s.penkevich's Reviews > Dune
Dune (Dune, #1)
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![6431467](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p2/6431467.jpg)
s.penkevich's review
bookshelves: awesome, sci-fi
Oct 21, 2021
bookshelves: awesome, sci-fi
Read 2 times. Last read September 28, 2021 to October 21, 2021.
‘Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.’
The sheer scope and magnitude of this 1965 sci-fi drama is staggering, populated with an extensive cast of characters and a rich universe full of well-rounded lore, intricate politics where every actions is revealed as ‘plans within plans within plans,’ and dynamic cultures all set on a collision course of plot that rightfully earned it a wide readership and canonization as a “Classic” work. I found it lived up to the hype and opened itself up more upon a reread, validating the fond memories I had of it from reading it first as a young teenager smitten with anything sci-fi. This book has zero chill and everything is to extreme and epic levels, including the size of worms. But come for the Bene Gesserits, best part. While there isn’t much to say that likely hasn’t already been said better, I still want to pause and reflect on some key elements in Dune. This is such a well-crafted book that addresses themes of power, religion, historical records as mythmaking and environmental concerns in a narrative about proxy wars and power struggles that speak just as loudly today as it did about 1960s foreign policy. If you are looking for a book of epic proportions, you can’t go wrong with Dune.
The best part about this book, to me, is the way it is constantly expanding. There is great world-building and a rich lore that recalls my glee first exploring The Lord of the Rings, but what really excites me is the way Herbert reveals it all. The book starts so small—a visit to a cottage from an old woman that seems like such a small scale fairy tale on page one—and swiftly becomes gargantuan and never stops growing. It leaves you constantly feeling yourself shrink beside a universe always revealing itself as more complex than you had realized. I enjoy the way Herbert only gives you the minimum of what you need to understand and lets it all slowly unfold when necessary.
‘They've a legend here, a prophecy, that a leader will come to them, child of a Bene Gesserit, to lead them to true freedom. It follows the familiar messiah pattern.’
For newcomers, the basis of the book is that Paul has been quite literally bred to be a messiah and is engulfed in a difficult power struggle over a planet that essentially upholds the interplanetary economy through mining an addictive substance called “spice”. You might quickly find yourself thinking of spice as oil and the planet Arrakis as Middle East and Northern Africa (Tor put out a really great essay on the way Herbert engages with Muslim culture and traditions), you know, since there was a whole Cold War going on at the time and giving the villain Baron Harkonnen a first name like Vladimir might make you wonder if this is all an elaborate metaphor. The Baron saying ‘in politics, the tripod is the most unstable of all structures,’ might make you think of the three branches of US government. You get the idea. There are also WWII holdovers present, such as the Sardaukar as an elite fighting force trained on Salusa Secundus to make sure you catch the S.S. reference. That’s all very much there, but this book is so much more than a simple sci fi rendition of the Cold War and Herbert definitely wants you to apply these themes to our larger political and religious global interactions.
‘Fear is the mind-killer.’
Another aspect I find fascinating in Dune is the depiction of Paul Atreides in the ‘chosen one’ trope. Paul has reservations, though not due to thinking he doesn’t deserve it (dude is royalty anyways, essentially) but because he fears what it will bring. Paul’s powers are enhanced through spice and he is able to perceive the future, and in almost every possible scenario he sees nothing but mass war in his name:
The notion of precognition brings free will into question, particularly when a certain individual appears in visions of the future but dies before it happens. It becomes a universe where individual free wills are all acting upon one another in an attempt to control the narrative of time.
History is written by the winners, or so the saying goes, and much of this novel focuses on the way the narrative of time is constructed through the mythologizing of people and events. ‘History will call us wives,’ Jessica says to Chani, assuring her that her role as the lover to Paul will not be usurped by the princess he marries for the throne. Much of the book shows the dynamics between Paul as the Man and Paul as the myth, with characters like Stilgar recognizing that by being in service to the myth they too will be immortalized in the stories. Narratives become a form or power, and, as I’ll discuss soon, can be a form of control.
