Here I am, sitting in front of my computer with a copy of that very book in my hand. The thing is yellowed with age, and has that 'old Monopoly game board' smell to it (if you know what I mean). I have a feeling (though I cannot explain it) that this book will change the way I look at SF, and writing in particular. I've only had this unusual premonition a few times in the past. The first was before reading The Lord of the Rings in 6th grade, the second when I picked up Ender's Game (which got me into actual SF in the first place).

Very few novels engender this anticipation. I am not sure if I just happen to be an eccentric reader of science fiction, or if this is an experience others have encountered. To answer this question, I wanted to ask you. Have you ever felt such an eagerness before cracking open a book? Even when you don't know what that book is about, or if you will enjoy it? I know I'm being terribly sentimental here, and trust me when I say that it is truly frightening. I'm not a sappy person by nature, so...this is extremely weird. And no, I’m not intoxicated. If I were I doubt I could spell one word, let alone this entire blathering post.

But, my current abnormal train of thought aside, have you ever felt the aforementioned anticipation? Have you suspected that a book, held in your hands, is something new...something different than everything you've read before?

Or am I in need of 'help'...? Just wondering.

I picked up "Ringworld" by Larry Niven because it was a 'must read' - and heading to the library means planning: packing the babies' bag, getting them fed and changed and otherwise ready, and getting out, loading them in the stroller, then going around the library! Fortunately they were great - actually pulling sf books off the shelf to 'read.' Unfortunately, the book disappointed me - it just didn't go anywhere IMHO, though the build up was fairly good. I didn't mind the dated science (not his fault I was reading it so much later than it was written), I did mind his made-up expletive (constantly pulled me out of the book/story), and was deflated by the non-ending.

I knew that "Ringworld" would be different, something new - and was surprised when it didn't 'rock my world' in the way I thought it would.

I know I have more expectations when someone I trust recommends a book - mostly they have not disappointed me. I get an excited feeling of anticipation when my favorite authors release new books - but I notice the writing of one getting weaker in ways, and now that I know about writing find the flaws in others, tiny or large. That makes the reading harder, the disappointment bigger.

And yet, it makes me feel really good in a way. The authors are just telling a story in the best way they can, and usually do it well and I enjoy my time with their books. But they are not perfect. They make mistakes - they leave holes, or use a device to make something too easy, or miss something. Even the editors do. That means (gasp!) that they are human, just like me!

And that makes my chances of publication better. If I miss something, it is not the end of the world - people will see beyond it, might miss it, may never notice it, will see the big picture and all the work I've done (though if I've done it right they WON'T see the work - just enjoy the story). Of course, I will do my best to not make any mistakes, will check and recheck and have others check my work, because a beginner doesn't get the leeway that a prolificly-published author has.

Um, what was I saying? Oh yes, I've felt anticipation before reading one of those 'special, legendary' books. It made getting into them exciting, and then they engendered an excitement beyond their reputation - when the story was good, the characters real, the endings worth the time. I remember discovering sf/f - merged from reading mythology to mystery to sf/f - it was incredible! I've loved it ever since. Discovering a love of a new author and his/her books to read is priceless.

Now go read "Dune" - and maybe you'll like it enough to read the next couple, and the prequels. I admit to having had trouble going past the first two sequels, really enjoyed the "House" prequels, and am really mad about something that happened in "The Butlerian Jihad" - so mad and upset that an autographed copy of "The Machine Crusade" has been sitting, unopened, for months on my bedside table. I'm scared to read it. I want to, as I'm really enjoying the whole story, but I'm also hoping the authors don't do something else to distress me like they did before.

But I'm not responding because of Dune.

I don't want to turn this into a bash "Ringworld" post, but I agree with the other posts about it. I didn't have a problme reading it, but... The ending left me disappointed and I expected more. Of course it was from the Grand time of Sci-Fi when fans would gobble up anything new on the shelf especially if it was from their favorite author.

Now please don't take my word alone for this one, Inkwell, since there doesn't seem to be such a groundswell against it, but though Dune was somewhat more interesting, even with it I mainly liked only the worm part.

However, I do understand your sweet anticipation. Settling into a comfortable reading spot and opening the front pages of an enticing book, then settling in deeper with the promising words, 'Chapter One.' I hope you won't be disappointed.

So, was I disappointed? Not a bit. It probably wouldn't impress me as much now on a first reading as it did then, but I'm not sure of that. I did read it a few years ago and still thought it was great. Herbert did things in ways that I hadn't seen before, and haven't often seen since. What did disappoint me was anything else Herbert wrote--although, to be honest, some of his other stuff had its moments. It just never measured up to that book. (I heard someone else say the same thing about Herbert once, except that they read a different book first. Interesting.)

