Artist commentary:
Frank Herbert (1920-1986) was an American science fiction writer most famous for his Dune series of novels. The Litany against fear is the mantra of a group of powerful women in the Dune books called the Bene Gesserit, who have achieved superhuman powers from mental and physical training. I haven’t read any of the Dune books, even though I know Dune to be considered the greatest science fiction novel ever. I guess i’m pretty intimidated by the mythology – it seems pretty hardcore, even for someone like me who’s read the works of Orson Scott Card, Harlan Ellison and watched the Star Wars saga countless times. From what I’ve read, the Bene Gesserit sound like Jedis … am I way off? Did I just ruin whatever science fiction street cred I had by asking that?
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Other way around actually, Jedi are like Bene Gesserit. Dune came out first. I highly recommend the first book! One of the best political space operas ever.
They aren’t really alike at all? The Jedi are space wizards that use magic. The Bene Gesserit use extreme conditioning and focus to read and command people. Oh, and they are basically responsible for some crazy barbaric acts in the name of eugenics, but I don’t wanna spoil too much.
I definitely see the Bene Gesserit as Jedi inspiration, especially if you look at the early concepts of what Jedi were. I just think it's fascinating how influential Dune was to Sci-Fi. Almost as much as Tolkein and fantasy.
Also, enemies of the Bene Gesserit call them "witches" because the skills they have seem like magic to outsiders.
IK, but give the artist some cred seeing as he hadn't read the books :)
Oof.
Oh yeah, an amazing comic. I thought the write up was yours, so I was responding, and it's just interesting to me how many Sci-fi concepts Dune gave birth to.
I only read until the fourth book, it got too crazy in the fourth one for me to want to continue
Yeah, conversations in various locales with everyone's favorite fascistic space worm was a fucking hard read. Also quit after God Emperor
I have no idea why I liked that book so much, I miss their conversations. Of the 3 last books I enjoyed the 5th one the most (Heretics of Dune).
I would recommend the first three books!