Perhaps it is because power and control are so central to this novel that it feels so very timeless and just as applicable to 2021 as it did to 1965. In regards to power, leadership also becomes another key theme. ‘Power and fear,’ House Atreides Duke Leto says, ‘The tools of statecraft, ’ a sentiment later echoed with all the same key terms by Baron Harkonnen. The two leaders are set up at the start as foils to each other, each trying to have their grip on Arrakis (there are some strong colonialism themes in this book and it delves into how troubling it is and how even those we might view as the savior turn out to be just another oppressor and colonizer) but their leaderships are defined by Leto’s rule through caring for his people while Harkonnen sees everyone as a useful pawn.
Having recently finished The Dispossessed, I could have preferred some more voices in this book looking for better forms of ruling that don’t involve exploitation, but that’s not what this book is about so I’ll move on. What this book really focuses on is the ways power can be maintained, which crops up most in this novel through use of religion. ‘But it's well known that repression makes a religion flourish,’ we read, and the harsh life on Arrakis makes it the perfect setting where indoctrination of religion for the purpose of power can shape a community and unite them. Religion is a form of storytelling, having the people all believe in one shared story with all its myths and promises. ‘You deliberately cultivated this air, this bravura,’ Jessica instructs Paul, ‘you never cease indoctrinating.’ The stronger the shared faith, the more easily a leader can make them do what they need. It also helps that everyone is high as shit all the time. ‘Religion and law among our masses must be one and the same,’ Kynes's father says:
Religion is being used constantly to shape the people for the purpose of their leaders, even in what seems an admirable purpose of turning desert Arrakis into a green paradise (and without a religious idea of paradise, how can a people who only know dry dirt and hardship even imagine a paradise?).
‘The real wealth of a planet is in its landscape, how we take part in that basic source of civilization—agriculture.’
This latter bit is also extremely key to Dune. The planet itself is practically a character in the novel, much in the ways the landscape is like a character in Westerns. The landscape of Arrakis truly shapes the people there, and we see a contrast between Arrakis and Caladan and how water as a precious resource on Arrakis changes many customs. Such as how spitting at a person is a sign of respect on Arrakis. Changing the environment on Arrakis is an interesting concept because, in order to make it thrive, what would the cost be? Would it disrupt spice, thereby collapsing the galaxy’s economy? Can these people ever be free, because doing so would require the complete dismantling of the governmental systems currently ruling? Can I try this spice? I would like to try the spice.
There is also something to be said about the harshness of an environment being an ideal place for strenght in unity around a cause to crop up. Le Guin explores this in The Dispossessed as well, with the anarchist planet having a similar dry desert vibe as Arrakis and scarcity being a major player in what keeps the people bonded and working together. The Fremen are tough because of their environment, similiarly the Sardaukar are trained in extremely harsh environments as well. Dune plays a lot with ideas on how fascism and strongmen can quickly rise to power in times of economic instability—or the threat of it—and here the difficult planets tend to produce the most deadly fighters. Mix religion in and you have an instant army if you can convince everyone you are the chosen one.
There is so much more to discuss in this book, particularly the Bene Gesserits and the Guild who are pulling a lot of strings, or just how friggen awesome the worms are. This is a big book with a lot of big ideas, and also a lot of ambiguity to them that I really appreciate. It is certainly a precursor for a lot of popular epics to follow. George Lucas certainly took notes and I imagine George R.R. Martin read this and said “wait, you can just kill beloved characters that easily!?” before rewriting Duke Leto as Ned Stark. While I can concede to those who find it boring and dry, I rather enjoyed all the history and lore and found this to be incredibly fun.
4.5/5
The sheer scope and magnitude of this 1965 sci-fi drama is staggering, populated with an extensive cast of characters and a rich universe full of well-rounded lore, intricate politics where every actions is revealed as ‘plans within plans within plans,’ and dynamic cultures all set on a collision course of plot that rightfully earned it a wide readership and canonization as a “Classic” work. I found it lived up to the hype and opened itself up more upon a reread, validating the fond memories I had of it from reading it first as a young teenager smitten with anything sci-fi. This book has zero chill and everything is to extreme and epic levels, including the size of worms. But come for the Bene Gesserits, best part. While there isn’t much to say that likely hasn’t already been said better, I still want to pause and reflect on some key elements in Dune. This is such a well-crafted book that addresses themes of power, religion, historical records as mythmaking and environmental concerns in a narrative about proxy wars and power struggles that speak just as loudly today as it did about 1960s foreign policy. If you are looking for a book of epic proportions, you can’t go wrong with Dune.
