God Emperor of Dune – Entry #2

I think I have only read God Emperor of Dune once before.  It is amazing how much more the story makes sense to me now by really knowing the full history.  One thing I don’t recall really considering was the Fish Speakers.  I thought of them as a religious group but they really are Leto’s all-female army.  The new Duncan Idaho is miffed about the female army and asks Moneo about it early on.

     “ The Lord Lego says that when it was denied an external enemy, the all-male army always turned against its own population.  Always.”

     “Contending for the females?”

     “Perhaps. He obviously does not believe, however, that it was that simple.”

    …

     “Adolescent attitudes, just boys together, jokes designed purely to cause pain, loyalty only to your pack-mates … things of that nature.”

(God Emperor of Dune, p. 99)

The conversation continues with Moneo explaining Leto’s dissertation on the dangers of an all-male army.  How eventually, the all-male army turns to rape, murderous rape.

Leto’s sensitivity to females is pervasive.  Shortly after this exchange is the following chapter starter:

     The female sense of sharing originated as familial sharing – care of the young, the gathering and preparation of food, sharing joys, love and sorrows.  Funeral lamentation originated with women.  Religion began as a female monopoly, wrested from them only after its social power became too dominant.  Women were the first medical researchers and practitioners.  There has never been any clear balance between the sexes because power goes with certain roles as it certainly goes with knowledge.

-- The Stolen Journals

(God Emperor of Dune, p. 110)

Even with the Bene Gesserits whom he wholeheartedly dislikes and distrusts, he still holds a place for these special women.  An early comment gets across this notion:

     “I see,” Leto said.  “Well, the Bene Gesserit are all more than a little insane, but madness represents a chaotic reservoir of surprises.  Some surprises can be valuable.”

(God Emperor of Dune, p. 24)

In his meeting with the Bene Gesserit delegation during the Festival, he is clearly engaged by the intelligence and wit of one of the witches, Anteac.  They have a very heady conversation, one in which Leto is trying to teach them something very deep and philosophical.  Leto sees himself as a teacher in everything and said as much to Idaho before his audience with the Bene Gesserit.

     “Whatever I do,” Leto said, “it is to teach a lesson.”  (God Emperor of Dune, p. 164)

In his conversation with the witches, they were discussing Ixian plans to develop a thinking machine.  One that could be used to navigate through foldspace and remove the need for the spice for space travel.  The Bene Gesserit are tremendously concerned about this, but Leto doesn’t seem to be and Anteac learns quickly why he has such a laissez faire attitude.

     She spoke: “The machine cannot anticipate every problem of importance to humans.  It is the difference between serial bits and an unbroken continuum.  We have the one; machines are confined to the other.”

(God Emperor of Dune, p. 175)

I love this stuff.  In my electronics courses we will occasionally discuss the primitive aspect of digital technology and I like to point out that the digital machine future is never seen as a bright one in science fiction.  Examples abound!