House Atreides - Entry #4

Done!  Next up House Harkonnen!!!  But before wrapping up this book, just wanted to share a paragraph from the Afterword by Brian Herbert.

A scant two weeks after our [Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson] meeting, I received a telephone call from an estate lawyer who had handled matters involving my mother and father.  He informed me that two safety-deposit boxes belonging to Frank Herbert had turned up in a suburb of Seattle, boxes that none of us knew existed.  I made an appointment to meet with the bank authorities, and in an increasing air of excitement, the safety-deposit boxes were opened.  Inside were papers and old-stype floppy computer disks that included comprehensive notes from an unpublished DUNE 7 - the long-awaited sequel to CHAPTERHOUSE: DUNE!  Now Kevin and I knew for certain where Frank herbert had been headed, and we could weave the events of our prequel into a fugure grand finale for the series. (House Atreides, p. 678)

I so much appreciate that Brian Herbert wanted to write the full epoch story that his father had envisioned and outlined.  The connections made throughout the story that spans 15,000 standard years, from Butlerian times to the incredible ending envisioned by Frank Herbert in his DUNE 7 notes and brought to life by his son in Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune, just blows my mind!

House Atreides - Entry #3

Tio Holtzman was one of the most productive Ixian inventors on record.  He often went on creative binges, locking himself up for months on end so that he could work without interruption.  Sometimes upon emerging he required hospitalization, and there were constant concerns over his sanity and well-being.  Holtzman died young -- barely past thirty Standard years -- but the results of his efforts changed the galaxy forever.

-- Biographical Capsules, an Imperial filmbook

(House Atreides, p. 562)

Odd chapter starter.  First, I thought that Tio Holtzman was a native of Poritrin not Ix.  Second, based on the fact that he had already been inventing useful products before Norma Cenva even came to work in his employ and that there were a good number of years working with Norma before she worked on her own, I figure he was at least middle-aged when there was the atomic-like blast due to the interaction between lasgun fire and personal shields during the slave uprising on Poritrin that obliterated the capital city.  Just barely thirty Standard years does not sound right.  So this leads to the conclusion that the history books written for the Imperium did not get it right.  I will be keeping an eye on this.

The final fifth of House Atreides explores the political machinations of the Imperium ... the Landsraad, the position of the Emperor, and the Guild and its laws.  Not much about CHOAM but hints as to its importance.  Somehow I had completely neglected or forgotten that Anirul, the secret Kwisatz Mother, was the one offered to Crown Prince Shaddam by the Bene Gesserit to become the Emperess.  Anirul was in charge of the Kwisatz Saderach breeding program and extremely important to the Bene Gesserit because of that.  Harishka, the Mother Superior, must have decided that her placement as Emperess was key in assuring the success of the program.  Also, the disturbing relationship between Sister Margot Rashino-Zea, who was not a Reverent Mother, and Hasimer Fenring is developed fully in this part of the book.  They are a scary pair.

Finally, having read through all of the books, the scene after the Trial by Forfeiture was dismissed as described on pages 629 - 630 when Crown Prince Shaddam gifts the jewel-handled Hagal quartz knife to young Duke Leto  "as a reminder of your [Leto's] service to me [Shaddam]" (House Atreides, p. 630) has renewed importance.  I don't think I really noticed this part of the scene upon my previous reading of House Atreides which I had last read before reading the last two books: Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune.

I now have only a couple of pages left to House Atreides plus the Afterword (must always read the Foreword and Afterword) so I expect the next entry to include my first reflections on the next book House Harkonnen!

House Atreides - Entry #2

Too long.  Too long.  I am now on page 475 so in a month, I really haven't gotten too far.  I think I need to have the computer by my bed so that I can type up an entry from the same place I do most of my reading.  So let's get to work here ...

"Every human wants to be healthy, and we cannot treat everyone.  Our care is available only to those willing and able to pay for it." (House Atreides, p. 248)

This was said by a Suk doctor who had come to treat Emperor Elrood.  This does doesn't sound like Raquella's Dr. Suk who founded the Hospital for Uncurable Diseases.  Times have changed.

And on page 288 I found at least part of the answer to my own question about Salusa Secundus which was the home planet of the Butler Family and the planet that housed the central government.  It seems that a renegade house, one "whose name was stripped from historical records" (House Atreides, p. 288), had landed on Salusa and set off their family atomics setting off "an ecological catastrophe" (House Atreides, p. 288).  Earl Dominic Vernius went on to explain that "[a]fterward the survivors moved the Imperial throne to Kaitain, in a different, more secure solar system, where young Emperor Hassik III rebuilt the government." (House Atreides, p. 288)  So what Great House did this and why?

One of the great things about House Atreides is meeting some of our most important characters from Dune, getting to know them and their history.  I have already spoken of Duncan Idaho who is the most enduring character in this whole epoch.  But we also get to meet Thufir Hawat, the Mentat Assassin.  In one of the first scenes that we really get to see Hawat in action, young Leto and Rhombur are sent to train with Hawat and they are dressed down at the onset.  The two boys came wearing regal capes which Hawat quickly pointed out had no use in a fighting situation unless to conceal weapons.  This passage gets across quite clearly how seriously Hawat takes his job of making sure the young men know how to protect themselves.

Hawat snapped his fingers like a gunshot in front of Leto's face.  "Don't talk to me about pretty points of assassination." The Mentat's rough skin turned more ruddy, as if he barely kept his anger in check.  "Is your intention to show off for the ladies, or to eliminate your opponent? This is not a game."  (House Atreides, p. 356)

Page 379 was the first place that the Litany Against Fear was recited as we know it in Dune.  Mohiam recites it to control her fear when her automated shuttle malfunctioned and was plummeting through the atmosphere on Wallach IX.  She was pregnant with Jessica and she knew of the importance of the baby she was carrying.  She was more worried about how her death would disrupt the breeding program than worrying about her death.

And finally, I'll end this entry with another passage about Duncan Idaho.  He really is the star of the story.  Duncan was being questioned by the young Duke Leto who had suddenly been thrust on the throne due to the untimely death in the bull ring of his father.  When considering Duncan's testimony and weighing Duncan's character, Leto thought to himself: "Duncan was tough and intelligent and fierce - but not treacherous." (House Atreides, p. 467)  What a wonderful description of a character.  If I were an actor trying to portray Duncan, this would be the key to playing the role true.