Herbert added constraints to the world of Dune (two strong and one weak) necessary for there to be a plausible human future to portray.
The strong constraints are:
* “Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind.”
* Nuclear weapons are banned in warfare.
Violating either of these would bring all the great houses down on you.
The weak constraint is:
* Avoidance of genetic engineering. The Bene Gesserit are strongly against it, the Tleilaxu are seen as marginal freaks but allowed to generate non self reproducing tools and certainly nothing should enter the reproducing human germ line.
If there is to be a future for a recognizable humanity these seem to be minimal constraints we must also follow.
Read this having barely begun to digest Tolstoy’s digressive philosophising at the end of War and Peace. He takes great pains to argue against Great Man theory but this article and Herbert's framing is more persuasive in my meagre view. It's not enough for the earthly tremors to produce a worm, a particular man suited to a particular task must be ready to climb aboard and ride it!
I read Dune when the Islamic fanatics just took over Iran. In my young inexperience, I thought it might be a good thing. I know better now. But I loved this trilogy and it influences my writing today. Fascinating and well-written study of the series. It sadly ironic that heros are often stuck in their own story, and must sacrifice themselves .
Dune was not simply a story of a man, or even mankind. It was not even a story of humankind. It was more. So much more. Systems are connected. Life is connected, interwoven, intertwined, one.
- The danger is in becoming that which we seek to replace.
- Did Paul Atreides transcend that moment or did he fall victim to it? Perhaps the correct answer is both.
Great essay. One of the other things I liked about the Dune series was that in the later books Herbert explores to development of pathological bureaucracy, a theme salient to the future paradigm. Although he phrased it differently, he drew a distinction between accountability (blame culture) and responsibility. The responsible man is able to act even in the absence of information, usually through instinct and experience. The man who seeks to avoid responsibility at any cost becomes obsessed with accountability, he becomes lulled into operational inertia because he relies upon information as a form of evidence- even if he makes a mistake, he is not responsible, because he was only acting on the best information available at the time.
Herbert shows motives, Jerry Pournelle explained the structure with his Iron Law of Bureaucracy:
The other great sci fi series most worth reading is Dan Simmons Hyperion Cantos. It explores themes similar to Dune's. It may not be in the same league, in the same way that no other fantasy novel comes close to Tolkien, but it's certainly a great read.
I've seen the two recent movies and started reading the book some time ago. I'm going to pick it up again. May the machines and their masters never prevail against us. Let the human mind prevail!
I read the entire series. Fundamentally changed my view of the world. Herbert and Neil Peart had a huge impact on my world view. Enjoyed your writing. Thanks!
Great essay! Timely and poignant, given I saw Dune II in IMAX yesterday. It's rare for anything out of Hollywood to move me anymore...the movie did. However, this article sheds light on the victories and failures of the movie, and makes me want to go back and reread the novel. Well done, Johann!
Butlerian Jihad today imo.
Herbert added constraints to the world of Dune (two strong and one weak) necessary for there to be a plausible human future to portray.
The strong constraints are:
* “Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind.”
* Nuclear weapons are banned in warfare.
Violating either of these would bring all the great houses down on you.
The weak constraint is:
* Avoidance of genetic engineering. The Bene Gesserit are strongly against it, the Tleilaxu are seen as marginal freaks but allowed to generate non self reproducing tools and certainly nothing should enter the reproducing human germ line.
If there is to be a future for a recognizable humanity these seem to be minimal constraints we must also follow.
Read this having barely begun to digest Tolstoy’s digressive philosophising at the end of War and Peace. He takes great pains to argue against Great Man theory but this article and Herbert's framing is more persuasive in my meagre view. It's not enough for the earthly tremors to produce a worm, a particular man suited to a particular task must be ready to climb aboard and ride it!
I read Dune when the Islamic fanatics just took over Iran. In my young inexperience, I thought it might be a good thing. I know better now. But I loved this trilogy and it influences my writing today. Fascinating and well-written study of the series. It sadly ironic that heros are often stuck in their own story, and must sacrifice themselves .
I read Dune in the early sixties, serialized in Analog if I remember correctly (Just checked, yep, Analog, I do remember correctly.).
Me, no desire to be a guider of the storm but I'll admit, I'm enjoying the ride.
Just don't call me Ishmael.
Dune was not simply a story of a man, or even mankind. It was not even a story of humankind. It was more. So much more. Systems are connected. Life is connected, interwoven, intertwined, one.
- The danger is in becoming that which we seek to replace.
- Did Paul Atreides transcend that moment or did he fall victim to it? Perhaps the correct answer is both.
I've only recently read Dune and almost immediately I wanted to read it again but other commitments prevent it.
We have to change the path 'they' have chosen for us.
Thank you!!!!
I saw “Dune” in the early 80’s, I was like 14 or so … it left a huge impression on me.
We need more House Atreides!!!
Great essay. One of the other things I liked about the Dune series was that in the later books Herbert explores to development of pathological bureaucracy, a theme salient to the future paradigm. Although he phrased it differently, he drew a distinction between accountability (blame culture) and responsibility. The responsible man is able to act even in the absence of information, usually through instinct and experience. The man who seeks to avoid responsibility at any cost becomes obsessed with accountability, he becomes lulled into operational inertia because he relies upon information as a form of evidence- even if he makes a mistake, he is not responsible, because he was only acting on the best information available at the time.
Herbert shows motives, Jerry Pournelle explained the structure with his Iron Law of Bureaucracy:
https://www.jerrypournelle.com/reports/jerryp/iron.html
The other great sci fi series most worth reading is Dan Simmons Hyperion Cantos. It explores themes similar to Dune's. It may not be in the same league, in the same way that no other fantasy novel comes close to Tolkien, but it's certainly a great read.
I've seen the two recent movies and started reading the book some time ago. I'm going to pick it up again. May the machines and their masters never prevail against us. Let the human mind prevail!
I really don’t like Paul.😁
I read the entire series. Fundamentally changed my view of the world. Herbert and Neil Peart had a huge impact on my world view. Enjoyed your writing. Thanks!
Great work weaving the beautiful quotes together. Herbert’s writing is so lovely.
I dissected how the Dune Part 2 film butchered some of the best scenes with quasi-feminism https://acceptable.substack.com/p/on-women-abusing-men-in-media
Great essay! Timely and poignant, given I saw Dune II in IMAX yesterday. It's rare for anything out of Hollywood to move me anymore...the movie did. However, this article sheds light on the victories and failures of the movie, and makes me want to go back and reread the novel. Well done, Johann!
Feyd-Rautha is the only animal to ever survive the gom-jabbar. 🤣
ISlamofascism under the guise of literature. Go stick your hand in the Gom “Abdul” Jabbar!