Anyway. If you do find Dune to your taste, I'd be really hesitant about trying to imitate it in any way. Herbert is an excellent handler (in my opinion) of full omniscient POV, but the last time I read it I decided that I'd still prefer it in limited 3rd person.

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I started reading Science Fiction over 40 years ago and I only remember that the title had the word "Moon" in it.

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Was it Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress? I loved that book.

I read this for the first time earlier this year, after seeing the sci-fi channel miniseries. I watched the David Lynch film many years ago and thought it wasn't very good.

I didn't like the writing style, but felt the development of the story and scenery in the book was substantially better than the TV series, which was difficult to understand in many places.

I think Dune earned its place as an 'SF classic' because of the richness of the world-building. And it is _extremely_ rich, often to the point of making the story difficult to understand because the world that you don't know the full details of yet is pushing at the characters from all sides.
Dune is a book that needs to be read twice, I think.

Ringworld - I actually hadn't heard much hype before I read this book, probably something like 7 or 8 years ago now. I had heard of the book, knew it had picked up some awards (although maybe only because it said so on the cover), but other than that didn't know the first thing about it.

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The John Schoenherr cover was great and it was the first book I'd read with appendices.

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Hmmm.... my copy doesn't have any appendices, probably because it was the paperback edition released to coincide with the movie. That market probably wouldn't want them...

Well...they really aren't necessary or anything. But if you really like Dune you'll want the appendices. I actually found the ideas in all the Dune books quite fascinating.

It is a common misconception that the books are written in omniscient. The confusion comes about because several of the POV characters have some degree of omniscience. The central theme that runs through the books is that the human race as a whole has a kind of biological omniscience...that you're DNA remembers all the events of your life (which are passed on into the collective unconsciousness of your children) and that by tapping into that vast sea of knowledge blah blah blah.

Okay, so the central premise happens to be scientifically unsound to the point of silliness. But the core ideas were still quite interesting and Herbert explored them with great vigor. It is sad to think that he might have actually believed some of them to be true...one is put in mind of Lucas endlessly trying to levitate rocks using "The Force". But the story thus created was well worth the sacrifice of one man's sanity (as long as I'm not the man ).

Ah, how cruel I am. When malice was first devised, I must have been present.

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It is a common misconception that the books are written in omniscient. The confusion comes about because several of the POV characters have some degree of omniscience.

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I was thinking about this last night. I can't check because I've loaned my copy to a friend, but I think there are several points where things that aren't known to the same character are specified in the same paragraph. Basically, there's at least one paragraph in the earlier stages that gives thoughts from both Paul and Jessica. This is before Paul's abilities are fully developed, so he shouldn't know exactly what she is thinking. They've both only got their Bene Gesserit skills to rely on, which AFAICT only give them a partial ability to determine each others thoughts, but we have their exact (and, IIRC, contradictory) thoughts written out in the same paragraph.

This suggests to me that the story really is written in omniscient. Or at least some parts of it are.

It's the way he uses italicized thoughts. This was the first book I ever read where I noticed using italics for "thought quotes," and for years after I thought Herbert had invented the technique. Of course, I immediately started using it in my own stories. Since then, I've cut it out--most thoughts are much more effective described than quoted (e.g. "He wondered what was in the box," rather than "I wonder what's in the box."). When I do put in thoughts verbatim, I drop the italics, and use a "he thought" if I think it's necessary. (It often isn't--OSC is expert at dropping directly into verbatim thinking with no italics and only rare tags.)

But it does get done successfully, just not as successfully as in Dune. Actually, one of my favorite books technically opens in 3PL, flowing into a short exposition, and then sort of spiraling into 3PLO. It only takes a few lines, though.

Persuasion is MARVELOUS! It is worth waiting to read at the "right" moment. It doesn't have the humor and wit of Pride and Prejudice, but it is the most romantic of all her books!

Here's a recipe for a "right" moment: ( )
Run a hot bubble bath, light some aromatherapy candles, and turn on a relaxing CD. Then feel free to get lost in turn of the 19th century language...

Ahhh... (I guess I do have some Aphrodite in there somewhere! )

I read LOTR a while before I read DUNE (my mother bought DUNE for me because the blurb on the cover compared it to LOTR), and I reread it many times in the years that followed. In my first reading, I was a bit reluctant to start the third book because I knew the battles were going to be traumatic (and they were), and that when I finished the story would never be new to me again.

I have one of Anne Perry's books that I am saving to read, so I'll always have something by her that I haven't read yet.

Part of that may be because when I read a book I've already read before, I know that I like it. Part of it is the pleasure of finding new things in the text, and really savoring remembered epigrams. But more than that...a good book is deeper every time you read it. It doesn't just make you think or feel the first time, it speaks to you every time, and each time you understand more of what is being said.

There are so many books I've read, of which I could honestly say, if it were the only thing ever written, it would be justification enough for the invention of writing. If this were the only book I had, I would be thankful every day I knew how to read.