I just occured to me that if we are building a website dedicated to masters of far-flung galactic or intergalactic, highly intellegent, Sci-Fi (and Fantasy) epics I would be horribly remiss in failing to include The Dune series by Frank Herbert. Issac Asimov and Walter Jon Williams also come come to mind--and I'm sure--you can suggest others. The London Times describes Neverness as:
Quote: "Spectacular world-making, a kind of reverse-coin of Dune, that carries sudden alarms of invention to give it all great immediacy" Indeed, there are many similarities between the two series. Of course Zindell was inspired by Herbert as Donaldson was inspired by Tolkien. And, like some of the furious debates on Kevin's Watch have concluded--it's really like comparing apples to oranges. Each epic is just as fantastic in it's own intrinsict way. Paul Maud'dib, like Mallory, Danlo, Covenant, Gillian Baskin and Gandalf, is one of the most fascinating characters of Sci-Fi, Fantasy or any genre ever created. The Navigators and the Bene Geserits are wild concepts and you can, sorta, see where Zindell gets The Scryers and the Elder Eddas from if you look closely at the Geserits. Duncan Idaho is my favorite character in Dune--though he goes through many changes--and I especially like the ornithopters. Like Angus Thermopyle in Donaldson's Gap sequence, Baron Harkonnen is probably one of the grossest characters created, you gotta LOVE it!
Fall Far and Well Pilots!<i>Edited by: danlo60 at: 12/29/05 9:52 pm
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