Friday, March 14, 2014

The Mentats have arrived !!






Today I have received my own copy of the most recent DUNE book. The Mentats of Dune is sitting on my lap and I cannot wait to read it. I am proud to say that I have read ALL the Dune books. When you consider that there are now 20 books telling the marvelous saga of that future planet you may think me a bit obsessed. Well after 2.5 million words I cannot get enough of Dune.


To those unfamiliar with Dune I will try to tell you quickly how it all began. It is set in a future where humanity has gone out to the stars. Due to an ancient conflict computers and advanced robots have been banned and people have had to develop their minds. There are groups who struggle under a feudal type of economy based on the spice melange. It is a powerful drug that extends not only life but helps expand the minds of certain individuals. Groups like the Bene Gesserits, navigators and great houses battle each other for power with the emperor

The mentats are special humans who are able to use their minds in a logical ans analytic manner. They are taught to absorb data and make projections much like computers. They assist the great houses and are all important since in this future all artificial intelligence and any, and I do mean type of computer is banned. They have a saying and it is simply that the mind of man is holy. Now we get to learn how it all began.

There is only one place in the known universe that has this most valuable commodity. It is the planet Arrakis otherwise known as Dune. There are no oceans on Dune just great deserts that extend almost to the poles. In this sand the great sand worms of Dune reside. They are 400 meters long and as tall as a three story house.



What is so intriguing about the story are how human the characters are written. As they struggle you get wrapped up in their lives. The story of Dune is far from over.