I Read Books: Heretics of Dune
Herbert rolls the clock forward another 1500 years from God-Emperor of Dune. Freed from Leto II’s tyranny humanity is free to expand into the universe (“The Scattering”) beyond any possible disaster, also hidden from the prescience of the Kwisatch Haderach. But now some of the scattered are returning to the Old Empire and they bring weird powers and ruthless armies. Meanwhile on Rakis, a girl is born with the power to command sandworms. The Bene Gesserit sisterhood has plans to deal with these situations, plans to help mankind reach maturity. But are their plans good enough?
Here, two decades and five novels into the series, I considered Dune as superhero epic. As the story progresses new threats and new characters with new powers arrive. First Paul Atriedes, Kwizatch Haderach, can see past and future (and present). There are also truthsayers in the universe and Bene Gesserit Reverand Mothers who can see past lives. Paul’s son, Leto can see the future too, and uses Bene Gesserit body control powers to make sandtrout symbiotes part of his body, initially making him strong and fast, later transforming him into a sandworm. Siona has the wild talent of being invisible to prcesience, something spread genetically throughout much of humanity in the 1500 years since the last book. More powers emerge in this book, also from the wild genes of the Atriedes.
Meanwhile we delve a little deeper in the Tlielex abilities. Also the Honored Matres from the Scattering can control men through sexual addiction. Plus some other weirdo bits and pieces.
Anyway, just a thought for anyone who has come this far with Dune: Superheroes.
Read This: Because Herbert manages to make Dune stranger, yet still Dune, still ecological, still delving into people’s thoughts, still digging into politics in a way that is one third revelatory and two thirds mid-century American common beliefs
Don’t Read This: See read this for more details
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