.H.

This series of blog posts has been posted on the board numerous times, but I guess some might not have come across it before, but it covers the trope that the Freman seem to operate under pretty well.

19 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

The person saying “This Prophecy is how they enslave us” is really interesting… I don’t recall that from any of the books.

Yeah, the word "prophecy" is used 21 times in the first book, three of which are in the appendix or glossary.  Of the remaining, eight are from Irulan's aphorisms (of whatever you call those chapter headings) and none are someone saying it in that line's context.  The word prophecy is only used four times in Dune Messiah and never with anyone actually saying it as dialogue.  It is used twice in Children of Dune, again, never as dialogue.  Also twice in God Emperor of Dune, once as dialogue.

Looks like it is made up whole cloth.  But I think it's likely a good one.

3 minutes ago, Maithanet said:

I mean, trading away a ton of draft capital and pinning all your hopes on an injury prone 39 year old was always a pretty big risk.  There's a reason other teams didn't really want him. 

Yeah, it was a high risk, high (possible) reward move and, of course, they pretty much got maximally punished for it.  Like I said though, this is nothing new, it's actually the expectation one should have as a Jets fan.

Just now, Fez said:

Although, this does open the slimmest possible window of Tom Brady dressing up as a Jet, which would be objectively hilarious.

I'd personally rather another lifetime of losing as opposed to that.

I want to say it's unbelievable, but as a Jets fan, this is actually the most believable thing possible.

Bakker has mentioned being inspired by Tolkien, then Herbert.  He's never, as far as I remember, explicitly called out the parallels, but it's a little hard to not find them really.  At least to me.

As for why to include them in the series?  Well, I think it's supposed to be some body-horror, plus it highlights just how monstrous the Dûnyain project really is.  And it likely is also meant to highlight how notional "intentionality" has demonstrable results on Eärwa (much like how sorcery does as well).

I'm still not sure just how well it "works," per se, but I think those are likely some of the points of it.

On 6/8/2023 at 8:07 PM, JGP said:

And you know what, unlike before, after the magnificence that was Serwa I’d loooooooooove to hear Bakker’s reasoning behind the Whale Mothers now.

Have you read the whole Dune series?  (As in, the one's written by Herbert.)

8 minutes ago, DaveSumm said:

Ark Nova has some fairly mean cards, my wife and I use the solo mode alternatives printed at the bottom as a non-mean option.

Yeah, I think we will very likely do the same.  Especially since it is going to just be two of us, not much sense in doing much take-that with that few of players.

2 minutes ago, HokieStone said:

I've known Max Jamelli, designer of Lords of Baseball (along with his dad) for quite a while now, and been following the LoB saga since the early days.  It's been quite a ride to get the game published - nearly 10 years.  They've been through a number of publishers.  It's really a labor of love for them, and I'm glad to see it finally having success.  I paid the extra to have my picture on one of the cards - first time I've ever done anything like that!

Yeah, a pretty wild journey to get it published there.  I actually misunderstood the tiers and sort of overbacked, but I decided to not lower it, even though I have no realistic expectation of finding 7 more people to play it with me.  The upgraded components ought to be decent quality, so the more the merrier I guess.

7 minutes ago, HokieStone said:

Ark Nova is an interesting game - the comparisons to Terraforming Mars are apt - although I know some folks who don't like TM that did enjoy AN.  Generally they feel that the card luck is less swingy in AN, although it's still there.

Yeah, it seems to be to be sort of akin to TM in some ways, but since it tends to get brought up in conversations as somewhat like both TM and Underwater Cities I think there is a fair chance it might be one my wife actually likes, since TM is her favorite game and Underwater Cities is another she likes.  In any case I got it on sale, so I feel it will likely be worth it even if we only play it a few times.  I know that some people really don't like the "multiplayer solitaire" way it plays most of the time, but my wife hates people messing with her stuff in games, so it works well for us.

8 hours ago, Corvinus85 said:

One of my favorite strategy video games will become a board game. https://homm3boardgame.com/

1.2 million on the first day.  I figured it would be popular, but that sure is something.

Not for me though, I did back Lords of Baseball and Unconscious Minds though.  And I have Ark Nova being delivered tomorrow, which I am keen to maybe try out this weekend.

First day and change of free agency, lots of big signings, too many to list.

Of course, the Islanders have literally done nothing.  Can't wait for a week from now for them to overpay to resign someone so we that have the same team as last year, only worse.

