Dune

[mike wightman]

Just read it again, for what must be the tenth+ time.

I don't know if it's me getting older, but there is an awful lot more to that book this time I read it than in years gone by - if that makes any sense to you

Anyway - reason for the post.

This time I noticed a lot of very high technology that is barely mentioned - so much magic technology that is so unobtrusive it is hardly worth the usual fifteen pages most sic-fi authors take to explain their wonder tech.

Made me think about how much of the really high tech stuff in the Traveller setting isn't even mentioned, more implied.

 

[Ran Targas]

I make it a habit to read it once a year or so. I'm really wishing the time on Caladan lasted a bit longer; I could use more exposition.

 

[Supplement Four]

Reading that book makes me feel smarter than I am.

You know that it's the best selling science fiction novel in history, right?

 

[GypsyComet]

Made me think about how much of the really high tech stuff in the Traveller setting isn't even mentioned, more implied.

Ever read the "Nanotech" sidebar in GURPS Traveller? It follows much the same line of thought.

 

[BlackBat242]

Reading that book makes me feel smarter than I am.

You know that it's the best selling science fiction novel in history, right?

Popular does not in any way imply "good" or "intelligent"... look at Honey-Boo-Boo, the Kardashians, and so on.

Or Game of Thrones and Wheel of Time.

 

[SpaceBadger]

The first book, Dune itself, was pretty darn good. The sequelae went downhill from there. Or so I have heard; I don't think I managed to force myself past the third or fourth book, although I have them all in a box somewhere unread.

 

[aramis]

The first book, Dune itself, was pretty darn good. The sequelae went downhill from there. Or so I have heard; I don't think I managed to force myself past the third or fourth book, although I have them all in a box somewhere unread.

Heretics is about the worst of the lot. They get better after.

 

[SanDragon]

They do?

I guess when you bottom out, the only way is back up...

 

[JimMarn]

I found the claim by some characters that the computers were bad because they were machines and not humans to be a little strange. Humans made, and programmed, the computers. So I felt that was a little odd.

A few years after reading it, I learned that people are displaced by computers doing some jobs. I repair computers. I don't make the computer chips or cards though. So some of the jobs done by my recent ancestors have gone away, but I learned how to repair some of those devices.

The main problem I had with the movie, is all of the mental things going on not showing in the movie. And the actors wanting their faces to be visible... Of course, the real suits required the faces be covered or the wearer would die from dehydration.

I enjoyed the first book. I stopped about the 3rd or 4th book. It just got... repetitive. Too much cookie cutter. Uhm, nothing changed besides the names or a location. The storyline became dull.

Oh, I remember some years ago a quick sketch by two comics about what worked on a tv and/or movie versus radio.

The guy who said radio could do lots of things not possible in a movie. Described a lake size hot chocolate, whipped cream and a cherry being added. All with sound effects.

He added at the end, you couldn't do that on television or in a movie.

Might be possible these days with CGI... but it probably wouldn't be believable.

So many of the things in Dune simply don't translate to the screen, but might work on radio.

 

[Azezel]

I to make it a point (and a pleasure) to read Dune every year.

I also have my own Arrakis IMTU. Not a 100% rip-off - where's the fun in that. But very much inspired by...

The following is all there is in the handout I give new players.

---
0401 (Salt)
C750500-9
She's called 'Salt' because she is salt. The entire surface of the planet is covered in a crust of salt tens of meters thick. Visually stunning of course, blinding white deserts the world over. Mostly sodium chloride with other mineral salts mixed in.

The nomads who live on Salt operate vast mobile factories. Self-propelled crawling strip-mines a mile or more long which dredge a trench in the salt, extracting and refining the chemicals and metals for export.
---

I love it when PCs go there, though. It's a far richer setting than is implied by the deliberately bare-bones description. The Fremen-like inhabitants and sandworm-style crawler factories are fun to use as a GM. Naturally, everything on-world revolves around the riches extracted from the desert, and water, ever precious and never sufficient.

I found the claim by some characters that the computers were bad because they were machines and not humans to be a little strange. Humans made, and programmed, the computers. So I felt that was a little odd.

Remember, in the universe of Dune 'computers are bad' isn't an objective truth but a religious conviction. The truth-value of the statement is irrelevant, all that matters is that it's believed.

Although you miss-state things slightly. Computers aren't bad (you're telling me all the tech runs without a single IC or future equivalent IC?) - AI is bad. a subtle but important difference.

Thinking machines are both crime and sin.

So many of the things in Dune simply don't translate to the screen, but might work on radio.

I respectfully disagree.

