RE: Errors in the 'House Atreides' novel

["Christian Gilmore" <cgilmore@research.att.com>]

> 3) Jessica's mother is named as Tanidia Nerus, and nowhere have I seen
> any hint that Gaius Helen Mohiam may be her mother.

That Jessica's mother was named means nothing. The Bene Gesserit hid the
parentage of their Sisters often. RMs who gave birth usually never knew more
of their child ever again.

> 5) You make Liet-Kynes son of Pardot by Frieth sister of Stilgar,
> whereas it is stated in the original Dune novels that he is husband of
> Faroula, sister of Stilgar., and father by her of Chani. Did
> Liet-Kynes
> marry his aunt?
>
> 6) You mention that Guild Navigators undergo a physical transformation
> due to overexposure to melange. However, I never thought that a normal
> human being could mutate into a navigator, but rather that navigators
> had mutated after centuries of exposure to melange.

The assertion in "House Atreides" is valid. The spice taken in such extreme
doses mutates an individual. Navigators live extraordinarily long lives due to
the extreme addiction to the spice. I had always believed the mutation took
much longer than House Atreides suggests, but who is to say?

> I hope you will find my remarks pertinent, but I feel strongly that
> because of such details, your novels may never make it to
> canon status.

Well... They may never make it to canon status simply because Frank Herbert
didn't write them. Such is at least part of the reason that the Dune
Encyclopedia is not canon. There are plenty of contradictions in the original
six books, such as the various birthdates of Shaddam IV. That everything is
not exactly a match to the original sextet of books should not necessarily
detract from the debate of whether "House Atreides" is or is not canon.

There are other minor details that are mistaken in "House Atreides"... For
instance, I don't recall Duncan ever being in the service of House Atreides
until some point after House Ginaz fell to House Moritani in a War of
Assassins. Wasn't Gurney Halleck the individual that was saved from the slave
pits of House Harkonnen?

Regards,
Christian

-----------------
Christian Gilmore
Senior Technical Staff Member
AT&T Labs IP Technology, Florham Park
cgilmore@research.att.com
http://www.research.att.com/info/cgilmore

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