Drugs

[Khan]

Has anyone noticed that in Dune the most precious substance in the whole universe, Spice, is in fact a drug. In the Dune world not only is this drug viewed as acceptable its use is widely encouraged. This drug is considered so valuable that it is considered more valuable than money. Maybe Mr. Herbert was trying to say something about drugs in our own world.

[Mahdi]

I don't know of any drug which expands life by hundreds of years, and allows you to have genetic memory and prescience....

[Khan]

But it's still a drug...

[Mahdi]

So is semuta and whats-it-called, the stuff that turns you orange. They arn't exactly good for you. There are good drugs and bad, jsut like in real life.

[TMA_1]

mahdi is right. plus, spice is only reserved for those who are rich enough to aquire it. Things like semuta and other drugs (usually from the various woods and herbs of ecaz) are the things used by commoners. I wouldnt evend doubt amphetamines and other easy to make drugs still exist in the Dune universe. Semuta and the like are looked upon as distasteful and a horrible habit to aquire. Though it seems to be legalized in certain fiefdoms.

[nemafakei]

The middle classes were all said to use melange for its geriatric properties in the book (can't remember where) - but not in great quantities.

[TMA_1]

I am guessing not much. probably in the micrograms. That is all you need though I bet.

[SpiceGuid]

The Dune novels have many themes.

But if you see Dune as the quest for spice then a major theme is human unfinite greediness. People want more, more money, more power, more drugs, more life time. Main competers just elegantly hide greediness under the mask of good for universe and future.

But how would something good come from a breed program?

A breed program is just eugenism, whatever the motivations eugenism is the end of humanity.

So you say drugs are encouraged, but it's more general than that, the uttermost forms of evil and manipulation are encouraged in duniverse. The epic is all about the cost for mankind.

[FireSnake]

It IS a drug.

It's even mentioned in several places.

- Matthew

[Khan]

Yes and the withdrawl sypmtoms would kill millions if they stopped taking them, if I remember correctly.

[FireSnake]

Exactly.

By the way - do You recall the Ordos mentat in Dune 2000?

I wonder if he had anything else besides Spice in his body... ::)

The Ordos characters have always been one of the coolest, in my opinion. The mentat in Dune 2000 and the Speaker in EBFD.

By the way ... what was that old mentat's name? :-

- Matthew

[Emperor Harkonnen]

why would it kill millions? it was not like the people taking it were adicted, is the blue within blue eyes described as a feature of the nobles in the book? no, only the fremen, which has eaten melange for a decade get's adicted or something. and it is when they are adicted they die if they don't get more of the spice

[FireSnake]

Do You recall the mini series?

Paul said to his mother that they could never leave the place.

Meaning, that they became addicted.

As for native Fremen, I don't know for sure. They should feel uncomfortable on other planets if not die.

And also, a quite important scene from the mini series!

The Baron ... taking Spice. Remember? That little box.

It shows for sure that the Spice is a drug.

- Matthew

[Khan]

Did it not state it in the books? The scene with the Baron 'sniffing' the spice was a pretty druggy moment, I agree.

[TMA_1]

first of all man, you are basing your info on a miniseries.lol second, you judge that something is a drug just because it is taken in a different way than we take it. and that part from the miniseries was not towards the book at all in the first place.

melange is a drug, beccause it effects the body and mind. You take tylenol dont you? or asprin? those come from plants and effect the body. Those are drugs like any other.

You are referring though to our illegal drugs, taht they are related to them. They are in a way that they do carry with it a bit of euphoria, a lot if more of the drug is taken. mainly though it only creates beneficial actions to the body. it is a relatively safe drug if used properly. It is also a pleasing thing to take. It is a far cry from our illegal drgs that actually cause problems ranging from headache to heart failure.

[Acriku]

You don't get a lethal addiction to Tylenol...

[Emperor Harkonnen]

I do not base my statments upon the miniseries, I don't even considered them in my reply. I only thought of the book.

yes the baron took spice in the miniseries, but not in the book. and even if he did he was not addicted and he would not die if he didn't get it. because if he was addicted he would have blue eyes.

piter had blue eyes because he was addicted to spice

[Caid Ivik]

Has anyone noticed that in Dune the most precious substance in the whole universe, Spice, is in fact a drug. In the Dune world not only is this drug viewed as acceptable its use is widely encouraged. This drug is considered so valuable that it is considered more valuable than money. Maybe Mr. Herbert was trying to say something about drugs in our own world.

What is drug? As our dictionaries explain it, it is any extract of herbs. I can say that even flour is a drug, and if you eat it, it does prolong the life (as if you eat nothing, you'll die soon...). Anyway, drugs dominate most of fantastic literature and cinema stories - it depends just on side of view (some people may think from what is Yoda so green or such).

[TMA_1]

addictions are irrelavent. I can name countless drugs that give an addiction that are either over the counter drugs or perscriptions. It is not in the class of illegal narcotics because the culture in Dune does not consider it that. like semuta and others.

[Acriku]

Do those drugs ultimately always give death to those who shy away from them, as what happens with melange? The deadly addiction should make it illegal alone. But it isn't, because an economy is based off of it, and people live to live longer and better, no matter what the consequences.