Irulan Seems to Be Mostly Wrong

A beginning seems to be a fine time at which to note that a character, even one that is made to speak authoritatively, is not necessarily a spokesman for the author.  A beginning may not be a time for letting some literary princess tell us what is so.  Consider what a poor model quantitative precision of correct [...]

Daniel and Marty

I think I’ve read a suggestion that the Face Dancers Daniel and Marty represent Frank Herbert and his wife.  However, their actions and their self-understanding as portrayed in their conversation suggest that they represent the readers.  Certainly I didn’t let the big mentat get away; I wanted to gather in his persona fully and make [...]

Sophists of Dune

The Dune series seems, in part, to be Frank Herbert’s exploration of themes and images he encountered in Plato’s dialogue The Sophist.  Herbert’s connection to Plato’s Sophist may be partly by way of Martin Heidegger, who wrote a commentary on The Sophist.

The Face Dancer Theaetetus

I think Plato’s character Theaetetus is in some ways Frank Herbert’s model for the Face Dancers in the Dune series.  I wonder if I’m the only person in the world who suspects this.