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Posted: 23 May 2008 06:27
by orald
A Thing of Eternity wrote:Writing style is closer to D:V than Dune.
D:V? IDK, it's a bit too technical for Whipping Star.

I think maybe The Godmakers(?) or The Heaven Makers are closer, as they focus more on 1 or 2 char's, instead of D:V jumping around a bit.
Or even Dragon In the Sea/Under Pressure.

I'd say all the ConSentiency books are a bit like Asimov's Alija Bailey(?) books, i.e the early robots series when it was more of a detective story, only FH's are packed with some philosophy.

Posted: 23 May 2008 09:56
by Mr. Teg
Tleilax Master B wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:Writing style is closer to D:V than Dune.
I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read Destination Void either :oops:

But, it is on the list. Its about time for my yearly run through the Dune series again :wink:
Dude, gotta read Destination Void.

Posted: 23 Jun 2008 17:48
by Dune Nerd
Mr. Teg wrote:
Tleilax Master B wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:Writing style is closer to D:V than Dune.
I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read Destination Void either :oops:

But, it is on the list. Its about time for my yearly run through the Dune series again :wink:
Dude, gotta read Destination Void.
Yes yes you do, it is a mind bender for sure.

Back on topic, I just finished reading Whipping Star and it was sweetness. Nice story plus there was decent science discussion and I love the sentients that FH includes in this story. Top notch.

Posted: 23 Jun 2008 18:03
by A Thing of Eternity
Dune Nerd wrote:
Mr. Teg wrote:
Tleilax Master B wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:Writing style is closer to D:V than Dune.
I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read Destination Void either :oops:

But, it is on the list. Its about time for my yearly run through the Dune series again :wink:
Dude, gotta read Destination Void.
Yes yes you do, it is a mind bender for sure.

Back on topic, I just finished reading Whipping Star and it was sweetness. Nice story plus there was decent science discussion and I love the sentients that FH includes in this story. Top notch.
Read Dosadi Experiment yet? Do it. Immediatly. :D

I didn't really get much "science" out of Whipping Star, people keep saying that, but that's not what I thought it's strength was. Maybe I'm not including some concepts under science that I should be? I wouldn't mind hearing your take on this.

I found it to concentrate much more on the perception of reality and other philosophical themes like the nature of communication. Is that what everyone (I've heard Byron comment on this too) means by this being a "hard" science novel? Because by my standards, which are admittedly pretty strict, this is more medium boiled SF than hard. Maybe I need to go back and read this one again to see what I missed...

Posted: 23 Jun 2008 19:15
by Freakzilla
I have to give another "Harumph!" to D:V. I loved it. The ending really grabs ya by the booboo.

Posted: 23 Jun 2008 23:47
by Dune Nerd
A Thing of Eternity wrote:
Dune Nerd wrote:
Mr. Teg wrote:
Tleilax Master B wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:Writing style is closer to D:V than Dune.
I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read Destination Void either :oops:

But, it is on the list. Its about time for my yearly run through the Dune series again :wink:
Dude, gotta read Destination Void.
Yes yes you do, it is a mind bender for sure.

Back on topic, I just finished reading Whipping Star and it was sweetness. Nice story plus there was decent science discussion and I love the sentients that FH includes in this story. Top notch.
Read Dosadi Experiment yet? Do it. Immediatly. :D

I didn't really get much "science" out of Whipping Star, people keep saying that, but that's not what I thought it's strength was. Maybe I'm not including some concepts under science that I should be? I wouldn't mind hearing your take on this.

I found it to concentrate much more on the perception of reality and other philosophical themes like the nature of communication. Is that what everyone (I've heard Byron comment on this too) means by this being a "hard" science novel? Because by my standards, which are admittedly pretty strict, this is more medium boiled SF than hard. Maybe I need to go back and read this one again to see what I missed...
Have read Dosadi, also top notch and enjoyed it thoroughly. Have to say though while recommendations are being handed out you should read D:V, some of the best fiction to be put into print.

Whipping star, I agree that it discusses lots of concepts in philosophy and communication but those are not my strong points so I focused more on the bits of science that it actually has in it. Anymore most sci-fi completely ignores the science and acts like we are dumb but in this novel it did discuss some technical topics.

Maybe instead of science I should have said mathematics, to me science is mathematics with appropriate labels. I can't remember off the top of my head but I know that there was some logic games that McKie plays that are quite well done. As well as other examples that I can't thing of due to lack of sleep, newborns are great for the brain!

Posted: 24 Jun 2008 09:54
by orald
Freakzilla wrote:I have to give another "Harumph!" to D:V. I loved it. The ending really grabs ya by the booboo.
I'm still tempted to type it here...Ah damn FH and his catchy phrases! :D

Posted: 24 Jun 2008 10:23
by Freakzilla
orald wrote:
Freakzilla wrote:I have to give another "Harumph!" to D:V. I loved it. The ending really grabs ya by the booboo.
I'm still tempted to type it here...Ah damn FH and his catchy phrases! :D
NOOOOOOOOO!!!

Posted: 21 Oct 2008 17:33
by Hunchback Jack
I just recently finished Whipping Star and Dosadi Experiment. Great books.

Whipping Star has some of the hallmarks of a typical sixties SF novel - a central mystery, a brave male protagonist, aliens, and future tech as envisioned at the time.

What raises it above the typical pulp fare is its focus on ideas rather than the breathless action you would find in a sixties-era Heinlein, for example. In others' hands, the extended conversation between McKie and Fanny Mae, for example, would be a disaster, but Herbert's portrayal of the difficulties in communicating with something utterly unlike us is masterful.

Summary: Herbert's sixties SF pulp is deeper and more complex than most other authors' best work.

HBJ

Re: Whipping Star

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 11:28
by dunaddict
Read it. Pretty funny. Pacifist torturer Abnethe. Rug-dogs. :D
Dragged a bit in the middle after 20+ arms had been chopped off. Got a headache trying to understand Fanny Mae.
Will read Dosadi soon.

Re: Whipping Star

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 11:41
by lotek
I read Whipping Star when in my early teens, it was great to be so challenged and knowing you could read it as many times as you liked until you got it right... Funny enough I did not get the pun in the title for quite a while :)

Did someone already point this out:
in Road to Dune, tweedledee and dum coughed up this thing called "Dune: Whipping Mek"
They even steal stuff from not Dune books the cheek of these guys will never cease to amaze me...
and then I :puke:

Re: Whipping Star

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 19:48
by distrans
that bit in dosadi where hes suddenly dropped off without anything to help and has to wait and see
reminds me of stories alot of special teams types tell

i suspect frank bought alot of drinks for known killers fleshing things out

Re: Whipping Star

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 07:53
by inhuien
I have no idea what you're referring to here, Why not open a new thread on The Dosadi Experiment so we can get some details.