The best part about this book, to me, is the way it is constantly expanding. There is great world-building and a rich lore that recalls my glee first exploring The Lord of the Rings, but what really excites me is the way Herbert reveals it all. The book starts so small—a visit to a cottage from an old woman that seems like such a small scale fairy tale on page one—and swiftly becomes gargantuan and never stops growing. It leaves you constantly feeling yourself shrink beside a universe always revealing itself as more complex than you had realized. I enjoy the way Herbert only gives you the minimum of what you need to understand and lets it all slowly unfold when necessary.
‘They've a legend here, a prophecy, that a leader will come to them, child of a Bene Gesserit, to lead them to true freedom. It follows the familiar messiah pattern.’
For newcomers, the basis of the book is that Paul has been quite literally bred to be a messiah and is engulfed in a difficult power struggle over a planet that essentially upholds the interplanetary economy through mining an addictive substance called “spice”. You might quickly find yourself thinking of spice as oil and the planet Arrakis as Middle East and Northern Africa (Tor put out a really great essay on the way Herbert engages with Muslim culture and traditions), you know, since there was a whole Cold War going on at the time and giving the villain Baron Harkonnen a first name like Vladimir might make you wonder if this is all an elaborate metaphor. The Baron saying ‘in politics, the tripod is the most unstable of all structures,’ might make you think of the three branches of US government. You get the idea. There are also WWII holdovers present, such as the Sardaukar as an elite fighting force trained on Salusa Secundus to make sure you catch the S.S. reference. That’s all very much there, but this book is so much more than a simple sci fi rendition of the Cold War and Herbert definitely wants you to apply these themes to our larger political and religious global interactions.
‘Fear is the mind-killer.’
Another aspect I find fascinating in Dune is the depiction of Paul Atreides in the ‘chosen one’ trope. Paul has reservations, though not due to thinking he doesn’t deserve it (dude is royalty anyways, essentially) but because he fears what it will bring. Paul’s powers are enhanced through spice and he is able to perceive the future, and in almost every possible scenario he sees nothing but mass war in his name:
’They were all caught up in the need of their race to renew its scattered inheritance, to cross and mingle and infuse their bloodlines in a great new pooling of genes. And the race knew only one sure way for this—the ancient way, the tried and certain way that rolled over everything in its path: jihad.’
The notion of precognition brings free will into question, particularly when a certain individual appears in visions of the future but dies before it happens. It becomes a universe where individual free wills are all acting upon one another in an attempt to control the narrative of time.
’And what [Paul] saw was a time nexus within this cave, a boiling of possibilities focused here, wherein the most minute action—a wink of an eye, a careless word, a misplaced grain of sand—moved a gigantic lever across the known universe. He saw violence with the outcome subject to so many variables that his slightest movement created vast shiftings in the pattern.’
History is written by the winners, or so the saying goes, and much of this novel focuses on the way the narrative of time is constructed through the mythologizing of people and events. ‘History will call us wives,’ Jessica says to Chani, assuring her that her role as the lover to Paul will not be usurped by the princess he marries for the throne. Much of the book shows the dynamics between Paul as the Man and Paul as the myth, with characters like Stilgar recognizing that by being in service to the myth they too will be immortalized in the stories. Narratives become a form or power, and, as I’ll discuss soon, can be a form of control.
Perhaps it is because power and control are so central to this novel that it feels so very timeless and just as applicable to 2021 as it did to 1965. In regards to power, leadership also becomes another key theme. ‘Power and fear,’ House Atreides Duke Leto says, ‘The tools of statecraft, ’ a sentiment later echoed with all the same key terms by Baron Harkonnen. The two leaders are set up at the start as foils to each other, each trying to have their grip on Arrakis (there are some strong colonialism themes in this book and it delves into how troubling it is and how even those we might view as the savior turn out to be just another oppressor and colonizer) but their leaderships are defined by Leto’s rule through caring for his people while Harkonnen sees everyone as a useful pawn.
’A leader, you see, is one of the things that distinguishes a mob from a people. He maintains the level of individuals. Too few individuals, and a people reverts to a mob.’
