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“Dune” Endures (2013)

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Re: “Dune” Endures (2013)

#81
post #77
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah, sorry. I'd somehow got it into my head that we were specifically talking about the movie. I do love the book too. But the movie is better.

better in what ways? Even Lynch does not want to say he was attached to the movie after it came out.

That was only the horrible TV cut, his name is still attached to the theatrical version.

Re: “Dune” Endures (2013)

#82
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dune is a book. The movie is just a horrible adaptation of that book.

Ah, sorry. I'd somehow got it into my head that we were specifically talking about the movie. I do love the book too. But the movie is better.

That is the first time I've seen anyone even suggest that. The movie has some memorable qualities, but hardly compares to the book's greatness.

Re: “Dune” Endures (2013)

#83
post #7

> Catchphrases from the book have not entered the language. The spice must flow? Fear is the mind killer? Christopher Walken dancing to Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" includes the phrase "Walk without a rhythm, you won't attract the worm". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCDIYvFmgW8 Maybe to a lesser extent, "He who controls the spice controls the universe", "wheels within wheels", and the gom jabbar are all things…

Dune is old enough to have deeper connections than just catch phrases. It spawned RTS games via the Dune 2 game based on the movie. RTS games then which spawned Moba's like League of Legends via Warcraft III (Defense of the Ancients).

Though as you say “Fear is the mind killer” shows up all over the place.

Re: “Dune” Endures (2013)

#84
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah, sorry. I'd somehow got it into my head that we were specifically talking about the movie. I do love the book too. But the movie is better.

You should listen to the audio book of it. I've read the entire series, seen the movie and mini-series and listened to the audio-books... and the audio-book is by far the best. They are the voice acting type, with multiple readers for the different voices and they do a wonderful job. Just talking about it makes me want to listen to it again, such a good rendition.

That's a good call. I have listened to it a couple of times and it is indeed very good. To any Dune fans who are not normally audiobook listeners I would say it would make an excellent use of a free Audible trial.

Re: “Dune” Endures (2013)

#85
post #5

You can download the original Dune game and play it on your macbook: https://gamesnostalgia.com/game/dune One of my all time favorite games, played it on the amiga originally

the DUNE spice opera soundtrack from the game from Stephane Picq is still very nice to listen to as well.

it's very good sound track, with some late 80's Tangerine Dream influence. The game was marvelous. They should do a remake, with some open world sandbox gameplay too, so that fans who already know the story can still quite enjoy it

Re: “Dune” Endures (2013)

#86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

His son Brian and Kevin J Anderson did write the last installment based on detailed notes from Frank Herbert, so at least the story is complete. While their writing is not as brilliant as Frank Herbert's, the books they wrote, mainly the prequels, have helped me understand just how big the original vision was and have helped me enjoy the sequels more. God Emperor is truly as masterpiece, but it took a couple of reads…

Correction: Brian and KJA had access to detailed notes from Frank Herbert, and used none of them in favor of KJA's "improvements" to the Dune mythos. The same way KJA "improved" Star Wars. His wife, incidentally the editor-in-chief of the publishing imprint that then owned the publishing rights to the Star Wars and Dune literary universes, is to blame for unleashing his word vomit on mankind.

I've been yearning to read those notes for decades now. Any idea of their situation? Is there a chance they'll ever be released?

Re: “Dune” Endures (2013)

#87
post #83
post #7

> Catchphrases from the book have not entered the language. The spice must flow? Fear is the mind killer? Christopher Walken dancing to Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" includes the phrase "Walk without a rhythm, you won't attract the worm". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCDIYvFmgW8 Maybe to a lesser extent, "He who controls the spice controls the universe", "wheels within wheels", and the gom jabbar are all things…

Dune is old enough to have deeper connections than just catch phrases. It spawned RTS games via the Dune 2 game based on the movie. RTS games then which spawned Moba's like League of Legends via Warcraft III (Defense of the Ancients). Though as you say “Fear is the mind killer” shows up all over the place.

Lots of good history/backstory to the Dune game developments here:

https://www.filfre.net/tag/dune/

Re: “Dune” Endures (2013)

#88

No book with an Iron Maiden song made in its tribute qualifies as "not having penetrated the popular culture." It's merely taken a path through the culture more befitting its challenging material. It is not a book for tawdry conventions and endless merchandising. It is a book for parents to introduce to their children, with a sly smile, on a free weekend, when they have come of age. It's the progressive rock of scien…

For the curious the song is "To Tame a Land (1983)", and was going to be called Dune, but permission was not granted.

When I think of unexpected Maiden I recall The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, but this was a good crossover too.

Re: “Dune” Endures (2013)

#89

Author seems overly dismissive of the sequels. While they aren’t as great as the first, many of them are still very good books with interesting ideas. The stuff written by others (not Frank Herbert) on the other hand, does seem to be dreck based on my sampling.

When I first read Dune and sequels in my teens, I too thought that the later books were kind of boring.

I have re-read it in my late 30s and now I actually favor the later novels. I consider all 6 novels as one work.

The deconstruction of a hero (Paul) was in my opinon necessary and logical progression of the story arc. I think Herbert wanted to say that heroes inevitably end up being harmful to the society.

My opinion is that if the sequels were written in the same manner as the first book, we'd end up with an excellent but still run-of-the mill epic saga like Star Wars, LoTR etc. In my view, Herbert's Dune stands above all precisely because it's not just another (great) SF novel.

Herbert said he set out to write a book on philosophy and religion, but didn't want to approach the subject academically since it would probably be only read by scholars. He wanted to reach a broader audience and so he wrapped his ideas into science fiction so it's more easy to swallow for the average bookworm.

Re: “Dune” Endures (2013)

#90

Re-reading Dune many years later I found it to be pretty cringey. Laurence of Outer Space basically. Maybe the 2nd book was better ...?

I wouldn't have put it like you, but I too was unimpressed by Dune. All the religious/mystical stuff didn't appeal to me at all. I wonder if it's partly an age thing: I only read Dune in my 30s. The more "typical" nerd journey would have been to read it in my teens. I don't know if I would have liked it back then, but I'm sure I would have viewed it differently, both then and now.
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