I am inclined to buying the actual Dune book, but before I did that I just wanted to read some of it off my computer monitor to see if I can cope with it. I downloaded it, and it came in this .lit format. Anyone has any idea how I open that? I can probably find more download locations, but I am interested in the format.
Buy the book, I have read Dune, and understood it. If I can understand, you seem able.
Other than recommending the book, I have no help for you.
I'm inclined to do so, but my dad seems sceptical about buying books for me. Usually I get this "but you can just download it and read it on that Pocket PC!" from him. And I don't have any credit cards so I can't buy it over the internet even though I do have some money...
Dune is well worth buying the physical copy of. Here is the review I wrote for it on Shelfari.
"Dune is by far the most influential book in my life. There was a time where I was a little too obsessed with Herbert's work and all I read were his books. Ultimately, I have read the entire original Dune series three times through. What was initially so compelling to me about this book was the dialogue between all characters as well as the inner dialogue within the characters' thoughts. When some of my favorite characters in the book such as Duncan Idaho or Gurney Halleck would be having an exchange, it would be like watching two of my favorite college professors get into an argument. Two professionals who are experts in their fields of study clashing against each other with all their training and experience. But in between actual lines being said, the reader also gets to read the actual thoughts of the characters as well as their thoughts during moments by themselves. At times it would advance the plot or develop characters. Other times I would get the feeling that Herbert was just using a character's thoughts as an excuse to muse over his own ideas (unrelated or not) on politics, economics, environmentalism, war, religion, etc. The plot of Dune itself is relatively simple when compared to the behavior of all nation-states and their quest of maintaining territory and acquiring new resources. Some readers believe the spice melange is more akin to the limited resource of water itself more than it is to oil. But most would agree with me that the spice is an example, like oil, of a heavily traded commodity that all industries are ultimately dependent on. And the way Herbert takes a finite resource and suggests the ways it can be controlled, manipulated, or even destroyed is all rather genius. There will be the critics who desire a way to break free from the hold the spice has on the universe. There will be others who have too much to lose by losing their monopoly on spice production. There will be ideological fundamentalists who have a deeper understanding of the spice and revere the creatures who make the spice possible. There will be seemingly neutral observers with no official governmental affiliation and wait patiently to usurp power from anyone who is too complacent and aloof to hold on to it. These neutrals are pragmatic, non-transparent, and extremely dangerous. Dune sends my imagination reeling.
The scale of Herbert's universe is overwhelming. For first time readers, one may either be instantly ensnared by Dune, or they may become frustrated with it. If you are the latter, I urge you to be patient with this book and give it a chance. It may be one of the most rewarding reading experiences you ever have. If you're generally into science fiction, this is a definitive science fiction book. If you're into social commentaries stemming from politics, religion, and economics, then you may also enjoy this book. For me, I like it for these reasons but also just because it's this incredibly immersive book with a well established universe with multiple factions. There are no heroes in this book in my opinion. Everyone in the book is merely a greater or lesser evil. Or maybe they all just have motives in the story that can never be simply summarized as good or bad. But this makes it a more dynamic story. It is rarely predictable, albeit sometimes confusing. But Herbert never truly gives all the answers to his readers. This is what has frustrated many of his fans: that there are holes in his story. I like to think of it as how we study history. We do not know all the answers. We have bits and pieces of information and do our best to interpret or contextualize that information.
Dune really gets more complicated (sometimes convoluted) as the sequels progress. But the first book in this series stands alone as a great read. It's a classic, really. Well, I'm not positive what a classic is anymore. All I can say is that Dune is an incredible book and I think you should read it. If you have read it already, I think you should buy me a soda."
Well, the reason my dad considered it complicated is probably because he read it in a different language. I never touched the book myself since I wasn't 100% aware of its existance.
I watched the movie, and it strongly reminded me of LEXX in directing and design style, as well as the way the universe is described... so I got interested in how it all was, since I suspect the movie probably only contained 25% of the book at best.
I'm inclined to do so, but my dad seems sceptical about buying books for me. Usually I get this "but you can just download it and read it on that Pocket PC!" from him. And I don't have any credit cards so I can't buy it over the internet even though I do have some money...
You could always hit up your local library, thats where I got my copies to read. It is a classic in sci-fi literature and I highly recommend you read it, no matter the medium.
I watched the movie, and it strongly reminded me of LEXX in directing and design style, as well as the way the universe is described... so I got interested in how it all was, since I suspect the movie probably only contained 25% of the book at best.
