@HistoPol I stumbled across a blog many years ago of someone who wanted to make SF as good as Lucas, and he'd read the concept that to learn the master's ways, you have to walk the master's path (or something like that).

So, he retraced Lucas' influences all the way back to #Lensman, through the #GreenLanterns, then #Dune and the #BeneGesserit, which all lead to #StarWars. His argument, and I think he's right, is that SF has been doing "galactic cop" stories for decades.

prescient visions *horrify* him by showing catastrophic futures he wants to prevent.👈 #Herbert seems to be critiquing how messianic figures *enable* atrocities, not celebrating them. Similarly, the #BeneGesserit aren't painted as straightforward villains—they're morally complex, and #LadyJessica embodies genuine care alongside institutional manipulation.

Here's what's crucial:
👉Paul's rise is fundamentally a story of resistance against a fascistic occupying force.👈The #Harkonnen..
@orionkidder

@orionkidder

#HPsCommentary #SciFI

*A Critique of #FrankHerbert's #Dune Saga*

You've raised important points about context, and you're right that the #BeneGesserit are morally compromised manipulators whose #Eugenic project deserves scrutiny. Your reminder that #Paul and the Bene Gesserit aren't simple heroes is genuinely valuable— #Herbert absolutely subverts the "chosen one" trope.

However, I'd gently push back on a few specifics. Paul isn't presented as a #Hitler admirer; rather, 👉his...