Computers and Science Fiction go hand in hand. Science Fiction (SciFi) is speculation on things to come - computer technology is and continues to be a prime subject. So of course my love affair with SciFi goes back just as far and even further than my love affair with computers.
I remember seeing one of the all time great SciFi movies in 1968 - "2001 - A Space Odyssey" with my wife-to-be and my best friend. Neither of them was a SciFi fan, and they giggled and talked throughout the movie - they just didn't understand it. I was riveted to the screen. The main character of that movie was, of course, not the astronauts, but HAL the supercomputer.
Unfortunately, many people not experienced in the genre think that SciFi is just monsters from space - and unfortunately the offerings of the SciFi channel on cable seems to be propagating that impression. However, the SciFi channel can now redeem itself with the miniseries "Dune" by Frank Herbert, to be shown December 3, 4, and 5.
Dune is an absolute classic of SciFi. Yes, there are classics - and a lot of trash too. But the classics - including "The Mote In God's Eye", "The Left Hand of Darkness", and many others are masterpieces both of literary style and speculative fiction.
So, I have decided to write this little introduction to Dune. Now, as with any piece of classical fiction, Dune operates on many levels. But I personally think that it is primarily a story for teenagers and young adults. It is a "rite of passage" story, a story of discovery of love, a story of tradition, a story of allegiance, a story of war, a story of religion. The primary character, Paul Atreides, is a young man facing a difficult and uncertain future and I think any teenager can relate to it.
But there is much more. Many other themes run through the book: the emergence of computers and the domination of man by machines, conservation and ecology, religion, the improvement of the species by adversity and by selection, the politics of a universe, and drug addiction.
But the key to understanding the book, and in fact any SciFi book, is that not everything is revealed in the end and tied up in a neat knot. The primary goal of SciFi and speculative fiction is to open the mind to new ideas and impressions - to make you think. The story line is just a framework for your own thought.
In 1984, there was an attempt to make a full-length motion picture of Dune, directed by David Lynch, who has done some strange stuff - "Twin Peaks", "Eraserhead", "Blue Velvet". Lambasted by Dune fans and critics, it was a failed attempt because it tried to explain everything (sometimes with crude narration) rather than let the viewer's imagination run wild. This was perhaps in response to "2001" which left much to the viewer's imagination, and it's chief criticism was that nobody understood it.
But in many ways the 1984 "Dune" was actually quite good - I felt that in particular the cinematography, costuming, etc quite accurately recreated the mood of the novel.
Anyhow, here is a chance for the SciFi channel to make amends to the legion of Dune fans. But even for the novice viewer, remember that the best way to appreciate it is to just dive in and submerge - don't ask too many questions during the show and perhaps not even at the end. Let it flow.
I hope we all enjoy it - you know where I will be on those nights...
You can check out Dune at their website http://www.scifi.com/dune.
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport / Oak Island area. You can visit his website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail him at bsc@bobseidel.com).