Observations:
Interstellar empires, complete with Emperors, are big in American sf! What happened to Presidents? In James Blish's The Quincunx of Time, the President of the Milky Way announces federation with the Magellanic Clouds in 3480. In Isaac Asimov's The Stars Like Dust, the Constitution of the United States is considered for use on an interstellar scale. However, in novels set later in that future history, there is a Trantorian Empire that becomes the Galactic Empire. Dune presents an already established Empire whereas Anderson shows us the rise, decline and fall of the Terran Empire together with some very different and plausible individual Emperors.
Herbert presents organized religion only as a vehicle for cynical manipulation of planetary populations whereas Anderson shows us genuine piety and devotion, e.g., in Kossara Vymezal who wants to be married in St. Clement's Cathedral by Father Smed who had christened and confirmed her. Andrea went as far as to say that the evil of organised religion was the entire point of Dune but that might be going too far.
8 comments:
I've been impressed with the skill of the current adaptation of DUNE. I would very much like to see this director do a Poul Anderson novel!
Kaor, Paul and Mr. Stirling!
Paul: Trouble is, "Presidents," those who preside, don't seem very impressive. The title actually comes from "praeses," one of the titles used for provincial governors in the later Roman Empire.
Strictly, we are not shown the fall of the Terran Empire, only some of the history after the Empire fell.
I disagree with Andrea, the evil to be found in "organized religion" is not religion per se, but the evil that can be found in any of us.
Mr. Stirling: Then I will try to find that adaptation of DUNE on TV. And I agree with you and Paul that a good director should do the same to one of Anderson's stories.
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, to Both!
Now I am unsure. I read a review of DUNE: PART TWO by Armond White, in NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE, which was very critical of both parts of DUNE. If even half of those criticisms are true we would do better to just stick with original printed text of DUNE.
Any comments?
Ad astra! Sean
PART ONE wasn't bad. I haven't seen PART TWO.
Kaor, Paul!
Then the Villeneuve version of DUNE might still be worth watching.
Ad astra! Sean
Might.
Linguistic note: "Emperor" derives from Roman "Imperator".
But that originally didn't mean "monarch". It meant "victorious leader" with overtones of "fit to command Romans".
Generals would be "hailed" as "Imperator" as an honorific.
Roman emperors took "Imperator" as one of their names -- but they also recorded the number of times they'd been -hailed- as "Imperator" by the troops.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Your remarks reminded me of an interesting article co-written by Jerry Pournelle/Larry Niven about their novel THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE and included with A STEP FARTHER OUT. It included a discussion of the evolution of the title of "Emperor," including a discussion of other titles for leaders, real and fictional. I think mention was made of how "Caesar" became "Kaiser" in German and "Tsar" in Russian. You also mentioned in the draft version of TO TURN THE TIDE how "Emperor" was coming at least half way to becoming what we mean by that title during Marcus Aurelius' reign.
Albeit, the Romans had a preference for using "Augustus" for their Emperors, esp. when such rulers had junior associates and heirs called "Caesar." And sometimes there were two full co-Emperors both titled "Augustus," as with Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus.
Ad astra! Sean
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