It is now approximately 10,000 standard years after the Battle of Corrin. In all these years, many things have happened that are alluded to but not clearly explained or explored. For example, on page 15, Pardot Kynes refers to a disaster that befell Salusa Secundus that "changed everything". Did I miss something? What disaster? Salusa Secundus was not one of the planets destroyed by the thinking machines or in the Great Purge leading up to the Battle of Corrin. Anyone have an answer to that?
The chapter starter on page 23 is the first time this pervasive statement is provided as law:
Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind.
- Chief commandment resulting from the
Butlerian Jihad, found in the Orange Catholic Bible
(Dune: House Atreides, p. 23)
The same week I read this line I saw a story on TVabout a computer being developed by IBM to compete in the game show, Jeopardy. Why? What good will that accomplish? Sometimes it seems so obvious that we are headed down a path so close to that imagined by Frank Herbert over 50 years ago.
Before I call it a night in preparation for the early rise tomorrow due to another snow event coming our way, I have to comment on Rabban Harkonnen's hunting game with eight year old Duncan Idaho. There are three full chapters about this hunt alone. It is when we get the first hints about who this special person is and it is remarkable. Duncan Idaho is the most important character in all the remaining books and this story of his youth is gripping. I love this line from Janess Milam, the woman who rescued Duncan from the Forest Guard Station: "I doubt there is anyone left alive on Giedi Prime with the name of Idaho -- especially after the embarassment you caused them tonight." (House Atreides, p. 207)
Now to read a little before falling asleep. Need my rest to deal with the early morning phone calls and emails from faculty and students confirming if they need to go to class or not. I'm thinking no cancellations tomorrow, we need to go to class.