18 hours ago, Larry of the Lake said:

I think it's a Sheyic vs Kuniuric(?) thing:

Ah, yeah, I do recall something like that.  But as was pointed out, I don't think that "rule" is applied consistently was all I was getting at.  This sort of thing does happen in real languages, I think, but I also recall Bakker once saying that part of the inconsistency just comes from moving from different versions of things in different drafts over the years.  Or, maybe I just imagine he said that, I don't know, I am old and can't recall things like I used to.

On 7/3/2022 at 1:32 PM, One-Winged Balrog said:

Does the existence of Cishaurim imply the possibility of Transhaurim?

Unfortunately not, since it explicitly indicated the existence of the Indara-Kishauri.  C's and K's are always in an odd place for Bakker without much rhyme or reason.

5 hours ago, One-Winged Balrog said:

Trying to find meaninglessness in a meaningful world?

Bakker explicitly said this is the case, yes (way back in 2005 actually).  (My bolding to highlight the quote, but include the context too.)

Quote

That was where the original idea for the ‘Kellhus meme’ came from – I think. The next step in his evolution came with my readings of Theodor Adorno. The dominant tradition in mainstream literature is to depict protagonists stranded in a potentially meaningless world trying to find some kind of compensatory meaning – usually through some conception of ‘love.’ You’ve literally seen this pattern countless times. Kellhus offered me an opportunity to turn this model on its head. What makes fantasy distinct is that the worlds depicted tend to be indisputably meaningful – in a sense that’s what makes them fantastic! I thought to myself, what would a story of a protagonist stranded in a meaningful world struggling to hold onto meaninglessness look like?

Thus the ‘Prince of Nothing’ was born. Now he’s spreading, reproducing…

 

4 hours ago, One-Winged Balrog said:

Bakker is closer to 40K than appears at first glance, being a huge pile of inconsistent philosophy

In what sense?  Granted, I am biased by my general Hegelianism, but given Bakker's Derridian roots, I think the inconsistency of Earwan metaphysics is very deliberate.  And, at this point, I am generally convicted that we ought to be rejecting Dualistic or Monistic thinking about it all, instead trying to think Dialectically, when and where ever possible.  Not that this is going to "solve" things, but, in a Hegelian Absolute Knowing sense, at lease move us closer to what is more likely to be the case.

11 hours ago, Nictarion said:

Old is the key word here. And that’s on Lou. He’s the one that brought in guys like Chara, Greene, Parise, and Palmieri. Bringing back his own former players after they were over the hill was another go-to Lou move in NJ. 

Personally, I think firing Trotz was a terrible decision. He’s one of the best coaches in the league. I wish the Devils would move on from Ruff, and hire Trotz. But he’ll probably end up in Philly now, which would suck. 

Indeed, can't help but agree.  As an Islander fan, we know better than the expect anything besides the worst.

39 minutes ago, Nictarion said:

I see Lou Lamoriello is back to his old ways. He used to fire coaches on a whim in NJ. He fired Claude Julien one year heading into the playoffs while the Devils were in 1st place. 

Yeah, I don't quite get it.  My only guess would that they did not like they way Trotz was coaching the younger players, notably Wahlstrom and Bellows this year, although probably others too.  The team played horribly, old and flat-footed, for most of the year.  They are going to need to younger kids to come up and play, but I guess Lou thinks they can't really do that if Trotz is benching them for entire games, or stretches of them, for mistakes.  Granted, I am no coach and I have no idea if Trotz was doing "the right thing" (frankly, he probably was correct) but it is the only thing I can think of for why they would be cutting ties right now, because they likely will sign exactly zero known quantities as free agents (like usual).

Some people have heard from him (not me) but no idea if/when he wants to return to blogging/online stuff.  I am pretty sure the pandemic has not been kind to him/his family, but I don't know what exactly is up.  There is/was some circumstantial evidence that some things might be going on, with respect to the series, but there is no way to confirm this, realistically.

2 hours ago, Arakan said:

The 2nd Apocalypse is magnum opus territory and sometimes I wish he would start writing it now, with almost 50 and all the knowledge, wisdom and experience one accumulates with age.

Sure, I mean, it's not perfect.  But I am not terribly upset with what we got.  I still think it is more interesting to me than most fiction I come across.  Still, I'm fairly sure even Bakker himself would say he wishes some parts came out better.

That's part of what makes the follow up series potentially interesting in their own way, since he admitted he would be treading something like new territory.  I get that there is plenty of reason for pessimism, but I do think he is writing and I think he's just had a rough Pandemic-time lately.  We can only wait and see though.

4 minutes ago, Arakan said:

It is over-analyzing and the text simply doesn’t justify it.

