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Sci-Fi Channel Making Dune Miniseries
devphil writes "Variety is reporting that the Sci-Fi channel is producing a six-hour, three-part Dune miniseries to air next October. The Yahoo article is
here." Mmmmm. Sure hope it's better than the Dune movie was.
Knife fights/shields/lasguns: There are ways around all the pseudotechnological difficulties he throws up. I think he was just adding a little flavor. Nothing to get bent about.
Mentants v computers: mentants have advantages over computers, too. And, the Ixians are forever breaking the rules and getting slapped for it.
Bene Gesserit witches: It's expressly stated that the Bene Gesserit "powers" are the results of training and psychoactive drugs. Sure, anyone could develop those powers; anyone who wanted to duplicate Bene Gesserit training. Man, that objection is really dumb. That's like saying karate blackbelts are unlikely, because, like, anyone could learn to do that stuff.
And finally, Answer: I don't have the books handy for quotechecks, but it goes something like this: "There are other poisions Guild Navigators can use to work their tricks, but once they use melange, there's no turning back."
You're missing the whole point to what Herbert was talking about in the first place. Dune was never meant IMHO to be the Sci-Fi people believe it to be. For any careful reader it is more of an analysis of what Government really is and where Governments have room to move in.
I ended up reading all 6 books in one 3 month streach a few years ago, and for the most part I never once was aware of Herbert trying to push any technological view of anything. He really goes out of his way to keep technology as far out of the turning points of his stories as one could possibly write. Hence, I believe the problems you have with the stories themselves. These are stories that are suppose to be about ruling a large population, and the reactions that people ruling have.
If you have the time and paitence, re-read the books, but do so with a different mindset. Read them instead in the same way as you would read The Prince. Read it in the same way as you would watch Citizen Kane. This is what the stories are really about. Not Sci-Fi.