Delphi, ranks, and SF, oh my!
CSUE@delphi.com
Thu, 10 Jul 1997 10:30:50 -0400 (EDT)
Hi -
Well, first off, there is only *one* mail editor on Delphi, and it's
VAX-VMS-based (I recognize the clunky interface from my early email days in
university) - So if there are aododd characters, not only can I not see
them, I can't help them. Eek! Gotta switch to my Mac-based Qmail at
work for this list...
Yes, I've seen the "ranks" page on the URL you mentioned, months ago.
I agree that there is no sense in having an "army" in space, HOWEVER
both sides in the war also have land-battle specialists (a la
Rosentritters), so it might be appropriate for occupations, etc.
Personally, I don't care, and it seems the author doesn't, either.
He freely mixes ranks from both "classical" rank systems, mixes terms
used in both ("vessel" and "Fleet" from navy, "regiment" and
"batallion (sp?)" from army). Both I and a friend of mine who read
the first book as an editor (he's been in the army) concluded that
Tanaka knows nothing treally about the military. (Most obvious point:
no real commander would be allowed to give the command "run away" to his
troops the way Yang does so often! BIG wrist-slap for that.) So
even asking him would probably not yield any useful insights.
Lastly (and a BIG sore spot to me), yes, Dune is a visually
stunning movie, but the makers of it COMPLETELY MISSED THE POINT.
Herbert wasn't allowed to asysay anything during the release period,
by contract, but his posthumous statement on the matter made it clear that
he did NOT approve of the movie version. (WHAT TV version??) They remade
the movie with extra narration, but it was never a "TV" version").) The
point of Dune was that (and yes, this is appropriate to GHL, don't flame
me!) there ARE no human messiahs. Not MUad'Dib. Not Reinhart, either.
Paul ATreides was NOT the chosen one, and they screwed that up at the
end of the movie. (ack, phoo) Herbert HATED that ending.
I wonder how Tanaka felt when they changed the ending of GHL for
animation? (my reaction: ack, phoo!)
- Sue