Having recently finished The Dispossessed, I could have preferred some more voices in this book looking for better forms of ruling that don’t involve exploitation, but that’s not what this book is about so I’ll move on. What this book really focuses on is the ways power can be maintained, which crops up most in this novel through use of religion. ‘But it's well known that repression makes a religion flourish,’ we read, and the harsh life on Arrakis makes it the perfect setting where indoctrination of religion for the purpose of power can shape a community and unite them. Religion is a form of storytelling, having the people all believe in one shared story with all its myths and promises. ‘You deliberately cultivated this air, this bravura,’ Jessica instructs Paul, ‘you never cease indoctrinating.’ The stronger the shared faith, the more easily a leader can make them do what they need. It also helps that everyone is high as shit all the time. ‘Religion and law among our masses must be one and the same,’ Kynes's father says:
‘An act of disobedience must be a sin and require religious penalties. This will have the dual benefit of bringing both greater obedience and greater bravery. We must depend not so much on the bravery of individuals, you see, as upon the bravery of a whole population.’
Religion is being used constantly to shape the people for the purpose of their leaders, even in what seems an admirable purpose of turning desert Arrakis into a green paradise (and without a religious idea of paradise, how can a people who only know dry dirt and hardship even imagine a paradise?).
‘The real wealth of a planet is in its landscape, how we take part in that basic source of civilization—agriculture.’
This latter bit is also extremely key to Dune. The planet itself is practically a character in the novel, much in the ways the landscape is like a character in Westerns. The landscape of Arrakis truly shapes the people there, and we see a contrast between Arrakis and Caladan and how water as a precious resource on Arrakis changes many customs. Such as how spitting at a person is a sign of respect on Arrakis. Changing the environment on Arrakis is an interesting concept because, in order to make it thrive, what would the cost be? Would it disrupt spice, thereby collapsing the galaxy’s economy? Can these people ever be free, because doing so would require the complete dismantling of the governmental systems currently ruling? Can I try this spice? I would like to try the spice.
There is also something to be said about the harshness of an environment being an ideal place for strenght in unity around a cause to crop up. Le Guin explores this in The Dispossessed as well, with the anarchist planet having a similar dry desert vibe as Arrakis and scarcity being a major player in what keeps the people bonded and working together. The Fremen are tough because of their environment, similiarly the Sardaukar are trained in extremely harsh environments as well. Dune plays a lot with ideas on how fascism and strongmen can quickly rise to power in times of economic instability—or the threat of it—and here the difficult planets tend to produce the most deadly fighters. Mix religion in and you have an instant army if you can convince everyone you are the chosen one.
There is so much more to discuss in this book, particularly the Bene Gesserits and the Guild who are pulling a lot of strings, or just how friggen awesome the worms are. This is a big book with a lot of big ideas, and also a lot of ambiguity to them that I really appreciate. It is certainly a precursor for a lot of popular epics to follow. George Lucas certainly took notes and I imagine George R.R. Martin read this and said “wait, you can just kill beloved characters that easily!?” before rewriting Duke Leto as Ned Stark. While I can concede to those who find it boring and dry, I rather enjoyed all the history and lore and found this to be incredibly fun.
4.5/5
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
(Paperback Edition)
September 24, 2011
– Shelved
(Paperback Edition)
February 4, 2012
– Shelved as:
sci-fi
(Paperback Edition)
September 28, 2021
–
Started Reading
September 28, 2021
– Shelved
September 28, 2021
–
14.74%
"I mean, I gotta revisit this before seeing it. Last time I read it I was 14. Lots of sand."
page
97
September 29, 2021
–
21.58%
"Love that there’s a cool character named Duncan Idaho. It gives me Indiana Jones vibes every time."
page
142
October 21, 2021
– Shelved as:
awesome
October 21, 2021
– Shelved as:
sci-fi
October 21, 2021
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 106 (106 new)
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by
Derrick
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rated it 5 stars
Oct 22, 2021 05:29AM
![Derrick](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1596940460p1/56994273.jpg)
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![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Thank you so much. And YES, same. It looks pretty good, I hope it won’t be long until part II.
![kiana](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1694414892p1/7191708.jpg)
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Ooo I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try! I found it a surprisingly quick read despite the length, once it starts moving it really goes.
I hope the LotR isn't too much of a stretch comparison, I still prefer Tolkein and that has a LOT more history and lore and a working elf language haha, but this scratched a similar itch. And thank you so much, thanks for reading!
