I must not fear. 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 I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
I’m quite intrigued by the impending release of DUNE (movie).1 It's based on the first of a six-part science fiction series of novels. I first read Dune while in high school; when I was 15, in fact. I suppose I must’ve related to the main character of the book— Paul Atriedes, (also 15).
At least that's why I continued reading the remaining novels. I could see myself in Paul—a boy whose father was directed to relinquish the fief he ruled on the lush, green, water-filled world-planet of Caladan and be nearly forcibly made to travel across the known universe to take over a corrupt, foreign, and highly volatile world (not unlike my OWN migration story, sans the taking over part). Plus, there are OBVIOUS allusions of the cultures of West Asia in the book (Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.)—the lands in which I was reared and raised. So there was that, too.
Since the 7th grade, I’ve been a library-type-of-dude. The one I first fell in love with is the Grandview Library—a neighborhood library in suburban Glendale, California. It’s a tiny little thing, but to me—it was my chill pad; my clubhouse. That’s where I was first introduced to Les Misérables by Hugo. That’s where I first read Les Trois Mousquetaires by Dumas, the Encyclopedia Brown series, Gulliver’s Travels by Swift, The Time Machine by Wells, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series by one Douglas Adams.
Later, in my college days, I got into the plays of the ancient Greeks and modern American literature. I couldn’t get enough of the Oresteia. I was a big Edward Albee fan. Produced/Directed multiple productions of The Zoo Story. Enjoyed Tennessee Williams. Read everything by Neil Simon, John Patrick Shanley, Edgar Allan Poe. Then came my sappier days reading Philip Roth’s The Human Stain, Arthur Miller, David Mamet, John Guare, Sam Shepard, David Rabe, Terrence McNally, Clifford Odets, Anna Deavere Smith, James Baldwin, Harold Pinter, John Steinbeck, Mark Twain, Sylvia Plath, and (one of my more favored authors) Tom Stoppard2.
It was through literature and the visual media of cinema, television, and graphic novels that I came to conceptualize America and the world I found myself in after the emigration across the planet; first, as a child fleeing religious persecution, and now, a middle-aged, middle-class, ridiculously-educated man-about-town.
QUICK ASIDE
While I’m at it, on the fiction tip, here are some of my more favored titles—Il Dottore’s Top 30…
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Oedipus the King by Sophocles
Antigone by Sophocles
Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen
The Iliad by Homer
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes
Epic of Gilgamesh
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
The Aeneid by Virgil
The A Space Odyssey books (2001, 2010, 2061) by Sir Arthur Clarke
Medea by Euripides
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (obsessed!)
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A Scandal in Bohemia by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (which I used to teach)
The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Dark of the Moon by Howard Richardson and William Berney
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by my man Tom Stoppard.
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
One Thousand and One Nights (Aladdin, Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, The Adventures of Bulukiya, etc.)
Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Shahnameh by Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi
Contact by Carl Sagan
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie3
Throughout graduate school and well into my 30s, I switched gears and got quite deep into Shakespeare and esoteric literature (e.g. Corpus Hermeticum, Avesta, Asclepius, etc.) but mostly, I was interested in science fiction, epic musicals, and intriguing sub-genres (spies, stolen art, submarine dramas, that sort of thing).
The Calling
It’d been just a year since the David Lynch adaptation of Dune was released (‘84) and it was being shown on HBO incessantly (or maybe it was ON TV—can’t recall). So, when I saw the book on display at the library (along with the movie poster next to it), I was piqued.
I had viewed the movie (mostly because it starred Sting as Feyd-Rautha) and…caved about 30 minutes in. It just wasn’t making sense! It was just so obvious that there must’ve been a lot of backstory that you had to know to figure out what was going on.
Thinking back, it wasn’t that it was a bad movie. David Lynch, the director of the film adaptation, just did such an amazing job symbolizing large tracts of the base material in the subtleties of the shots, sets, events, sequences, flashbacks, etc. that to a person who HADN’T read the books, Lynch’s depiction of the epic tragedy WOULD be confusing. Much like the first time someone sees a Peter Jackson Pollack work. They ALWAYS say, “That’s art? A four-year old could do that!”, only later, if they actually study the fine arts, to learn that in fact, a four-year old could not do that. That ‘THAT’ was much more than met the eye.
