On Dune
I'd had these thoughts puttering around in my head for a while, and meant to write them down sooner. Of course, as a result, my memory has lapsed somewhat, but nevertheless still relevant.
A while ago, I finished reading what is often regarded as one of the seminal novels of science fiction, Dune. For some odd reason, I wasn't very impressed by it. Now for a lot of people this is the equivalent of claiming that Hitler was a Martian or that Tolkien is not the best author of fantasy fiction of all time (a position that I also subscribe to, but that's another entry in and of itself). But, in short, here are my criticisms.
Frank Herbert was a marvelously creative man, but a master of pacing and storytelling, he was not. What frustrates me the most about Dune is that while Herbert obviously spent a tremendous amount of time creating his world and populating it with fascinating cultures, creatures, and locales, he did a rather poor job of stoking an interest in them. So the basic problem is that we have very interesting people doing very boring things. For example, the Lady Jessica...sitting at dinner parties. Paul...learning how to act like a Fremen. Vladimir Harkonnen...twirling his evil moustaches at the prospect of planetary occupation and conquest. In other words, Dune is like having a V-12 Lamborghini and being stuck doing 45 in rush hour traffic. I mean, it's gorgeous, loaded with features, and universally acclaimed, but is more conspicuous in its limitations and potentialities left unrealized.
A perfect example of this is that, for all his originality in coming up with the universe, Frank Herbert has a rather boring way of moving the greater narrative along. After the Atrides are betrayed by the Harkonnen and imperial house, the rest of the novel is Paul essentially learning to out-Fremen the Fremen until he becomes their leader. While learning to ride a sandworm can make for a great theme, it doesn't seem to take very long for Paul to master. The seemingly irresolvable conflict which would force Paul to kill Stilgar to become leader of the Fremen? Avoided by making a simple speech to the warriors. And so, millenia of ingrained tradition are conquered in a few pages. Paul's son with his Fremen concubine? Oh, he dies. Not really sure how, but it isn't all that important. The army of Fremen as unstoppable killing machines, superior even to the elite Sadukar, bio-engineered soldiers bred for battle on the Emperor's prison-planets? Not sure how that happens, but apparently, it is.
So, basically, instead of giving us lots of useful plot development with twists and turns, we have at the heart of the novel a more-or-less standard tale of a man whose father is killed and his throne taken, who flees into the wilds, only to return years later at the head of an army of outcasts to reclaim his throne, avenge his family, and become overall ruler of the galaxy. And of course, to fill in the lull in between action sequences, we get to have multi-page conversations where we are treated to the exact thought processes of each individual speaker in detail in turn. That, and descriptions of sand. Which, ultimately, is the core failure of Herbert's work. Dune has no real characters with which one can identify. Despite having the advantage of actually knowing exactly what it is they are thinking at a given time, each character thinks and behaves as a sort of Noh-theater like pantomime of what real people should act like and think. This is turn creates barriers between the reader and the material, which can lead down dangerous roads when dealing with subject matter which is already alien in nature.
Is Dune a good book? For the revolutionary way in which it changed the field of science fiction and for the richness of its world, yes. But it is in my mind overrated, weak in pacing, and generally simplistic in overall theme? Undoubtedly, yes. I will, however, probably try one of the Brian Herbert prequels though, if for no other reason than the fact that I think the world is too rich and the mythology too prominent to leave untouched.
A while ago, I finished reading what is often regarded as one of the seminal novels of science fiction, Dune. For some odd reason, I wasn't very impressed by it. Now for a lot of people this is the equivalent of claiming that Hitler was a Martian or that Tolkien is not the best author of fantasy fiction of all time (a position that I also subscribe to, but that's another entry in and of itself). But, in short, here are my criticisms.
Frank Herbert was a marvelously creative man, but a master of pacing and storytelling, he was not. What frustrates me the most about Dune is that while Herbert obviously spent a tremendous amount of time creating his world and populating it with fascinating cultures, creatures, and locales, he did a rather poor job of stoking an interest in them. So the basic problem is that we have very interesting people doing very boring things. For example, the Lady Jessica...sitting at dinner parties. Paul...learning how to act like a Fremen. Vladimir Harkonnen...twirling his evil moustaches at the prospect of planetary occupation and conquest. In other words, Dune is like having a V-12 Lamborghini and being stuck doing 45 in rush hour traffic. I mean, it's gorgeous, loaded with features, and universally acclaimed, but is more conspicuous in its limitations and potentialities left unrealized.
A perfect example of this is that, for all his originality in coming up with the universe, Frank Herbert has a rather boring way of moving the greater narrative along. After the Atrides are betrayed by the Harkonnen and imperial house, the rest of the novel is Paul essentially learning to out-Fremen the Fremen until he becomes their leader. While learning to ride a sandworm can make for a great theme, it doesn't seem to take very long for Paul to master. The seemingly irresolvable conflict which would force Paul to kill Stilgar to become leader of the Fremen? Avoided by making a simple speech to the warriors. And so, millenia of ingrained tradition are conquered in a few pages. Paul's son with his Fremen concubine? Oh, he dies. Not really sure how, but it isn't all that important. The army of Fremen as unstoppable killing machines, superior even to the elite Sadukar, bio-engineered soldiers bred for battle on the Emperor's prison-planets? Not sure how that happens, but apparently, it is.
So, basically, instead of giving us lots of useful plot development with twists and turns, we have at the heart of the novel a more-or-less standard tale of a man whose father is killed and his throne taken, who flees into the wilds, only to return years later at the head of an army of outcasts to reclaim his throne, avenge his family, and become overall ruler of the galaxy. And of course, to fill in the lull in between action sequences, we get to have multi-page conversations where we are treated to the exact thought processes of each individual speaker in detail in turn. That, and descriptions of sand. Which, ultimately, is the core failure of Herbert's work. Dune has no real characters with which one can identify. Despite having the advantage of actually knowing exactly what it is they are thinking at a given time, each character thinks and behaves as a sort of Noh-theater like pantomime of what real people should act like and think. This is turn creates barriers between the reader and the material, which can lead down dangerous roads when dealing with subject matter which is already alien in nature.
Is Dune a good book? For the revolutionary way in which it changed the field of science fiction and for the richness of its world, yes. But it is in my mind overrated, weak in pacing, and generally simplistic in overall theme? Undoubtedly, yes. I will, however, probably try one of the Brian Herbert prequels though, if for no other reason than the fact that I think the world is too rich and the mythology too prominent to leave untouched.