DUNE

DUNE

DUNE. Frank Herbert Ace Paperbacks, $0.95

Unlike many science fiction writers, Frank Herbert finds man more interesting than spaceships. As a result, his epic novel, DUNE, provides us with a unique vision of the future.

What he sees in store for man in the year 23,000 is based solidly on what he knows about man today--and he knows a great deal.

Herbert employs almost every field of knowledge to create a comprehensive, realistic world of tomorrow. His general understanding of sociology, psychology, ecology, religion, mysticism, economics, warfare, politics, drugs and technology seems virtually limitless.

DUNE is such a vast work (541 pages, including four appendices, a glossary, a map and cartographic notes) that it is very easy to overlook the depth of its predictions, and even easier to overlook the sound reasoning behind them.

For example, many people talk about interplanetary exploration as if it were something that will quietly develop without troubling everyday affairs.

However, Herbert’s basic premise is that the demands of space technology will place a constantly increasing burden on the earth’s population, and that it will require larger and larger governments to keep people in line.

In addition, he predicts that man will carry his problems to other worlds, and as a result the worst aspects of modern life will be expanded and compounded by the colonization of space.

In other words, the author does not believe that time will eradicate the evils of totalitarianism, or that big business and big government will simply go away.

On the contrary, he sees time on the side of today’s super powers, and predicts that, space travel will be the catalyst that willtransform imperialism into a cosmic nightmare.

DUNE begins 10,000 years after 'the “Great Revolt.’’ One hundred centuries before, a fanatic religious crusade had led to the destruction and outlawing of computers, and had made the use of all unnecessary machines sinful and illegal. “Machines may not replace man,” became the highest galactic law.

/The removal of controlling machines produced a massive resurgence of rugged individualism, which in turn brought about a new Middle Ages. Mankind, under the pressures of change, slowly regressed to a semi-barbaric state, and feudalism became the prevailing social order.

When the story opens, three powerful groups completely control the universe. The shaky political tripod consists of: The Guild (technocrats who know how to navigate without mechanical computers) which holds a monopoly on space transport and international banking; the Great Houses, a confederacy of planetary rulers; and, the Emperor, the most powerful single leader in the system.

The three powers operate “development” corporation, for the CHOAM, a universal expressed purpose of plundering the entire wealth of the cosmos. The concept of democracy is unknown, and those who do not rule are slave's. The exploiters think only in terms of profit, and are completely devoid of anything that might be called human feelings.

In short, DUNE is nothing less than a compreherisive picture of what life-'would -be like if corporate power had the chance to operate wide open, unchecked by either moral hr physical restraints:

However,. DUNE is not as heavy as it so.unds. Despite the weight of its predictions, it is basically a rousing adventure story that is often more melodramatic than meaningful--which probably explains why it’s so popular.

But, at times it’s almost too simple. The basic plot merely deals with a relatively minor incident .involving the attempt of one Great House to destroy another. Marly of the stock characters can be found in other historical novels, and even the yoUng hero is little more than a cross between Lawrence of Arabia and Tom Swift.

But no matter how shallow the characterization often runs, or how inane the action becomes, the book never completely loses its significance. For example, it’s difficult to think of another novel that treats drug experiences and mysticism in such depth. In addition, it is sort of a guerilla warfare manual showing how minority groups might survive against almost impossible odds.

Herbert’s theory of ecological warfare is not new, but it serves to remind the individual that he is never entirely helpless as long as he has nature on his side.

Perhaps the most recent example of this was seen at the Palm Springs pop music festival. When the town was put under virtual martial law, thousands of young people fled across the desert and infiltrated the nearby mountains.

The area is so inaccessible that about all the local police could do at first was to fly over the towering rocks in a helicopter and shout impotent orders from a bullhorn.

Some of the “outlaws” were so overwhelmed by their natural fortress that they stripped naked and gave the, helicopter an appropriate salute as it passed by.

Of course, ecological warfare involves more than climbing up onto a mountain for a day or two. But, who knows, perhaps DUNE, which has been a best seller in California for some time, is beginning to influence people’s thinking.

Arthur C. Clarke (who wrote 2001) said: “DUNE seems to me unique among modern science fiction novels in the depth of its characterization and the extraordinary detail of the world it creates.”

Since DUNE has also won the Hugo and Nebula awards for the best science fiction novel of the year, I feel fairly confident that anyone who reads the book will enjoy it; and perhaps a few people might even find it highly instructive.

Thomas Haroldson