But since I hung out at the Grandview Library after school along with my little brother (unless I had band practice or was in a show or at a game) ‘til my parents could come home ‘round 5pm, I figured I’d give the book a try.
I fell in love after reading the introductory text to Book One—Dune…
Jaw drop. Maud’Dib? Is this like a messiah figure? Am I about to get into a sci-fi that is driven by the theme of worship and faith??? YEAH, I WAS!
Dune was the first science-fiction novel to address religion. Many science-fiction authors considered religion an outdated institution that would eventually lose its direct control over society. They assumed that the separation of church and state would only widen in the future. But Frank Herbert had a different conception of the future. Dune’s universe employs a feudal government system that includes dukes and barons and in which religion has a very strong presence in everyday life and politics.
Shaping the Universe
Okay. So I’m not going to get into the details of the books because there are plenty of summary videos and articles you can track on line that’ll give you whatever level of detail you want. But I will describe the world of the saga for you, dear reader.
The year is 10,191. Human beings have spread out and colonized planets throughout the universe4. The original host planet of the species is so far left back in the mists of time that it’s name has been forgotten5. On the planet Caladan, Duke Leto of the House of Atreides is preparing to leave for his new position as the Governor of a dangerous desert planet with valuable resources.
The planet is Arrakis; also known as Dune…
The Duke is entreated on by the Padisha Emperor Shaddam IV (governs the known universe along with powerful allies) to take over operations on the planet from the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and his two sons. But Leto and his family, including his concubine, Lady Jessica, and his son, Paul, suspect that the Emperor is in cahoots with the Baron and that the enterprise is a set up—a trap to take down the beloved House Atriedes.
In Herbert’s world, the most precious substance in the universe is Melange, a spice produced only by the giant sandworms of Arrakis6. Melange, commonly referred to Spice, extends life. The Spice expands consciousness. The Spice is vital to space travel for without it, the Guild Navigators would die.
The Spice mutated the Spacing Guild Navigators over four-thousand years. The once-human Navigators use the orange Spice gas because it gives them the ability to fold space: that is, travel to any part of the Universe without moving.
AND…there’s the Fremen. Hidden away within the rocks of the deserts of Arrakis are a people known as the Fremen; a simple and nomadic people who hold a long-held prophecy—that a man would come, a messiah, who would lead them to true freedom.
The Dunes of Oregon
The saga is created and written by Frank Herbert in the mid 60s. In 1957, he took a trip to the dunes of Oregon and there, he was amazed by how the piles of sand held such sway over the life and landscape around them. He imagined a world overtaken by deserts and a lone “planetologist” (i.e. ecologist) wanting to reclaim/transform the deserts into lush, fertile ground.
And thus, a universe began to form.
The Dune Chronicles (the original six texts) were written over a nearly 30-year span. Herbert was able to get through the sixth installment, Chapterhouse: Dune, just before he passed away in ‘86 (while I was a high school freshman). Interestingly, the book ends with a cliffhanger. Herbert introduces two characters named Daniel and Marty. They are mysterious observers with advanced technological powers.
But, that’s it.
Herbert’s universe ceased to expand…for 20 years.
Twenty years later (like that Dumas reference there?), Herbert’s son, Brian Herbert and his friend Kevin Anderson looked through the notes (3.5” floppy disks in attic) Brian’s father had left behind for a work he was referring to as “Dune 7” and published two sequels (Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune) using the Dune 7 notes and outline as their source materials.
Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson went on to publish 27 additional novels and short stories that expanded the original universe. I have not read a single one. I’m only versed in the original six novels. They appear, in their original order below…
Time for a New Myth
Star Wars is based on Dune7. George Lucas has acknowledged this many times.
So Dune is to science fiction what The Lord of the Rings is to fantasy. It’s deeply complex, nuanced, and heretical. In fact, it’s difficult to even identify a main character across all six books.
Our modern American mythology consists of leitmotifs from so many literary traditions including…
Mesopotamian mythology
Egyptian mythology
Abrahamic Faiths
Greco-Roman mythology
Paganism
Works of the European Renaissance
Scientific and alchemical literature
Marvel/Disney/Star Wars universe—Hollywood
American/World sci-fi like (Neuromancer, Foundation, Solaris, A Scanner Darkly, etc.)
…and so on. These mythic subsystems have come to establish what I believe to be our most modern American paradigmatic themes; themes such as the hero and the villain, the forces of good vs. the forces of evil. The primary elements of these more modern mythologies include origin/creation tales, the acquisition of power/fire, axis mundi, deus otiosus, orbis alius, creatures such as serpents, kaiju, giants and eschatology.