Despite the gross inaccuracies of the Dune movie, it is still far superior to the Dune Miniseries by SciFi.
In the movie, the casting and directing is extremely well done. Even the music, settings, and costumes are really great. A lot of how things appear in the movie is how I picture them in the book. Albeit, Paul is much younger in the book and he never actually possessed the omnipotent power to make it rain. But overall, while the movie may be quite inaccurate, it still compliments the book very well.
I enjoyed the first books much more than the latter. To me, they just got increasingly confusing and lost the regular format of storytelling that were present in the first books, replacing it with monstrous amounts of dialogue to propel the plot further. It would have been awesome had everything been more clear, at least to me they would have.
I think you will definately like them more than I did though.
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I wrote a report on Dune as well(not the series just the book). It was a few years ago in my Science Fiction English Class. so I don't remember all the details of the book, nor the report. I passionately hated Dune. Reading dune was like playing a nintendo RPG. How could I make such an amazing comparison you ask? A nintendo rpg may have been awesome back in the day. Had it come out last year, it would have been easily ignored and criticized. It has very obvious dialogue. The kind of dialogue where the author isn't trying to embrace the reader in a story, but obviously move the story along. It's cheesy in so many ways. Not only that, alot of the plot points made little sense. The book is huge, it's very complicated, and it has a very intriciate world. I could see why someone back in the 60's or 70's would be like. Oh god, this book is amazing. There was nothing out at that time to really compare it to. It was the beginning of the sci-fi age. In my generation, there are so many better books out there, so many better stories. I was not impressed with the book. I found it incredibly dull.
In my generation, there are so many better books out there, so many better stories. I was not impressed with the book. I found it incredibly dull.
I understand, opinion is opinion, but what books are you talking about? As far as I can see, in your generation, books suck ass. The best sci-fi I read was all Clifford Saimak, Isaac Azimov, and other old school writers. The only thing we have now is Stephen King and he never wrote anything worthwhile besides the Dark Tower.
I wouldn't keep it in a sci-fi only genre. Dune has similar qualities to fantasy as well. My biggest problem with dune was the story telling, and how the author progressed the book. It's the most important aspect to me as a reader. I have alot of respect for how intriciate the world of dune is. It's a type of world that could spawn hundreds of books. The author pulled it off really in one book. Because I'm more criticizing storytelling, pratically any book is comparable. The Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow books for one. There is no cliche or cheesy aspect in the entire story. Any of R.A Salvatores books.
It's just an opinion. I understand how someone could like the books. Another thing I wanted to point out. The mind talk in italics was done horribly in the book. That was a big irritation for me. Herbert didn't write down what was on the characters mind to form depth. He did it to move the story along, the thoughts weren't even in the least bit believable. It was an opportunity to explain the storyline. Yet the character wouldn't be thinking in such a mechanical way. For instance(not an excerpt),
Josh thought to himself, I saw the dagger of dagonia, the dagonia tribe passed it along for several generations. It was a spiritual agreement between them and the oracle. Though several centuries ago, something mischievous happened.
No one thinks like that... Then read something like Ender's Shadow. Where Bean(main character) is thinking to himself. What he thinks is real emotional, it's really believable. You actually understand the character. Orson Scott Card created depth. Hertbert did not.
It was a few years ago in my Science Fiction English Class.
I wish I could've taken a class like that.
Quote from "wo0tstick" »
It has very obvious dialogue. The kind of dialogue where the author isn't trying to embrace the reader in a story, but obviously move the story along. It's cheesy in so many ways.
That's interesting you feel that way. The dialogue is one of my favorite things in the book. I think it totally engages the reader into the story. And yes, it moves the plot forward, just as dialogue should, but not in any obvious or at least contrived way.
Quote from "wo0tstick" »
Not only that, alot of the plot points made little sense. The book is huge, it's very complicated, and it has a very intriciate world.
An intricate world is a bad thing? The book is about 500 pages including some appendixes. And it's complicated for a number of reasons. You have to keep in mind that many of the factions in Dune merely represent existing power factions of today's world (not just the world in the 1970s). For example, CHOAM is obviously a play on OPEC. Melange is like oil, The Laandsrad can be a play on the U.N., the Fremen represent indigineous peoples who are always displaced and persecuted against in the efforts to exploit natural resources. Then you have the Bene Gesserit and Bene Tleilax who are secret societies that especiall expoit religious beliefs.
