Dune Club Session 1 Questions

that's ok that it wasn't read out, I know when my longer questions are a hit-or-miss mouthful that probably won't make it, lol

1 - I know we covered it a bit last Dune Club, but I can't stop thinking about the real world impact of prescience. Like, Cassandra's curse is a real thing. I've seen it myself, like with Bitcoin, I told so many friends and relatives it'd be huge. But all I got was crickets. Have you experienced this? Do you pursue prescience? 2 - Dune and The Foundation novels were concerned about the future of humanity on the scale of thousands of years. Is that still a concern? Do we still think that far out?

Clear Menser

Do we learn more about how Dune was terraformed? Last I recall Leto was smashing Qanats letting the water pour out 💦

eneve

Hi Danika, thanks for the God Emperor Dune Club. 3 questions: 1- In the foreword, Brian Herbert describes this book as a transition novel between 2 trilogies, the second of which is incomplete due to Frank Herbert's death before finishing Dune book 7. You consider God Emperor the first book of a second (complete?) trilogy. What are your thoughts on Brian Herbert's perspective? 2- In a short chapter, Siona's dad talks about how Leto the man still exists within (and separate) from the Worm god. The potential interpretations are endless, but at this point of the novel, what were your thoughts on this? Does the Man Leto tire of existence and finally wants death? Is the Worm God a resentful, inhuman entity that wants Arrakis and the worms back? 3- There's a viral tumblr post about how men write women that ends with "she breasted boobily and titted downward". Frank Herbert seems horny (again), but will he temper his lecherousness or go full Ed Greenwood way-too-thirsty cringe?

PJ B

Was anyone else absolutely RELIEVED to read that Ghanima lead a normal life?

Alfredo Colindres

Believe it or not I've got a few more trips around the Sun than you. It seems the older I get the faster time goes by, like I blink my eyes and another year passes. I remember being a kid and hating school, it seemed like two months would last six years. I could only imagine being around for 3500 years, like you would probably lose track of what month or year it is. Is that how it is for you? Like the older you get the faster time seems to go by? Why do you think that is? I'm guessing Alan Moore went over that in the Jerusalem book.

This might be addressed later in the book, but I can’t help but be intrigued: what does Leto eat? Aside from the Spice, what else is the worm-god’s diet?

I ask because Leto is a physical being with supernatural powers. However he lacks the common powers of creation that are believed by most believers in God. Does Leto II ever distinguish himself from the classical idea of God? I was thinking this in the scenes with him and Manteo and thinking, he must be bugging out hanging out with a God! - but then is he? or is he a god like the Greek and Roman Gods and there is still a greater God? Thoughts?

one of my questions is a bit abstract. So Leto II is now God Emperor. When people call him "Lord" and God do they consider him the same as the omnificent God that is thought of by Christians and other religions? Does Frank ever discuss the difference.

So exited to be back in the Duniverse for a fourth time with you! Here’s my question: Why did Leto “walk off” Jessica’s memories and identity? Is he afraid of her?

Not a question, observation : I tried to think how to say this non-awkwardly several times. Hope I got it right, It's true of all six books that we tend to forget the beginnings of each, and dig for quotes from the middle or later part of the book. But speaking as someone who's re-read the books over and over since the 80's, the contrast is sharpest with God Emperor. The -beginning- of God Emperor, therefore, gets the least amount of love compared to what it deserves of anywhere in the original six books. ...because Leto's internal musings in Book 4 are the -best- of all the political observations, over time re-reading it our awareness of the book gets tilted more toward the later parts. Tried to write that not as a spoiler but as an encouragement that we're in for a good ride. So, experienced readers are nooblers along with everybody else reading the beginning of this book going 'hey you know the live-action parts are not bad. Frank is still on his game.' And that's also because one factoid about God Emperor was that there was originally not going to be any actual action portions, it was going to be entirely the internal thoughts of Leto until the publisher begged him to go back and add them. Discuss!