Thing is, no-one has ever tried to film Dune. Only a few different, superficially similar stories that they named 'Dune'. Utterly change the personalities of Paul, Stilgar, Jessica and Leto, cut 90% of the towering all-encompassing symbolism, eliminate all of the subtle psychological & religious commentary and it's not in any real sense Dune, now, is it?

A faithful adaptation might be possible, I think it is, but I suspect we may never know.

 

[Enoff]

Its been a long time since I first read Dune, wanting a change from listening to several Star Trek stories I thought maybe its time to return to Arrakis. So I am listening to an audiobook of Dune by Audible, awesome! I also have the novel and the encyclopedia on my e-reader. Could I describe the book as profound and enlightening? Its quite like a religious experience, at least to me, so thought provoking.

 

[Timerover51]

I read it for the first time when it was serialized in Analog magazine, and it was not too bad then. Went back a while later and read the novel when it came out. Not that impressed with it then. Never did feel it worth the money to buy and add to my collection. Checked the first sequel out of the library, and returned it after about 20 pages or so. I view it as pretty badly over-rated. Sort of like Asimov's Foundation series.

 

[Blue Ghost]

I never read the book, but saw both the original feature film and the mini-series produced by the sci-fi channel.

All in all David Lynch doesn't strike me as being a science fiction film maker.

 

[rnadams2]

Do a search for "dune movie" and you get all sorts of hits with titles like Dune (2010), Dune (2012), and Dune (2014)--all of which don't, in actuality, exist. Everyone wants to make a new, improved version, but no one seems to be able to pull it off.

Then, of course, there's this.

 

[Enoff]

Those are TV mini-series? I hadn't known someone has made a documentary of Jodorowsky's attempt to make Dune. Sounds like one of the great unmade movies like Robert Graves's I Claudius.

Robert Graves’ novel brought life in Ancient Rome to life as few others have, and during the 1930s a dream team assembled to turn it into a film: Alexander Korda as producer, Josef Von Sternberg director, with Charles Laughton to star as Claudius and Merle Oberon as Messalina. Filming proceeded at a slow pace, and when Oberon was hospitalised followed a near fatal car crash Korda pulled the plug. Existing footage was featured in the 1965 documentary, The Epic That Never Was.

Youtube of the documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUbt0sweIjI

 

[Blue Ghost]

Do a search for "dune movie" and you get all sorts of hits with titles like Dune (2010), Dune (2012), and Dune (2014)--all of which don't, in actuality, exist. Everyone wants to make a new, improved version, but no one seems to be able to pull it off.

Then, of course, there's this.

I think that doc is from the special edition DVD. I've seen it before somewhere.

 

[aramis]

There have been only 4 projects that made it to release: Lynch/de Laurentis (the 1984 theatrical movie), the 2000 Sci-Fi Channel mini-series and its 2003 sequel, and a UCLA student short film from 1973.
Jorodowski was able to get up to casting, but didn't actually get to primary filming. Some film tests were done.

IMDB shows a project "in development" for another version. Since I don't have pro access, I can't get anything more. If it happens, it will probably be 2016 to 2018 release.

 

[Enoff]

Dune the movie was made in 1984, Jodorowsky's Dune premiered at the Director's Fortnight at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in May 2013.

There is really no way to recreate the book on film, I am surprised TR-51 didn't like it since he likes Andre Norton. These audiobooks are well done, I've been listening and following the text in the book.

 

[Timerover51]

Dune the movie was made in 1984, Jodorowsky's Dune premiered at the Director's Fortnight at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in May 2013.

There is really no way to recreate the book on film, I am surprised TR-51 didn't like it since he likes Andre Norton. These audiobooks are well done, I've been listening and following the text in the book.

Andre Norton does much more with character development that Herbert ever does, and I have no problems sympathizing with her characters. I view Paul Atreides as wooden at best, an unsympathetic "ubermensch" at worst. None, I repeat, none of the characters ever really caught.

As for I, Cladius, the BBC did a mini-series on the book in 1976: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Claudius_(TV_series)

It is available on DVD, as my library has a set, as well as my own set. Quite well done, borderline X rating for sexual content however, and quite bloody. Having read both Tacitus and Seutonius, it is accurate historically. You do need a flowchart to keep track of the character relationships. I had to make one for my wife. It ran on Masterpiece Theater here.

 

[aramis]

Andre Norton does much more with character development that Herbert ever does, and I have no problems sympathizing with her characters. I view Paul Atreides as wooden at best, an unsympathetic "ubermensch" at worst.

That is exactly what Paul is supposed to be. The irony is that Paul is NOT the main character of the series.

Major Spoiler...

Spoiler:

Duncan Idaho is the Kwizatz Haderach and the actual main character of the series.

Reread it knowing that, and it takes on a different view of the setting and the first 3 novels.