Interesting article on Frank Herbert’s evolving take on environmentalism, and how a book series forged in the 1960s could impact the real world of tomorrow.
What a fantastic read! Kudos to the author of the upcoming book “From THE SPICE MUST FLOW: The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies” due out on September 26.
I found the below experts to be very interesting and resonant.
Dune allows us to live in the future, love the artistic intricacy of that future, and then realize, with sobering clarity, that we can’t allow things to end up like that. Dune teaches us to face our fears, to recognize there are plans within plans, and to accept that not every victory is always what it seems. It also makes us look in the mirror and wonder who we are. Like Alia, Leto, and Ghanima, it sometimes feels as though we all have the memories of our ancestors lurking in our minds. The horrible things we’ve done as a species as well as the triumphs are all there, running through our minds at the same time. Dune says there is no way to turn away from the mixed bag of human history. There’s no easy fix for the horrible ways history has unfolded or the ways in which it may repeat itself.
The mystery of the future of humanity is similar. We can’t yet imagine the way in which we get to the future, and we can’t really picture what the universe will look like when the future unfolds. But it is what we want: to survive and to change. Dune says that change is possible. It’s not always all good, but it’s not all bad, either. “The best thing humans have going for them is each other,” Frank Herbert said. We don’t have to be owned by our fear. Because in the end, we can look at ourselves honestly, at this moment, and ask, without fear, “What are you doing?”
As to an answer to the central question of the article, personally, I believe the answer is yes. If enough people get serious about living mindfully, practicing kindness and demanding that those we put in power share these characteristics and values, we can save the world and evolve to be better. As the article asks, “What are you doing?”
Add comment