And they work. And they’re very important to continually mediate on such themes and elements.
But I, long with hundreds of millions of fans around the world, think it’s time for a NEW paradigmatic archetype to enter the Western Zeitgeist and make possible the exploration of themes we AREN’T integrating into our American way such as:
The folly of technology
The dangers of charismatic leadership in politics/religion
Impending environmental ecocide
Sacred ethnopharmacology
Intentional human breeding (Eugenics)
Theme of Religion in Dune
Religion’s most obvious presence in Dune is in how the Bene Gesserit are depicted, which, for me, is the MOST intriguing plot line across all six books. The Bene Gesserit are an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of physical and mental conditioning to obtain superhuman powers and abilities that can seem magical to outsiders.
They use the Missionaria Protectiva to spread contrived legends and prophecies to developing worlds…
With the Lady Jessica and Arrakis, the Bene Gesserit system of sowing implant-legends through the Missionaria Protectiva came to its full fruition. The wisdom of seeding the known universe with a prophecy pattern for the protection of B.G. personnel has long been appreciated, but never have we seen a condition-ut-extremis with more ideal mating of person and preparation. The prophetic legends had taken on Arrakis even to the extent of adopted labels (including Reverend Mother, canto and respondu, and most of the Shari-a panoplia propheticus). And it is generally accepted now that the Lady Jessica's latent abilities were grossly underestimated.
— from Analysis: The Arrakeen Crisis by the Princess Irulan [Private circulation: B.G. file number AR-81088587]
So, the Missionaria Protectiva is…a breeding program controlled by the sisterhood. Using careful manipulations of relationships and breeding sisters to “collect”8 key genes, the Bene Gesserit control and finesse bloodlines through the ages to create "the one who can be two places simultaneously" or "the one who can be many places at once"—the Kwisatz Haderach9.
The other important presence of religion in Dune involves control of the Fremen, the nomadic desert people of Arrakis. The elite characters exploit religion as a method of rallying the Fremen to the cause—turning Arrakis from a desert planet to a lush, green world.
Religion represents a source of comfort and power throughout the novels. Paul possesses mystical abilities that go above and beyond a simple heightened awareness or intelligence, but his clever exploitation of religion is his most powerful advantage. Paul’s adept manipulation of religion and the calculated use of legends contrived by the Bene Gesserit allow him to rise to the position of God Emperor.
Theme of Environmentalism and Ethics in Dune
To exist in the harsh desert climate of Arrakis, the Fremen must be keenly attuned to ecological issues (e.g. availability of water, the proximity of giant sandworms, and unstable weather patters). Much of the first two books are about altering Arrakis into a lush garden planet.
But doing so is performing the work of a higher power; reshaping the land to conform to the preference and needs of the Fremen. Yet, no character in Dune ever questions whether it is morally right to change the climate of Arrakis. Changing the planet might kill the sandworms, which have an integral role in creating Melange. Such a change in the ecosystem may also obliterate the muad’dib, the planet’s beloved mice, and the source for Paul’s Fremen name.
The Fremen are strong and powerful soldiers because they have trained in a harsh desert climate. The Fremen would not have the power to fight the Emperor’s soldiers or change the climate of Arrakis if the environment were different. So, Dune raises the question of whether humans should exercise their power to manipulate the environment in the first place.
What do you think? Is environmentalism just a ruse?
If you’re interested in a more in-depth summary of the six books, check out Quinn’s Ideas on YouTube.
Opens October 22 on HBOMax and in IMAX/Theaters
Okay. He’s not American but his work is MASTERFUL.
I know the book is based on possibly the MOST racist of limericks but I didn’t know it when I read it. If you’re interested in what I’m mentioning, hold on to your horses… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_Then_There_Were_None
Sometime approximately in the 29th Earth Century is when “The Scattering” occurs
Though there are those that study arcana and esoterica that believe the host planet may have been named “Oldearth”
Although, in later novels, a race known as the Bene Tleilax create Axlotl Tanks that can create Melange too.
…and Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress, I know, I know…
Code for you guessed it—-SEX.
Herbert defined the term as “shortening of the path”. But it’s a slight variation on the Hebrew phrase Kefitzat Haderech which means “contracting the path”.