Also, I didn’t know there was so much work involved before anybody is worthy to take up Dune. A casual reader (which is most people out there) is not going to read Aristotle and theories about SF before reading any book.

The review is about “Dune”, not the whole Dune universe. In most of Dune, Paul is yet to be a “super-man” and he is not being used by anybody yet, not even Bene Gesserit. From my personal POV, most of what you wrote never comes out in “Dune”, except the foundation of the universe and the politics.

If by the “most of the things”, you meant the P.S. and P.P.S. part, that is my mistake. I shouldn’t have tried humour even after you warned me earlier.

And you are reading Dune with expectations of something that’s about to happen? About Paul “doing” something? Dune isn’t about any one person but the Dune universe.

Dune is about creating heroes and destroying them utterly. Every main character will be ruthlessly killed and will lead a life of oblivion because humanity needs super-men to do great things but doesn’t care much for them.

I’ve no clue about most of the things that you say — it boggles the mind that you actually managed to read the book as you claimed.

Unfortunately, when Herbert Sr. died, I hadn’t even learnt my ABCDs, so I have to review the books as I read them. All the time turners were destroyed, you see…

I don’t think any writer writes SF just because he likes to write about robots, or outer galaxies. Every series, every book, every page has a plot which goes beyond the genre. Which is why I tell people that you can easily convert SF into say, fantasy genre without taking out the core of the story.

As for LoTR, I agree that saying that the story is about short people and a ring is as idiotic as saying it is not about them. A casual reader (which most people visiting my blog are) is going to read Dune as about the planet, and the story of Paul Atreides. It is when he gets to the whole series, and starts thinking about the same, is when he sees the society and the “elements” shaping it.

As for the “humour”, read my reply to “A Dune Fan”.

When we say “human”, it goes beyond just the flesh and blood, 2 arms and legs, the whole humanoid shape. It is about the human struggle against adversity, against the conditions, to swim against the current. From what I have read, Paul hasn’t done anything actively, and the story tells me how he is forced by the conditions to do something.

After all, this is my POV. I won’t ever say that an author is bad, or people shouldn’t like a particular book just because I didn’t like it.

P.S. Do you find some conflicting POVs in the paragraph “The whole Dune series is about…” and the penultimate paragraph where you express concern about gene pool?

P.P.S. The articles about submarines and computers are coming up right after the one titled “Newsflash: Fish swim”

As you suggested, I tried some detailed reviews (rather discussions) of the books. But the average reader on this site haven’t read the books, and if I don’t give out the story or characters (at least in a short paragraph), I found that it adds to the confusion, and reduces the discussion/interest of people in the article. Of course, if I was talking with fans or people who have read the book I am talking about, then I can give the plot details a miss.

As for the “funny” part, I wasn’t expecting HAHA funny, with jokes and all (I know that religion, politics and desert never make for a fun read.). But even the most serious fiction has a moment or two of dry (or wry) humour built in. I guess that did not come out properly in the article.

Also, my main problem with the story was that this was not a story of a person’s struggle against something. What I was reading is that how a person’s life is shaped by events. Since writing the review, I have also started the second book in the series, and again, I have yet to see Paul do anything actively. That’s why I found it hard to connect to any of the characters in the book, which reduced my interest level as the book went on.

That said, as you said, it is a personal POV and I am not saying anything against people who like this. To each his own, I say…

As for the hype, you are also a part of it now It wasn’t just one person, but many people I came across.

Dune is not about the technology or about the people, but rather about the abstractions of elements that contribute to power-struggles on unimaginable scales. And nowhere in your post did I even see you mention that in any way. Then again, if you actually “got” the book, you would not be writing this pointless review.

Your review of Dune is akin to saying that I, Robot is about robots. Sure, Asimov uses robots as devices, but that’s not the point. Herbert writes SF, and while his stories use science fiction as plot devices, that is not what it’s about.

I can’t wait for your articles on how submarines can swim and how computers can think.

And you were looking for humor in Dune? Looking for how “human” someone was in a society that’s manipulating genes to create super-humans? What are you, an idiot?

The whole Dune series is about creating a society which cannot be singularly controlled, and one where there is enough diversity and chaos that interesting patterns will always emerge.

I guess it takes all kinds. There are people who will call Jorge Luis Borges an idiot and people who still think that Hardy Boys are the best things since sliced bread.

Do you have a review of Lord of the Rings lying around where you say that it’s about a bunch of short people and a ring? Hey, why not. There would be other idiots who would eat it up, too.

That writeup was the most unimaginative and plain analysis of Dune that I’ve ever seen. Herbert Sr. has a lot of flaws and his writing is not without fault — but your review of it was the most pointless of them all.

And remember what Herbert says about genetics. Serve humanity. Please don’t procreate.

Thanks for a good laugh.

Anyways, I guess I need to see it now