Quote from "wo0tstick" »
I could see why someone back in the 60's or 70's would be like. Oh god, this book is amazing. There was nothing out at that time to really compare it to. It was the beginning of the sci-fi age. In my generation, there are so many better books out there, so many better stories. I was not impressed with the book. I found it incredibly dull.
I think the book is timeless because a lot of it is simply based on observations of politics, economics, religion, and human behavior. And those things rarely change over time. Science fiction is merely a tool create a setting in which Herbert can muse over all of these things.
I meant the world is intriciate as an unbiased statement. I didn't mean to mend it into my negative opinion of the book. As I posted in the second part, the book is hugely respectable. It didn't just create a world. It created a world with societies, religions, governments. It's a really captivating, interesting world. I recommend this book, don't get me wrong. If you truly want to understand what began the world of sci-fi, or where alot of materials get their inspiritation from, this is the book to read.
My interests are heavily influenced on, fantasy novels, rpg games, some sci-fi novels. I see a constant relationship between all the story-line aspects of Dune, as I have to hundreds of games, or dozens of books. A modest messiah who is destined to be a savior. How many games, how many movies, how many books have that same concept? Just to read it one last time, I was like ugh.. not again..
Then of course what I said about the dialogue, or the mental dialogue. That part is really what turned me off to the book. It's all about what a person wants to read from the book. You see a world of inspiration from the real world. You see his advanced knowledge and interest in our secret societies. I see it as a dull, cliche book. Not cliche for its time, but cliche for our time.
I'm an action enthusiast. I like quick-paced novels. I have no problem with intriciate, complicated storylines. It just depends on how the story is played out. From my own personal preference in books, this one was not for me. I understand though.
A modest messiah who is destined to be a savior. How many games, how many movies, how many books have that same concept? Just to read it one last time, I was like ugh.. not again..
Ah, but I think you missed the twist behind the whole messiah concept in Dune. Did you not pay attention to the purpose of the Missionaria Protectiva? There wasn't some mystical force behind the prophecy. It was the missionaries of the Bene Gesserit who intentionally planted these myths across various worlds so in case they needed sanctuary, or a greater need arose where they needed to rally large amount of people, they could allude to the superstitions implanted long ago by the missionaries.
And this is exactly what Paul and Jessica did. Once they came in contact with the Fremen, they quickly became aware that the Missionaria Protectiva had even infiltrated this world. So Paul purposefully played into the messiah role that was part of the prophecies laid in by the Bene Gesserit agents so long ago. So the messiah/myth/prophecy is a complete sham and Paul knows this. But even if Paul tried later to convince them he wasn't a prophet of some kind, the Fremen were so caught up in the religious hysteria of it that there was no turning back.
Quote from "wo0tstick" »
Then of course what I said about the dialogue, or the mental dialogue. That part is really what turned me off to the book.
That is also one of my favorite things about it. I love hearing the inner thoughts of characters. I've never read an author who uses it as much as Herbert and I really love the depth it adds to each moment. Sometimes even a seemingly simple conversation between two people can carry huge consequences and so it is very important for each character who the conversation is played out. And the mental dialogue is them thinking how they're gonna proceed like in a game of Chess. I guess it's a style of writing that you either enjoy or you don't.
Quote from "wo0tstick" »
I see it as a dull, cliche book. Not cliche for its time, but cliche for our time.
Interesting. I've never really heard it described as cliche.
Quote from "wo0tstick" »
I'm an action enthusiast. I like quick-paced novels. I have no problem with intriciate, complicated storylines.
Actually, it sounds like you do have a problem with intricate, complicated storylines. If you're an action enthusiast, then I guess you might find a lot of Dune boring. I actually get bored of action. One reason I got so bored with Star Wars novels was every 20 pages there had to be a fight scene or some big space battle and I just got weary of reading those kinds of scenes. But there is considerable action in Dune toward the climax. And I think it's much more rewarding than the constant action in some books.
I'm going to have a problem discussing this book. I can't reference any parts like you can, I can't reference examples to credit any of my reasoning. I'm not the guy to discuss Dune with. It's been several years since I've touched the book. I have a very vague memory of it. Perhaps you comprehended the book better than I. I don't really care. It never caught my attention. All I remember was the impression that it left on my mind while reading it. I don't like constant action. If you want to sterotype me and say, I like simple books, and simple stories. That's perfectly alright. I just didn't like the book.
