Not much to comment on. "Dune Messiah" is my least favorite of the novels, and it acts as a stop-gap before Leto II and Ghanima accomplish what Paul did not want to do - force an evolution of humanity.
This novel is more about Paul's limitations and his lack of ease with his role. We see Alia pushing her limits constantly and increasing her muscular control and prophetic abilities to a level that Paul has not.
This novel is more like "Oedipus Rex" in that it is largely a tragedy that ends when the next generation of Atreides takes over the rulership from the prior generation.
This novel is more about Paul's limitations and his lack of ease with his role. We see Alia pushing her limits constantly and increasing her muscular control and prophetic abilities to a level that Paul has not.
This novel is more like "Oedipus Rex" in that it is largely a tragedy that ends when the next generation of Atreides takes over the rulership from the prior generation.
If anything, Children of Dune makes it clear that Alia doesn't have prescient powers. Rather, she just has her ancestral memories to fall back upon to guide her, a very dangerous development as is seen in Children of Dune.
I'll agree that it's a tragedy, but Oedipus Rex wasn't exactly the type of story that came to mind when I read this, unless you're also thinking of the king who had his son exposed to the elements because of an Oracle?
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie
Je suis méchant.
Je suis méchant.
Frank Herbert, Dune Chronicles (series reviews within)
- 16/04/2010 04:11:40 AM
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Re: Frank Herbert, Dune
- 16/04/2010 06:09:49 PM
1220 Views
Re: Frank Herbert, Dune
- 17/04/2010 12:08:06 AM
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Re: Frank Herbert, Dune
- 17/04/2010 02:33:38 PM
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Not all themes are intended by the author. That doesn't mean they aren't there.
- 17/04/2010 06:54:14 PM
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Re: Not all themes are intended by the author. That doesn't mean they aren't there.
- 17/04/2010 10:44:18 PM
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I was using a fairly precise term when I said "ecological"
- 18/04/2010 12:13:14 AM
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Re: I was using a fairly precise term when I said "ecological"
- 18/04/2010 03:34:33 AM
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Please read linked interview...as I call bullshit. Also, why are your walls white?
- 18/04/2010 05:18:07 AM
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Re: Please read linked interview...as I call bullshit. Also, why are your walls white?
- 19/04/2010 06:15:26 PM
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That was most of my issue.
- 21/04/2010 12:12:56 AM
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Just because something plays a dominate role doesn't make it a theme
- 21/04/2010 02:09:42 PM
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Thank you for saying concisely the point I have been trying to make. *NM*
- 21/04/2010 06:34:12 PM
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A theme is merely a dominant strain in a story; there can be more than one theme present
- 21/04/2010 11:21:38 PM
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Re: A theme is merely a dominant strain in a story; there can be more than one theme present
- 22/04/2010 04:58:01 AM
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Re: A theme is merely a dominant strain in a story; there can be more than one theme present
- 22/04/2010 04:08:28 PM
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Texts have different interpretations and Readers emphasize different aspects
- 22/04/2010 09:28:05 PM
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Re: Texts have different interpretations and Readers emphasize different aspects
- 23/04/2010 05:22:22 PM
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Re: Just because something plays a dominate role doesn't make it a theme
- 29/04/2010 11:36:45 PM
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Not really sure how Larry's definition is archaic.
- 19/04/2010 07:52:27 PM
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Re: Not really sure how Larry's definition is archaic.
- 20/04/2010 07:04:40 PM
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Your patronizing manner aside, that's not "archaic" at all.
- 21/04/2010 01:46:50 AM
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Re: Your patronizing manner aside, that's not "archaic" at all.
- 21/04/2010 06:23:24 PM
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People who see this as an ecological book are missing the point of the book
- 16/04/2010 06:28:40 PM
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Books can have more than one theme. Great books almost always do. *NM*
- 16/04/2010 07:15:11 PM
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I agree with that I just never really the ecological theme to Dune
- 16/04/2010 10:12:26 PM
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There are several points to the book/series
- 17/04/2010 12:11:38 AM
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Everyone get something different from a book
- 19/04/2010 07:01:51 PM
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I believe those themes become more pronounced later in the series
- 20/04/2010 10:09:36 PM
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I remember having hated every single character of this book. Some random thoughts
- 17/04/2010 05:08:25 PM
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Well, I enjoyed more of the characters this time around, if that helps
- 18/04/2010 12:14:43 AM
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Re: Frank Herbert, Dune
- 17/04/2010 08:05:16 PM
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I guess we'll have a few disagreements here, Dom 
- 17/04/2010 10:22:27 PM
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- 17/04/2010 10:22:27 PM
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Re: I guess we'll have a few disagreements here, Dom
- 18/04/2010 04:38:10 AM
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- 18/04/2010 04:38:10 AM
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Re: I guess we'll have a few disagreements here, Dom
- 19/04/2010 04:04:43 AM
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- 19/04/2010 04:04:43 AM
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Re: I guess we'll have a few disagreements here, Dom
- 22/04/2010 04:31:26 AM
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- 22/04/2010 04:31:26 AM
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I thought all of Dune had begun as a serial in a SF magazine. *NM*
- 22/04/2010 01:58:22 PM
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Dune Messiah (2001 initial read; 2010 re-read)
- 19/04/2010 08:42:18 AM
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Re: Dune Messiah (2001 initial read; 2010 re-read)
- 21/04/2010 03:33:46 PM
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I didn't see that in Alia
- 21/04/2010 11:27:22 PM
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There were a few scenes displaying Alia's abilities/mindset. (spoilers)
- 22/04/2010 03:54:32 PM
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OK, that makes a bit more sense, as I wasn't for sure what you were arguing at first
- 22/04/2010 09:14:46 PM
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One of my favorite series!
- 21/04/2010 03:30:57 PM
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I didn't "miss it" as much as I chose to deemphasize it
- 21/04/2010 11:29:50 PM
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Re: I didn't "miss it" as much as I chose to deemphasize it
- 22/04/2010 04:02:26 PM
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Heretics of Dune (2001 initial read; 2010 re-read)
- 28/04/2010 06:02:54 AM
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Re: Heretics of Dune (2001 initial read; 2010 re-read)
- 29/04/2010 03:26:28 PM
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