THE FIFTH volume of the Dune series, Chapter House Dune, Author Frank Herbert died recently, so one of the best known - - and best time has ended unfinished. Reviewed by Alan Freeman Dune popularised 'sword and sorcery' fiction. Instead of death rays rocketships, writers with wizards, emperors gladiators. A flimsy scientific veneer may put them in the distant future, but in fact they flee the horrors of the modern world into the paus to create Dune.
Herbert
stope Dune Arab history. is a dead ringer for ninth century North Africa. For trade. For the Fremen, the 'free tribes of Arrakis read the desert nomads.
Paul Maud-dib
Mohammed, combining mystic prophet, revolutionary leader and founder of a new imperial dynasty.
SUCH popular? Fantasy fiction is an escape from the world of money and from the world of machines.
Money degrades and depersonalises. It converts relations between people HutU relations between things. Human values are sacrificed on the altar of Mammon by the universal priests of corruption.
Machines the ultimate in inhumanity. they not only stand apart from humans but they rule over them. With the first *Dark, satanic mill, they became symbols of slavery.
In pre-industrial myths and fairy stories, the horrihas just appeared in paperback.
— science fiction sagas of all ble and inhuman is beastHumanity fights its own creator. age it fights its creations. ne innuman snow are tificial. It is no. longer salutal Violalol humanity but a human violation of nature. Evil is no longer the Beast but the machine.
Science fiction, with precious few exceptions, misses the connection. he menace is not just money or machinery, but their fusion as capital, once our liberator, now threatening to destroy all nature, humans included.
Science fiction therefore divides in two. The Star Wars solution owes its origin to Samuel Colt and Henry Ford. It Is the gadget the personal machine. Han Solo's disguised Ford Mustang. rocketship. badly The raygun is a thirtieth revolver. These imder individual, personas images machines control. The car, the washing machine, the personal hi-fi give birth to the personal neutron bomb the WIle West salvation. Single handed uke kvwalker destroy. the ultimate Big Machine - the Death Star - with a coupé and a sixgun.
Dune is the polar op. posite. Religion has purg ed machinery leaving only The Unable leap forward to a world whose humans collectively control their swore and sorccy icaus backward to the feudal virtues of personal loyalty and honour. The genre is both anticapitalist profoundly reactionary.
In the third volume of the sa, a erbert God Emperor of Dune, LaKeS this to its limit with the three thousand-year rule of the emperor to end emperors: all-seeing, allknowing, a fusion of god human, prophet beast, the ultimate tyrant himself the product of Islamic-style revolution, a desperately DCSS USUC comment on the struggle It is to Herbert's credit that he spent the next two volumes trying to lead his fantasy humans out of this dead-end. God IS over thrown by Love. The gift of propecy is withdrawn.
all-female Bene Gesserit change from an ambiguous, sinister manipulative cult into the guardians of the universe and the true heroines of the epoch, from a feudal, hierarchic guild into a selfsacrificing, plebian democratic party complete with faction fights even splits and fusions.
Escape to the Islamic Hollye ad Wild Weste middle Neither solves our problems here on the real ear th, choice between Han Sola but if faced with or Darwi Odrade, I know what I would opt for. deploring the (personal capacity)
A tew motions call with calls for a Scottish Assembly.
Council, congratulate the important lobby still goes on. support tor the Southern Board's nuclear development programme. Trades Union Congress is being held in Aberdeen from 21 Monday to 26 Friday April. The final agenda consists mainly of motions continuing decline Scotland's industrial base, condemnation of current government legislation in all areas, and many strong statements opposing Tory policy in both the private and public sectors.
positively for mass mobilisations of the Labour Movement against the Tories and Composite E from the NUM commits the STUC to this, linking opposition to the Tories Other motions, such as that from Ayr Trades NUM on its heroic struggle and commit Congress to campaigning for reinstatement of the sacked miners — urging atfiliates to provide maximum financial support. An of the is to be mounted by sacked Scottish miners, linked to a fringe meeting sponsored by the National Justice for Mineworkers Campaign — a reminder to Congress that for some the struggle to defend mining jobs Two EETPU motions are likely to be strongly opposed; one on trade union recruitment which has provoked an amendment from AUEW-TASS criticising the 'one union, no strike' deals, and another motion on energy policy urging uncritical Electricity Only one motion on the North of Ireland appears, pledging opposition to plastic bullets, to the PTA, and to the Emergency Provisions Acts. No mention of the Anglo-Irish accords, removal of British troops or the Anti-Strip Search Campaign A comprehensive motion on South Africa includes calls for increased support for the Anti active support for COSATU, and an investigation (which is long overdue) into alternative areas of investment for Trade Union pension schemes. A motion from Aberdeen and Paisley Trades Council reflects the concerns of the STUC Womens Conference, by resolutions from the WOLICIS COL ference to be taken at Congress, and for creche The STUC General Council are moving a constitutional ammendment which will give the womens section an extra seat on the General Council, although this The year Congress takes place against the background of a steadily declining industrial situation. Gartcosh steelworks has closed, Springburn railway workshop is halfway through its redunDalzell steelworks (another part of the Ravenscraig complex) looks to be next on the chopping block. By the end of the year transport chaos is imminent in Scotland as the consequences of the Transport Act begin to bite.
transport policy there is a joint motion ASLEF and the NUR which is sharply critical of Strathclyde Regional Council's policy regarding public funding of the ever-decreasing rail network. Several lines face grant withdrawal (ie, closure) after the Regional Council elections in May, when a further transport budget will be The current print strike does not get a mention, though it will undoubtedly appear in emergency motions. Neil Kinnock will address the conterence on Wednesday afternoon. The last item on the agenda also promises to be the most controversial - it is a motion from Edinburgh Trades Council
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the spice trade, read the gold
UNIONS THE 89th Annual Conference of the Scottish