Dune

[americanpride]

Anyone see the movies or read the books?

[LorSpi]

I read Dune beaucoup years ago for the first time while at university. At the time my former SO was taking a Medieval Philosophy course and the parallels between the Arab thinkers and Herbert's world view was most interesting - as only things can be when one is discovering the grand world out there in college.

I read the next three books, and found them, like the Planet of the Apes progressively worse - plots triter, characters cardboard. I did reread Dune a couple of times and agree it is a classic.

I had the opportunity to meet Frank Herbert when he came to the TV station where I was working to promote the 4th Dune - I posted this. He was worn down and the person who interviewed him hadn't a clue as to who he was. I explained to her that she would be interview one of the great writers of science fiction, how Dune was one of the classics of the genre, etc and of course I got the "science fiction?" look. I spoke to Mr Herbert upping my level of enthusiasm to fan level but he still seemed resigned to speaking to dimwitted tv hosts who hadn't a clue. I suspect that even when the movie came out, the host never realized who she had interviewed that day.

1st movie - murky, not for someone who hasn't read Dune and overall not bad.

Sci Fi Channel version: thumbs up. As I pointed out before, it pretty much stripped the book of its underlying discussion which is one of the reason the book remains interesting. But it did just fine in exposition. No one would read the book after watching the first version. The Sci Fi version did lead a few acquaintances to read the book. The second part Children of the Dune which is actually based on the second and third books, is excellent compared to the books. It is not as good as the first part - but neither are the books.

I have not read the fifth and sixth books. Or if I did I forgot that I read them.