Have you ever seen Space Odyssey 2001? If so what did you think of it?
I'm going to have a problem discussing this book. I can't reference any parts like you can, I can't reference examples to credit any of my reasoning. I'm not the guy to discuss Dune with. It's been several years since I've touched the book. I have a very vague memory of it. Perhaps you comprehended the book better than I. I don't really care. It never caught my attention. All I remember was the impression that it left on my mind while reading it. I don't like constant action. If you want to sterotype me and say, I like simple books, and simple stories. That's perfectly alright. I just didn't like the book.
I might at least recommend revisiting Dune in the future. Even I struggled a bit with it my first time reading it. But my second time through, I enjoyed it so much more.
Quote from "wo0tstick" »
Have you ever seen Space Odyssey 2001? If so what did you think of it?
Yeah I've seen it. I enjoyed it but it's not a movie you can just watch casually. You really have to be in the mood to watch it.
Other than recommending the book, I have no help for you.
"Dune is by far the most influential book in my life. There was a time where I was a little too obsessed with Herbert's work and all I read were his books. Ultimately, I have read the entire original Dune series three times through. What was initially so compelling to me about this book was the dialogue between all characters as well as the inner dialogue within the characters' thoughts. When some of my favorite characters in the book such as Duncan Idaho or Gurney Halleck would be having an exchange, it would be like watching two of my favorite college professors get into an argument. Two professionals who are experts in their fields of study clashing against each other with all their training and experience. But in between actual lines being said, the reader also gets to read the actual thoughts of the characters as well as their thoughts during moments by themselves. At times it would advance the plot or develop characters. Other times I would get the feeling that Herbert was just using a character's thoughts as an excuse to muse over his own ideas (unrelated or not) on politics, economics, environmentalism, war, religion, etc. The plot of Dune itself is relatively simple when compared to the behavior of all nation-states and their quest of maintaining territory and acquiring new resources. Some readers believe the spice melange is more akin to the limited resource of water itself more than it is to oil. But most would agree with me that the spice is an example, like oil, of a heavily traded commodity that all industries are ultimately dependent on. And the way Herbert takes a finite resource and suggests the ways it can be controlled, manipulated, or even destroyed is all rather genius. There will be the critics who desire a way to break free from the hold the spice has on the universe. There will be others who have too much to lose by losing their monopoly on spice production. There will be ideological fundamentalists who have a deeper understanding of the spice and revere the creatures who make the spice possible. There will be seemingly neutral observers with no official governmental affiliation and wait patiently to usurp power from anyone who is too complacent and aloof to hold on to it. These neutrals are pragmatic, non-transparent, and extremely dangerous. Dune sends my imagination reeling.
The scale of Herbert's universe is overwhelming. For first time readers, one may either be instantly ensnared by Dune, or they may become frustrated with it. If you are the latter, I urge you to be patient with this book and give it a chance. It may be one of the most rewarding reading experiences you ever have. If you're generally into science fiction, this is a definitive science fiction book. If you're into social commentaries stemming from politics, religion, and economics, then you may also enjoy this book. For me, I like it for these reasons but also just because it's this incredibly immersive book with a well established universe with multiple factions. There are no heroes in this book in my opinion. Everyone in the book is merely a greater or lesser evil. Or maybe they all just have motives in the story that can never be simply summarized as good or bad. But this makes it a more dynamic story. It is rarely predictable, albeit sometimes confusing. But Herbert never truly gives all the answers to his readers. This is what has frustrated many of his fans: that there are holes in his story. I like to think of it as how we study history. We do not know all the answers. We have bits and pieces of information and do our best to interpret or contextualize that information.
Dune really gets more complicated (sometimes convoluted) as the sequels progress. But the first book in this series stands alone as a great read. It's a classic, really. Well, I'm not positive what a classic is anymore. All I can say is that Dune is an incredible book and I think you should read it. If you have read it already, I think you should buy me a soda."
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I watched the movie, and it strongly reminded me of LEXX in directing and design style, as well as the way the universe is described... so I got interested in how it all was, since I suspect the movie probably only contained 25% of the book at best.
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You could always hit up your local library, thats where I got my copies to read. It is a classic in sci-fi literature and I highly recommend you read it, no matter the medium.
the Beast
Damn, that sucks hard, go yell at your local government for being anti-american and not listening to Benjamin Franklin like they should.
the Beast
In the movie, the casting and directing is extremely well done. Even the music, settings, and costumes are really great. A lot of how things appear in the movie is how I picture them in the book. Albeit, Paul is much younger in the book and he never actually possessed the omnipotent power to make it rain. But overall, while the movie may be quite inaccurate, it still compliments the book very well.
