and Sandworms of dune, the former Dune 7.
I know that is exceptionally concise a summary, but I won’t give away the good parts. I will though Acknowledge its influence on me. Its unearthly hold on the reader. Its like being on a trip without drugs. The power of imagination is something to behold. These timeless tales echo life back with he first wrote the stories, and yet laid the ground work for a possible future thousands of years from now. Not that there are desert planets inhabited by worms in the universe, but who knows, really what is possible in the universe.
Now there is news/rumors afloat that Dune may be made into a movie again. This is where I draw the line. I visualized the characters in any book a certain way. With Dune though it’s not about the characters, it’s just going be hard to capture in a movie what makes this legendary book, this monolith in Science Fiction so unique and individual. Which is mental trips and being on the spice where you can see in your mind’s eye the time flow around the character. You can see fear as rolling storm of cloud and lightning blow through and around you and then seeing where it has gone and only that character remains.
This is one those series I enjoyed because of the cerebral nature of it, the sheer scope and grandeur of the tale. Trust me reading the books back to back is mind-blowing. For me as a writer though they opened a whole new world to me. Not just for science, but for fantasy, for taking my characters in those dark place we dare not tread. For taking them to the edge of what it means to be truly human or become a monster. It inspired me to find a way to create rich wonders and gems of my own. I like to think and watch my main leads struggle with doing the right thing. Sometime it takes shoving them out of the pan into the fire or they find people begin to question their reason.
My person opinion on Dune is that huge effect it gave me as writer. Not for making this epic or broad scoped, but showed me my own personal golden path to change the way I write, the way I think and observe the world. It has opened my eyes that those we idolize are human as much as we are ourselves and they are fallible. I rely on myself and my sensibilities. I don’t follow people, I prefer to march to the beat of my own drums as I always have. I keep the Sandstorm version of the Litany against fear always close by. Because:
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past me I will turn to see fear’s path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
Paul Muad’Dib Atreides–Dune, Frank Herbert.
I’ve always kept that close to me. I fear nothing not even what the day brings, its challenges and things I see. I am human and I am fallible. I will always be grateful to my aunt that showed me these wonderful books as I showed her the conclusion of the story when I bought it. I see the unknown as a challenge to my senses and sensibility. Dune opened my eyes, my experience in life, has helped to a degree. I am a writer and I see all the things made possible for me as a writer made possible by these legendary books, as well as other influences but these were the key to unlocking the barriers that I put up and made a box for myself. They were the beginning of me Feeding the Jackal.
Ciao for now!
Leicris
Mystic Ruins Scroll 
Mystifying Mystery
July 24, 2010
Leicris Opinion books, commentary, fiction, genre, writing 1 Comment
Here is another focus on another genre I am familiar with
I haven’t seen anything that really annoys me here…yet.
Just some key facts about this genre…
#1 Dead Ends are fine, if the character hits the wall, great they have to find another way.
#2 the villain hangs off in the shadows with whatever weapon necessary to the story
#3 The detective has a hard time figuring out whodunit
#4 Criminals are smart now a days with technology
#5 Sometimes forensics gets it wrong
#6 Better to keep the audience guessing to the end
#7 better be some nail biter scenes
#8 Detective don’t necessarily get the villain if it is part of a series.
#9 Whoever the lead is don’t necessarily get the love interest either.
#10 Then there are times where the lead gets the love interest and the villain.
Other than that well there isn’t much to say. Mystery is about discovery and there isn’t away to really goof it up. Now if you write about Mary Sues, rewrite now and give them issues and reservations.
Ciao for now!