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  DUNE and Sex: Is Sex a Distraction, a Digression, or Is It On Topic?

  A friend commented to me that the latter half of Frank Herbert's original six Dune books became too preoccupied with Sex.
  
  This surprised me. So I thought I'd start a discussion with other Dune fans exploring this topic:
  
  In the DUNE Chronicles, are sexual themes more of a distraction, a digression, or are they another aspect of Herbert's exploration of humanity and humanity's potential (mystical and otherwise)???

  Ulchabhán started this discussion 2 years ago. ( reply )

• Ulchabhán removed this reply 2 years ago.

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  Ulchabhán 

  Growing up, I never had a lot of taboos placed on sex. While I do exercise a diligent discretion for the sensibilities of others, when I'm reading alone I have no need of these filters. I guess this is why my friend's comment surprised me so much.
  
  I only saw F. Herbert's sexual themes as an exploration into one of the many aspects of life and humanity; a theme as common place to life and humanity as food, water, breathing, etc. I believe he approached these themes with a style either intended to treat sex as a natural, common place part of humanity, or that such a treatment of the themes came out organically. Perhaps, if I ever get around to reading his biography, it may shed some light on this.
  
  I found his style and tone to be consistent while moving into and out of sexual themes. He maintained the same voice. This served to create a casual, matter-of-fact tone on the subject of sex. Now, I'll admit I did grow up with some taboos about sex, which is probably why I found some of the sex scenes a little titillating, as the casual, matter-of-fact tone would introduce details suddenly without building up to them much. I think my titillation was mainly derived from the cautious discretion I exercise out of respect for other people's sensibilities. But also because I found casual, comfortable discussion of sex refreshing.
  
  This raises an interesting idea. I, with fewer taboos, see one thing in the novels. My friend, perhaps with more taboos, sees another thing in the novels. This is a good scenario for examining the role the reader/receiver/observer plays in the creation of art-- the co-creation of meaning. So, perhaps equally valid arguments could be made for both sides of this whole discussion. If meaning and reality are subjective then both perspectives would be true.
  
  On that note, as I do believe the role of the receiver is undervalued, I won't disagree with any view that the sexual themes were digressions and distractions. But that is contrary to my experience with the books. To me, the sexual themes were explorations into another aspect of humanity and into future human potential.

  posted 2 years ago. ( reply )

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  Agi Rivera 

  I've been back-reading past Linux Journal magazines during the last month and I've read this in the "They Said It" section:
  
  "I think that novels that leave out technology misrepresent life as badly as Victorians misrepresented life by leaving out sex.
  
  -- Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country (Random House, 2005)"
  
  Books or stories are like people. It's normal for the later books to "mature"-ize the Dune theme, which is about human persona and the society. For F. Herbert to discuss the theme with precision, he needed to use all that which are appropriate. And sex would be naturally included in that.
  
  If the early men considered sex as distraction, or digression, we would have different concepts for family, community, society and culture.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  Gregory 

  Well, it's understandable why there is a greater focus on sex in the last two books. One of the main weapons used by the Honored Matres is sex. But it's not merely sex at all. Sex is more like the delivery system of a weapon that renders the victim into a slave of its offender. Through an unimaginable ecstasy, victims of the of Honored Matre sexual enslavement basically become like a drug addict who needs their next fix. And it's like, once they've peaked sexually with an Honored Matre, they can never truly feel that level of pleasure again, but they think maybe they can and this dulls their senses and mental faculties and turns them into the slaves of whichever Honored Matre they have been bound to.
  
  The whole practice is quite grotesque actually. And that's how Herbert was trying to portray these women, as grotesque. It may sound sexually exciting to a point, but thinking very carefully about makes the whole notion of it seems nefarious and unappetizing.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  D. Williams 

  The Dune books have always had a sprinkle or a small portion of it's writing devoted to sex. But it was not so much to be overdone. But love and physical relations are shown to have a great place in the human struggle even after thousands of years of human mental evolution. It was not a distraction, just a way for Frank and other authors to give their books a little flavor when the books begin to drag on.

  posted 3 weeks ago. ( reply )

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