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
I think you will definately like them more than I did though.
It's just an opinion. I understand how someone could like the books. Another thing I wanted to point out. The mind talk in italics was done horribly in the book. That was a big irritation for me. Herbert didn't write down what was on the characters mind to form depth. He did it to move the story along, the thoughts weren't even in the least bit believable. It was an opportunity to explain the storyline. Yet the character wouldn't be thinking in such a mechanical way. For instance(not an excerpt),
Josh thought to himself, I saw the dagger of dagonia, the dagonia tribe passed it along for several generations. It was a spiritual agreement between them and the oracle. Though several centuries ago, something mischievous happened.
No one thinks like that... Then read something like Ender's Shadow. Where Bean(main character) is thinking to himself. What he thinks is real emotional, it's really believable. You actually understand the character. Orson Scott Card created depth. Hertbert did not.
That's interesting you feel that way. The dialogue is one of my favorite things in the book. I think it totally engages the reader into the story. And yes, it moves the plot forward, just as dialogue should, but not in any obvious or at least contrived way.
An intricate world is a bad thing? The book is about 500 pages including some appendixes. And it's complicated for a number of reasons. You have to keep in mind that many of the factions in Dune merely represent existing power factions of today's world (not just the world in the 1970s). For example, CHOAM is obviously a play on OPEC. Melange is like oil, The Laandsrad can be a play on the U.N., the Fremen represent indigineous peoples who are always displaced and persecuted against in the efforts to exploit natural resources. Then you have the Bene Gesserit and Bene Tleilax who are secret societies that especiall expoit religious beliefs.
I think the book is timeless because a lot of it is simply based on observations of politics, economics, religion, and human behavior. And those things rarely change over time. Science fiction is merely a tool create a setting in which Herbert can muse over all of these things.
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
My interests are heavily influenced on, fantasy novels, rpg games, some sci-fi novels. I see a constant relationship between all the story-line aspects of Dune, as I have to hundreds of games, or dozens of books. A modest messiah who is destined to be a savior. How many games, how many movies, how many books have that same concept? Just to read it one last time, I was like ugh.. not again..
Then of course what I said about the dialogue, or the mental dialogue. That part is really what turned me off to the book. It's all about what a person wants to read from the book. You see a world of inspiration from the real world. You see his advanced knowledge and interest in our secret societies. I see it as a dull, cliche book. Not cliche for its time, but cliche for our time.
I'm an action enthusiast. I like quick-paced novels. I have no problem with intriciate, complicated storylines. It just depends on how the story is played out. From my own personal preference in books, this one was not for me. I understand though.
And this is exactly what Paul and Jessica did. Once they came in contact with the Fremen, they quickly became aware that the Missionaria Protectiva had even infiltrated this world. So Paul purposefully played into the messiah role that was part of the prophecies laid in by the Bene Gesserit agents so long ago. So the messiah/myth/prophecy is a complete sham and Paul knows this. But even if Paul tried later to convince them he wasn't a prophet of some kind, the Fremen were so caught up in the religious hysteria of it that there was no turning back.
That is also one of my favorite things about it. I love hearing the inner thoughts of characters. I've never read an author who uses it as much as Herbert and I really love the depth it adds to each moment. Sometimes even a seemingly simple conversation between two people can carry huge consequences and so it is very important for each character who the conversation is played out. And the mental dialogue is them thinking how they're gonna proceed like in a game of Chess. I guess it's a style of writing that you either enjoy or you don't.
Interesting. I've never really heard it described as cliche.
Actually, it sounds like you do have a problem with intricate, complicated storylines. If you're an action enthusiast, then I guess you might find a lot of Dune boring. I actually get bored of action. One reason I got so bored with Star Wars novels was every 20 pages there had to be a fight scene or some big space battle and I just got weary of reading those kinds of scenes. But there is considerable action in Dune toward the climax. And I think it's much more rewarding than the constant action in some books.
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
Have you ever seen Space Odyssey 2001? If so what did you think of it?
Yeah I've seen it. I enjoyed it but it's not a movie you can just watch casually. You really have to be in the mood to watch it.
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
It seems I'd like this book better than wootstick... I didn't find Ender's Game all that special. o.O