Somewhere along the way, I reckon I’ve read a good many of the literary “classics.” (I didn’t say that I remembered them all, just that I read them, at some point.)

I’ve only recently (as in, the past 10 years or so) gained interest in the fantasy genre (thank you, Harry Potter), and although I’ve always been a bit of a science geek, it might surprise you that science-fiction hasn’t really been my forte. To clarify, I would say that science-fiction is fantasy, but not all fantasy is science-fiction. I like Star Wars, but mostly for my kids’ sake, because they are such huge fans … and, ok, fine, and Harrison Ford — I like Star Wars because of Hans Solo. [Let us all pause for a moment and swoon, shall we? *sigh]

Back to the point, I have never read or seen the movie Dune. One of the courses that I’m taking this fall, Culture of Formal Work Organizations, actually requires the novel as one of our texts. I thought that was a bit odd, until I remembered reading Brave New World in high school and talking about the present-day implications of Huxley’s futuristic society. How crazy is it that Brave New World was written a full 33 years before Dune? These guys had amazing imaginations, for their days — just think of the technologies that had not even been invented yet!

I’ve only just begun reading Dune ($2 at my local mom & pop used bookstore — woot!), and I have already noticed a few gems that I’m going to note for class. Following are two quotes that resonated with me:

The first was an excerpt from a historical text within the story, and it read: “‘The Reverend Mother must combine the seductive wiles of a courtesan with the untouchable majesty of a virgin goddess, holding these attributes in tension so long as the powers of her youth endure. For when youth and beauty have gone, she will find that the place-between, once occupied by tension, has become a wellspring of cunning and resourcefulness’” (p. 21)

The second was spoken by this Reverend Mother to a young man in training (for what, I don’t yet know): “‘A world is supported by four things … the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous and the valor of the brave. But all of these are as nothing … without a ruler who knows the art of ruling'” (p. 30).

The first passage spoke to me as a woman and encouraged me to see my trials at this stage in my life as preparation for the life I have yet to live. I love the concept of the “place-between” where the tension resides. Sometimes, it’s easy to get bogged down in things that seem so pressing and frustrating right now, but really, I’m still young. I still have a lot of career, a lot of child-raising, a lot of living to do. Lord willing, I’ll grow as old as the Reverend Mother and be able to impart my life wisdom to my granddaughters (and grandsons, of course, but y’all know that I’m holding out for girls in the next generation!).

The second passage piqued my interest regarding public policy & administration — you know, this degree I’m seeking. Governments don’t function in a vacuum; there are many moving parts. Sometimes, the parts get jammed up and don’t work right, but this machine we call a democracy is still the best model on the planet.

Only 474 pages of tiny print left to read, then I’ll let you know how I liked it. My goal is to finish it before the fall term starts in about three weeks.