Dune

[Caoimhghín]

The Bene Gesserit are interesting, because they basically practice fantasy future space Judaism. Their Judaism has absorbed multiple Abrahamic texts, including fantasy alternative versions of the Koran, because the author loved Islam as an exotic eastern faith. The Bene Gesserit practice internal eugenics within themselves to produce a Messiah-like being, and the Bene Gesserit line only travels through women. They constitute a kind of space conspiracy to produce an "Annointed One," like Jews are often depicted in "less progressive" media (i.e. shadowy, cabal-like, mysterious). The author was a terrible bigot, but had a very interesting imagination on him.

[Queequeg]

The Bene Gesserit are interesting, because they basically practice fantasy future space Judaism. Their Judaism has absorbed multiple Abrahamic texts, including fantasy alternative versions of the Koran, because the author loved Islam as an exotic eastern faith. The Bene Gesserit practice internal eugenics within themselves to produce a Messiah-like being, and the Bene Gesserit line only travels through women. They constitute a kind of space conspiracy to produce an "Annointed One," like Jews are often depicted in "less progressive" media (i.e. shadowy, cabal-like, mysterious). The author was a terrible bigot, but had a very interesting imagination on him.

I don't know how far you got in the books, but I would disagree with that. They actually have no religion, but are very disciplined in planting and manipulating religious impulses for their own ends. They will let people think they are this or that - like the Reverand Mother who is the spiritual leader of the Fremen, or as Muadib does in the next book, and then his son does in the third and fourth books. The Bene Gesserit give up on the whole Kwisatz Haderach thing when it blows up in their face with Muadib, and then his son who is even worse. They are kind of awesome in the later books. The whole known universe goes matriarchy in the later books.

Actually, the Bene Tleilax are more along the lines you describe. They don't have a big role in the first two books.

In case its not apparent, I'm kind of immersed in this world right now. Its my main diversion these days.

[Queequeg]

Anyone else excited about the new flick?

Not really. I’ll watch it, sure, because Chalomet is a good actor (he was really good in The King) and they spent enough money on it to ensure that it will be entertaining, but the space opera genre is so dated these days. The Dune series got a following because it was still a relatively early example of it, but it’s far from the best.

Suggestions? I've always loved sci fi, but I'm not particularly motivated to seek it out. I usually will just pick up a book when I find it and blaze through it. I've read some Ursuala K. LeGuin, Hitchhikers Guide series, some other Frank Herbert stuff, some Asimov. Hit me.

[Queequeg]

Herbert's original inspiration was a drylands reclamation project and one of the key figures in the first book was the Planetary Ecologist. That theme then drops out of sight for quite a while and pops up again in that 3500 year reign of the Worm-Human ruler.

That is an interesting part of the book - especially the connection between the environment and the organisms that change the environment.

The worm was such a weird turn of the story, but an interesting plot device. Don't want to spoil it for those who might read it.

[Caoimhghín]

The Bene Gesserit are interesting, because they basically practice fantasy future space Judaism. Their Judaism has absorbed multiple Abrahamic texts, including fantasy alternative versions of the Koran, because the author loved Islam as an exotic eastern faith. The Bene Gesserit practice internal eugenics within themselves to produce a Messiah-like being, and the Bene Gesserit line only travels through women. They constitute a kind of space conspiracy to produce an "Annointed One," like Jews are often depicted in "less progressive" media (i.e. shadowy, cabal-like, mysterious). The author was a terrible bigot, but had a very interesting imagination on him.

I don't know how far you got in the books, but I would disagree with that.

I only read the first and quite a while ago, then watched the Lynch film. I think I would have been around 25 or so at the time. I am content to be disagreed with. So they don't actually revere or use the contents of what seems to be their gigantic compendium of pseudo-Abrahamic literature that has prophecies and instructions on how to fulfill them?

[justsit]

Suggestions? I've always loved sci fi, but I'm not particularly motivated to seek it out. I usually will just pick up a book when I find it and blaze through it. I've read some Ursuala K. LeGuin, Hitchhikers Guide series, some other Frank Herbert stuff, some Asimov. Hit me.

Classics - Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, William Gibson.

[Danny]

Phillip K Dick

[PeterC]

Anyone else excited about the new flick?

Not really. I’ll watch it, sure, because Chalomet is a good actor (he was really good in The King) and they spent enough money on it to ensure that it will be entertaining, but the space opera genre is so dated these days. The Dune series got a following because it was still a relatively early example of it, but it’s far from the best.

Suggestions? I've always loved sci fi, but I'm not particularly motivated to seek it out. I usually will just pick up a book when I find it and blaze through it. I've read some Ursuala K. LeGuin, Hitchhikers Guide series, some other Frank Herbert stuff, some Asimov. Hit me.

Iain Banks’ Culture series is really the best of the “sci-fi for adults” group. Beyond that - Ken MacLeod’s Engines of Light series is an entertaining commentary on contemporary politics.