![Richard Derus](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1624978086p1/3920693.jpg)
Though I liked the SciFi Channel miniseries just fine.
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
YES! I'm actually going to see it as soon as I get off work. They said get America's favorite beefy men and put them ALL in this movie, plus Chalamet (did the director raid my fantasies? Give him all the budget). I did enjoy that miniseries. The acting was pretty great, like you have to have your chops down to make the line "we go to war to bring back WOOOORMS!" actually work with a fierce, intimidating power haha.
The Orange Bible is so key! It actually all makes me wonder if there will be some pushback from churches when (if?) we get part two since the whole religious themes are pretty...well, Herbert isn't always kind haha.
![Richard Derus](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1624978086p1/3920693.jpg)
Indeedy do...while I am never, ever against pretty men on screen doin' their thang I am even more delighted when they can inhabit so many different roles the way Sr Isaac and young Chalamet can.
There was a lot to like about the miniseries but the effects were *awful*...the spice-blue eyes!...and the sets, well, they didn't have Villeneuve's budget now did they. But they got most of the story in the three episodes!
s.penkevich wrote: "The Orange Bible is so key! It actually all makes me wonder if there will be some pushback from churches when (if?) we get part two since the whole religious themes are pretty...well, Herbert isn't always kind haha."
He's NEVER kind! And that's why I suspect some of that will get toned down or simply cut. What I really, really want to know is how they do the Mentats and Yueh's, um, role in the story.
Come and tell me soon!
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Oscar Isaac is seriously the best. Inside Llewyn Davis gahhh such a favorite, sing for me all day Oscar. And true, SyFy channel...isn't known for good cgi haha. I bet it didn't age very well either, like a lot of the Dr Who cgi from that time but at least they had the benefit of being sort of goofy anyways. At least I know it can't be worse than the Lynch version (which I don't hate but also...)
I'm 2 hours from showtime! I'm glad he split it up, and the aspects that will likely be toned down (i hope not but like... "this movie is about getting everyone real high and telling them you are space-Jesus" miiiiiiight not fly as it did on page haha) are pretty much entirely in the second half which leads me to believe this one will remain fairly undisturbed?
I'LL BE BACK
![Derrick](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1596940460p1/56994273.jpg)
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
I'm so nervous about that. Which makes sense now that the director was so upset about it streaming, which is tough considering...well everything but yea. Have you gone yet? I'm 15min away from the end of my work shift and heading straight to it haha.
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Oh Sweet, hope you enjoy! Definitely let me know what you think.
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
...AND...?!"
I’ll DM you to be spoiler free but I’m really curious how people who hadn’t read it would feel about it.
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Ha yea, I sort of appreciate it and it definitely caters to fans in a cool way but wow I’d be lost. Which…I guess is kind of how it felt reading the book and trusting things will get explained more? But stuff like the Baron floating around and any of the Bene Gesserit scenes seem pretty contextless for newcomers? Definitely enjoyed the movie, part II is going to be amazing if they get to make it. Also they can probably just give the costume designer an Oscar right now…so much cool fabric billowing in the wind.
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
I didn’t realize that was him at first! He played it almost like a Marlon Brando, was pretty into that. I really hope we get film 2 because they set it up well.
![Nataliya](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1619377733p1/3672777.jpg)
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Oh excellent, it was so well cast right? I really like Javier Bardem as Stilgar, film 2 is going to be amazing haha. And that is good to know. I kind of enjoyed that they didn't get overly explanatory with things, but it does seem you can put it together well enough? In a way thats sort of what reading the book was like I suppose, a lot of going "huh, I'm sure theres a lot of history to this they'll fill in later"
![Nataliya](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1619377733p1/3672777.jpg)
Timothee Chalamet is such a good Paul Atreides. He manages to combine vulnerability, anxiety and yet inner strength, and he looks like he could be an adolescent boy like Paul is supposed to be. The casting for this movie was quite good.
![Richard Derus](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1624978086p1/3920693.jpg)
I really want to get more so I hope all y'all'll get backsides in seats a couple more times.
![Richard Derus](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1624978086p1/3920693.jpg)
*I* think you you secretly authored this piece in The Mary Sue, Doc, the one called "New to Dune and Worried the Movie Will Be Too Confusing? Don’t Be."
