Quote:
Originally Posted by Atomika  Other times, I find that some books, especially in the Dune series, find some excuse to put some sort of medieval hocus-pocus magic crap in it. (Not saying the Dune series doesn't have alot of scientifically feasible things, but there are some things in there, especially weapon systems and human abilities, that are quite questionable in terms of practicallity and feasibility). |
It is worth pointing out that
Dune was first published more than forty years ago. Science has moved on considerably since then in every field. Things that we now know to be "questionable in terms of practicality and feasibility" were not necessarily so then.
Also, what has made Dune such an enduring classic is not its science, but the thrill of the narrative itself and the rich complexity of the world and society it is set against. It's often been imitated since but at the time, no world in the whole of SF had ever been so vividly portrayed as Herbert's desert planet Arrakis. You could almost feel the grains of sand...
Having said that, I do take your general point that pseudo-science, when it takes itself too seriously, can be a distraction and a pain at times.