The Litany Against Fear

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

"The Litany Against Fear" from Dune, Frank Herbert

19 July 2011

Stainless Steel Droppings: Dune Group Read Round 2 Questions



1. Was Liet's identity a surprise?  Who do you think he really works for?

2. What do you think of the Fremen culture?  Is this a culture you think you'd enjoy spending some time with?

3. What do you think of Count Fenring's unusual verbal mannerisms?

4. This is a far future empire with very little in the way of computerization. Information is often passed down orally, and schools (such as the Mentats and the Bene Gesserit) have formed to train young people in memorization and information processing.  What are you thoughts on a scifi story that is very "low-tech"?  Does that sound like a feasable future? A ridiculous one?

5. If you found the beginning of the book tough to get into, do you find that you're having an easier time with the middle portion, now that all the "set-up" is complete?

6. The center portion of the book is still pretty dialog heavy, but what I've noticed is the subtlety of the dialog. Things left unsaid are often more important than things that are said.  What do you think of that as a stylistic choice? Does it make the dialog more interesting? less interesting?

7. Dune was written in the 60's. Does it feel dated to you? How does it compare, writing style-wise, to more contemporary science fiction you've read?

8. If you've never read this book before, where do you think the storyline is headed?

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