Dune

by Frank Herbert

Topics to talk about for Dune:

1. style and layout of book (intro quote, prose...also appendices)
2. society structure of the Dune universe
   1. feudal
   2. also business oriented (CHOAM and LANSRAAD)
   3. religious
   4. very little governance, tax structure, or laws in the Dune universe.
   5. the exception seems to be the Sardaukar recruitment
   6. Bene Gesserit
      1. What is known about Bene Gesserit structure or recruitment?
      2. supplying of concubines to the noble houses (jessica)
      3. suppliers of truthsayers (rev. gaius helen mohiam)
         1. are there any nonBene Gesserit truthsayers?
         2. indication that all reverend mothers are truthsayers (pg.13)
      4. spice and the Bene Gesserit
      5. source of Bene Gesserit powers?
         1. physical (mostly prana-bindu inheritance and awareness)
         2. mental
            1. previous Reverend Mother lives (rv only)
            2. method of thinking...
         3. breeding program? purpose? is this a power?
         4. social powers? influence?
         5. Voice
            1. needs to be keyed to each user (page 169)
         6. Missionaria Protectiva
            1. why necessary?
            2. what is a Bene Gesserit in need?
            3. how prevalent is this?
      6. Guild
         1. Does the guild own their own spaceships?
         2. anything known about guild structure or recruitment?
      7. mentats
         1. from Tleilax (note: not Bene Tleilax)
         2. seem to fufill function of master assasins.
         3. human computers (i guess postButlerian Jihad)
         4. abilities not reliant upon use of drugs
            1. Piter de Vries used spice (blue within blue eyes)
      8. machines?
         1. provenance of Richese and Ix
         2. remnants of the Butlerian Jihad (no machine in the likeness of a man's mind) NOTE: not human's mind....just man
3. function of the Atriedes subordinates?
   1. Thufir Hawat
   2. Gurney Halleck
   3. Duncan Idaho (anything special about him?..why endless rebirths?)
4. Fremen society?
   1. shadout?
   2. naib?
   3. waterkeepers?
   4. religious brethren?
   5. women and children?
   6. comparisons to Arab society
   7. religion vaguely zensunni, sufi, etc.
   8. name is reflection of Free Men or other?
5. Kwisatz Haderach
   1. what is?
   2. why necessary?
   3. is Paul this? (answer no...)
   4. is Count Fenring this?
      • is Count Fenring the only failed Kwisatz Haderach to survive?
   5. How come the Guild navigators aren't Kwisatz Haderach?
6. What are humans like in Dune?
   1. what is human?
   2. what is animal?
7. Appendices...
   1. history of House Harkonne
   2. relationship of the Great Houses
   3. religious history
      • Tawra and Salusa Secundus (pg. 501)
   4. the ecology of the planet Arrakis
   5. the elder Kynes
8. geneaologies
   1. great houses?
   2. stilgar/kynes/chani?
9. Technology
   1. high in certain areas...
      1. spaceships
      2. medical technology
      3. personal shielding
      4. assasination toys (hunter-seeker, poisons, fighting machines etc.)
   2. quite low in other ways
      1. no computers per se.
      2. no automation of any kind.
      3. no automated battle
      4. commuications?
      5. no piloting devises?
      6. chemistry is selectively nonexistant
         1. can't make water on Arrakis?
         2. what kind of fuel?
         3. mostly in the service of poisons
   3. herbert makes his technology mostly nonexistant
      • is this work then sf or fantasy?
10. what is sf? fantasy? genre or umbrella?
11. languages
    1. Chakobsa (here is a Fremen tongue)
    2. numerous alternate languages....
       1. humming of Fenring and wife
       2. hand languages of the Atriedes
    3. Galach
12. solar system structure? (two moons?)
    1. gravity?
    2. temperate climes?
13. process of maturity?
    1. adolescence is mostly nonexistant....
    2. Paul was a father at 16, and counted an adult (15 at start of book)
    3. children take the lives of the wounded on the battlefield...
    4. is there a clear notion of childhood or adolescence in the book?
14. importance of reputation
    1. the Sardaukar
    2. the Fremen
    3. the Great Houses
15. Politics...
    1. Great Houses
    2. others (bene gesserit, guild)
    3. smugglers
    4. others...(machines, etc.)
16. Gladiatorial Bout on Giedi Prime
    • earlier than feudal...
17. Spice
    1. uses?
    2. properties?
    3. chemical construction?
    4. origins?

These notes were written by Arin Komins.

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