It was raining in my corner of Singapore when I wrote this (it has been raining almost every day since) and I was reminded that in Arrakis, water does not come down from the sky like this (also reminded how geeky it is to reference a fictional planet in one’s writing). That’s okay, because I am allowed to still be unable to get over how epic Dune is. Despite having watched a few scenes from the television series as well as the David Lynch film, I had been able to envision my own Duniverse. I have the second book on standby but I have yet to finish the non-fiction I’ve chosen to read first before continuing with the series.
Poster by Kevin Tong
That’s why it’s so nice having friends who read and whose taste for certain oeuvres greatly differ from mine. Without them, it would have taken me much later to pick this up on my own. Although, I have been nurturing a soft spot for science fiction for quite a while now and thus had no excuse to be oblivious to a classic of the genre.
Whenever I read during my morning commute, I always notice other readers and imagine approaching them (ninja-style) with a high-five. Was there ever a time when having books were as commonplace as cellphones are on public transportation? I wonder.
The following is one of my favourite quotes from the first book:
“Greatness is a transitory experience. It is never consistent. It depends in part upon the myth-making imagination of humankind. The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the myth he is in. He must reflect what is projected upon him. And he must have a strong sense of the sardonic. This is what uncouples him from belief in his own pretensions. The sardonic is all that permits him to move within himself. Without this quality, even occasional greatness will destroy a man.”
I’ll leave you to think about it.