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Space Spice?

#21
hbarcat said:
One of the best science fiction novels of all time. True, the sequels went from bad to worse.

And don't get me started on the movie. . . . . :rollno:
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Which one? :atoz: I don't think there will ever be a good movie adaptation of Dune, unless it's for hardcore fans and is, like, 5 hours long.

uethanian said:
big dune fan. personally, i think the spice was intended as a metaphor for oil in the middle east, but then the idea grew into something larger. i don't think herbert was trying to do a typical sci-fi thing with it (not that it was typical at the time), it definitely symbolized something.
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Especially with all the references to Islam and other religions and how they mingled on the planet Arrakis. Plus the era.
 
#22
SuperDuck said:
True - the Spice in the Dune books is far more than just a spice. It's a life-extender that has a vast impact on how people throughout the universe live their lives.
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The main point about the Spice in Dune is that, taken in sufficient quantity, it allows you to see the future.

This is obviously a huge advantage - but it does have side effects - it can be fatal and can turn people into "monsters".

There is clearly a "drugs" message here as well as a political point about how power corrupts.

Its importance to the society is that it enables space travel over vast distances.

So, the spacecraft in Dune effectively oscillate between all possible destinations in space/time and then the "Guild navigator" uses his Spice-given ability to predict all possible future consequences.

Without the ability that the Spice gives to the navigators - spacecraft would invitably end up hit by huge asteroids or falling into an exploding super nova - only the ability to predict the future given by Spice makes space travel possible.

No Spice = no space travel!
 
#23
In Dune the spice was more or less worshiped* be cause it was so rare and valuable... and who controls the spice controls the universe. Paul (and Leto the 2nd) figured this out, and used it to exploit the people of Arakis( and the known universe). The "moral" of the whole dune series is: power corrupts... you see a cycle of the most powerful group becoming the bad guy each time. When the story starts, its the Emperor. then paul, then it becomes Leto2. I think if Frank Herbert was still writing these, the last tale would have been about Duncan Idaho's rise to power, since hes the only character to recur throughout all the novels...

Definitely my favorite Series of Books...


Thunderscreech said:
Which one? :atoz: I don't think there will ever be a good movie adaptation of Dune, unless it's for hardcore fans and is, like, 5 hours long.
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Anyone else Exited! :hyper: that Peter Berg is remaking (all) the books into a series of movies?


*-"Bless the maker and his water. Bless his coming and his going. May his passing cleanse the world and may he keep the world for his people." - Fremen prayer

"The worm IS the spice, the spice IS the worm. Now I truly control the worm and the spice and I have the power to destroy the spice for ever. He that can destroy a thing controls a thing"


hbarcat said:
One of the best science fiction novels of all time. True, the sequels went from bad to worse.
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To me they pick back up with the introduction of Miles Teg.
 
#26
Bruce Lindfield said:
The main point about the Spice in Dune is that, taken in sufficient quantity, it allows you to see the future.
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I had a similar experience after I downed an entire jar of habanero stuffed olives. :bawl:

Ironically, had I been able to see the future before I downed the entire jar of habanero stuffed olives, I would not have downed the entire jar of habanero stuffed olives in the first place. I believe that that is one of those paradox's that happen when time travel is undertaken by those who are unprepared for time travel.
 
#29
Phalex said:
I had a similar experience after I downed an entire jar of habanero stuffed olives. :bawl:

Ironically, had I been able to see the future before I downed the entire jar of habanero stuffed olives, I would not have downed the entire jar of habanero stuffed olives in the first place. I believe that that is one of those paradox's that happen when time travel is undertaken by those who are unprepared for time travel.
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That happened to me!

Except it was a wad of wusabi the size of a half-dollar. It burned going in, and don't even get me STARTED on the exit...
 

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