![Nataliya](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1619377733p1/3672777.jpg)
Haha, after reading this sentence early on in that review I kinda wish I had penned it: “So as someone who went in with only a vague idea of Dune as being an unfilmable space epic about spice and sand and sandworms that also look like buttholes, I can tell you that that is plenty.”
![Richard Derus](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1624978086p1/3920693.jpg)
...still not convinced you don't have a pseudonym...it sounds *exactly* like you...
AND there's a Vanity Fair YouTube clip of Auteur Villeneuve discussing his creation that's very engrossing.
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
He is perfect yea, he can pass as a teenager and in the next half he can be totally an older Paul too. It helps he’s such a good actor haha. I need to see that new Wes Anderson with him in it that also opened this week.
And good point, it’s one that definitely will make people want to watch it several times, I think I might go see it again tonight and take my daughter. She will be WAY into it.
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Hahaha now THAT is a good opening line!
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Guess I better see it again tonight! I wonder how much they factor streaming into it too. I went back and plugged this into the review but Tor has a great article on Herbert engaging with culture worth reading (there must be some new rule because if I try to post it in the comment it says it’s not allowed)
![Nataliya](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1619377733p1/3672777.jpg)
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Ah I guess that makes sense. Bummer though too, because I love sending articles haha. I’ve had some hilarious spam posts on here, there was someone claiming to be Illuminati that would randomly post a link to join them on one of my old reviews pretty much once a month for a solid year haha
![Richard Derus](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1624978086p1/3920693.jpg)
Link to article: https://www.goodreads.com/user_status...
Link to video: https://www.goodreads.com/user_status...
![Richard Derus](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1624978086p1/3920693.jpg)
I will keep poking at something if it means subverting A Rule. I like subverting the intent of rules without breaking them.
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Richard the Goodreads Revolutionary, that’s what I like to see!
![Kenny](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1472073986p1/1642452.jpg)
![Jaidee](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1688232584p1/17295672.jpg)
Thanx for bringing it back Spenks with your eloquence !
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Same, I think I was maybe 15? I remember being pretty wowed by the scope but probably not fully understanding the themes enough, it really held up and more on a reread though. YES, the film was great right!? I just saw Part II got greenlit, super excited.
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Thanx for bringing it back Spenks with your eloquence !"
It totally holds up (I liked it was more on the reread even). Thank you so much.
![Nocturnalux](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1708076932p1/18314688.jpg)
Also, as an aside, I find it amusing how Herbert whose homophobia was notorious veers extremely close to homoeroticism as he describes Duncan, and Duncan 2.0 and Duncan 3.0...
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Yeaaaa all that for sure. Though Jessica still is easily the best character, but definitely not passing any Bechdel test.
Herbert was like...a GOP speech writer too or something? The parts about the Baron lusting after young boys, especially Feyd and Paul is...not great, though also nobody passes judgement on it or makes any comments about it so maybe its normalized in that world? haha, yea it is definitely canon that Duncan is supposed to be super hot. Those later books get real dark. I just heard Messiah is apparently also going to be filmed? I wonder if theyd even be able to do the next ones.
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
That too.
BUT did you see they greenlit part 2 today? And it sounds like he wants to do Messiah after
![Richard Derus](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1624978086p1/3920693.jpg)
Well, he's earned a lot of eyeblinks online, too, so the $170MM cash takes on a shinier luster. After Arrival he got some very serious peoples' attention. He's using it pretty effectively.
It would be amazing to see Dune Messiah onscreen!
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
Well, he's earned a lot of eyeblinks online, too, so the $170MM cash takes on a shinier luster. After Arrival he got some very serious peoples' attention. He's using it pretty effect..."
Oh woah I didn't realize he did Arrival. That was super good. Yea, it's cool to see someone so clearly in love with the book be able to do it justice.
![Richard Derus](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1624978086p1/3920693.jpg)
![Kenny](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1472073986p1/1642452.jpg)
I thought what is green lit is the second part to Dune, the first book, not the second book.
![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
I thought what is green lit is the second part to Dune, the first book, not the sec..."
He went on record saying he wants to do a trilogy today. It isn’t greenlit yet but I guess that’s his plan? I’m here for it.