[Shotenzenjin]

Book of the new sun by gene wolfe

[FiveSkandhas]

Phillip K Dick

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."
-PK Dick

[Queequeg]

The Bene Gesserit are interesting, because they basically practice fantasy future space Judaism. Their Judaism has absorbed multiple Abrahamic texts, including fantasy alternative versions of the Koran, because the author loved Islam as an exotic eastern faith. The Bene Gesserit practice internal eugenics within themselves to produce a Messiah-like being, and the Bene Gesserit line only travels through women. They constitute a kind of space conspiracy to produce an "Annointed One," like Jews are often depicted in "less progressive" media (i.e. shadowy, cabal-like, mysterious). The author was a terrible bigot, but had a very interesting imagination on him.

I don't know how far you got in the books, but I would disagree with that.

I only read the first and quite a while ago, then watched the Lynch film. I think I would have been around 25 or so at the time. I am content to be disagreed with. So they don't actually revere or use the contents of what seems to be their gigantic compendium of pseudo-Abrahamic literature that has prophecies and instructions on how to fulfill them?

No. They're way more manipulative... Those are tools they use to get their way, not always with their desired effects... Muadib for instance. Their main project is eugenics of a sort...

[Queequeg]

Thanks folks for the suggestions.

[Svalaksana]

Anyone else excited about the new flick?

Not really. I’ll watch it, sure, because Chalomet is a good actor (he was really good in The King) and they spent enough money on it to ensure that it will be entertaining, but the space opera genre is so dated these days. The Dune series got a following because it was still a relatively early example of it, but it’s far from the best.

Suggestions? I've always loved sci fi, but I'm not particularly motivated to seek it out. I usually will just pick up a book when I find it and blaze through it. I've read some Ursuala K. LeGuin, Hitchhikers Guide series, some other Frank Herbert stuff, some Asimov. Hit me.

My father (and his brother) has been a sci-fi aficionado from a young age, I remember being barely older than a toddler, and seeing his work room stacked with piles of sci-fi books that were taller than me. He first got me into sci-fi by reading to me The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury in bed time (which occasionally led to some quaint dreams), and has hugely influenced my passion for the genre. I would recommend you to pick up stuff from him, Phillip K. Dick and the Russian Strugatsky Brothers, famous for their works and film adaptations or inspiration for Russian sci-fi classics like Tarkovsky's Stalker, Sokurov's Days of Eclipse and German's Hard to be a God.

[Danny]

classics like Tarkovsky's Stalker,

This right here is a gem.

[Malcolm]

Thanks folks for the suggestions.

Simon Green’s Deathstalker Series is pretty entertaining, low-brow space opera. Highly recommended for its sheer exuberant celebration of the decadent phase of the British empire cast in a science fiction tabloid fantasy.

[tkp67]

I enjoyed Zelazny almost as much as Heinlein. They are contemporaries in regards to intellect, imagination and dialog.

[Malcolm]

I enjoyed Zelazny almost as much as Heinlein. They are contemporaries in regards to intellect, imagination and dialog.

I find it interesting that guys like Heinlein and Herbert were hardcore, right-wing republicans, the former tried to get Goldwater elected; the latter, a buddy of Nixon.

Both opposed any kind of social programs.

But then there is the marvelous Scottish science fiction of Ken Mcleod, one has to begin with the Fall Revolution.

[Norwegian]

Friend of mine suggests the following for sci-fi/space opera:

- Peter Hamilton's The Night's Dawn trilogy
- Alastair Reynold's Revelation Space series
- Alastair Reynold's House of Suns
- Alastair Reynold's Pushing Ice
- John Scalzi's Old Man's War
- Hannu Rajaniemi's The Quantum Thief trilogy
- Liu Cixin's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy
- Peter Watts' Blindsight

[tkp67]

I enjoyed Zelazny almost as much as Heinlein. They are contemporaries in regards to intellect, imagination and dialog.

I find it interesting that guys like Heinlein and Herbert were hardcore, right-wing republicans, the former tried to get Goldwater elected; the latter, a buddy of Nixon.

Both opposed any kind of social programs.

But then there is the marvelous Scottish science fiction of Ken Mcleod, one has to begin with the Fall Revolution.

I was painfully apolitical when I read Heinlein. I think I saw him as a both as a proper representative of the WWII generation while simultaneously expressing transcendent existentialism.

I had a deep respect for that generation based on the elders in my family. Altruism being a primary factor. My impressions were formed before my ability to gauge their political perspectives. As fate would have it most had passed by the time I was old and interested enough to understand.

I found the most interesting aspects where the future technological and social outlooks because they seemed attuned to prospective reality.

[Malcolm]

Friend of mine suggests the following for sci-fi/space opera:

- Peter Hamilton's The Night's Dawn trilogy
- Alastair Reynold's Revelation Space series
- Alastair Reynold's House of Suns
- Alastair Reynold's Pushing Ice
- John Scalzi's Old Man's War
- Hannu Rajaniemi's The Quantum Thief trilogy
- Liu Cixin's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy
- Peter Watts' Blindsight

Kim Stanley Robinsons Mars Trilogy.
Walter Mosley