Probably, but personally, if I can't over-analyze something, honestly I don't find it interesting enough to give much attention.  A totally straight-forward, unambiguous, and clear thing seems like the least interesting thing I can think of.  Which, of course, is why I read far more Continental philosophy than physics books (or even fiction).  In the end, I am not exactly sure if I care too much if something is there in the phenomenological sense or the noumenal sense, interesting ideas are interesting.  If there was an Absolute/Objective manner of reading/writing, there would only be one book worth reading (the one which the Correct View).  Maybe it's just that I personally lack a rigorous theory of justification, or again, maybe some personal defect or psychosis, if you like.

14 minutes ago, Arakan said:

Good books, PON even outstanding in parts, but not more.

I mean, I agree, but I guess some might think I have a different view than this?  So be it, but it's never been the case.  I do find them more interesting than most fiction I try though, still.  (But again, I don't read much fiction now, as I find few that appeal to me (no, not an Objective value statement, just personal preference)).

17 minutes ago, Arakan said:

And if we’re speaking about philosophical aspects, I am constantly missing the most important name of all when it comes to Earwa: Mister Schopenhauer. 

I think it is likely that Bakker read Schopenhauer, but I haven't as much as I should, probably because I tend to find Idealism a bit more interesting, personally.  One of these days, just wish I actually knew German.

2 hours ago, sologdin said:

it does seem familiar, yes--we can be hegelian about it, or it could be a germanic preference for faustian metaphors drawn from goethe--two souls war within my breast, &c..  he's coming out of husserlian phenomenology.  some essays here.  husserl kinda loathed hegel, but that's not to say that he wasn't influenced by some of hegel's more enduring ideas.

Yeah, I mean, I personally just find Hegel interesting.  But there are some lines one can draw back to Bakker, from the Husserl to Heidegger line (who both "fought" Hegel in some sense), to Derrida (the 3rd opening quote is from Hegel in Of Grammatology) and Foucault (with the famous line: "A large part of my indebtedness is to Jean Hyppolite. I know that, for many, his work is associated with that of Hegel, and that our age, whether through logic or epistemology, whether though Marx or through Nietzsche, is attempting to flee Hegel....But truly to escape Hegel involves an exact appreciation of the price we have to pay to detach ourselves from him. It assumes that we are aware of the extent to which Hegel, insidiously perhaps, is close to us; it implies a knowledge, in that which permits us to think against Hegel, of that which remains Hegelian. We have to determine the extent to which our anti-Hegelianism is possibly one of his tricks directed against us, at the end of which he stands, motionless, waiting for us.")

Coincidentally (i.e. not at all, to me) Heidegger, Derrida and Foucault are all named by Bakker as influences.  In my head-canon though, Hegel is the unnamable influence, too large to be spoken explicitly.  Surely though, as always, this says more about me than it does about tSA, Bakker, Hegel, or hermeneutics most probably.

46 minutes ago, sologdin said:

less derrida than iser or bakhtin.

Ah, ok, was not familiar (I'm still looking more into Hegel than anything else, personally), but a quick look seems to clear up what you seem to have been getting at.  I think I'd generally agree, even though it is still odd, to me, that these things seem to really bother people where it didn't bother me at all.  But, I already knew I am an odd person, so I'm sure this says more about me than anything else.

"Funny" enough, Iser's wiki has this line: "However, these gaps cannot be filled arbitrarily, but through interpretive limits given in the text by an author. Iser finds this experience to be the breakdown of the subject-object division, in that "text and reader no longer confront each other as object and subject, but instead the 'division' takes place within the reader himself".  Rings a bit familiar...

12 hours ago, sologdin said:

this means that the nuances are there to the extent that readers created those significances--that the official narrative didn't follow up on those nuances may or may not be a weakness.

There is no outside-text, right?  If I follow where you are going, that is.

21 minutes ago, IFR said:

But I suppose I'll leave it at that. It seems there is not an explanation of this event forthcoming, and we are instead left to our inferences. And while I'm not wild about this, it certainly doesn't ruin the books for me.

I think you are going to be disappointed in any and all reification of the "event."  But that way well be the entire point, in an of itself, an Event in the Badiou sense, being a radical rupture, not something continuous with things before and after.  I wouldn't worry about "literalist" takes (which are, in themselves a joke, to me), just keep your interpretation in mind and go on to the next series if it interests you.

On 5/31/2021 at 8:14 AM, IFR said:

2) When Kellhus is conversing with his father, Kellhus states that Moenghus is operating on incomplete information and that if the Dunyain knew what Kellhus knew, they would join the Consult. What is the source of Kellhus' stance? Is it the fact that while Moenghus would doubtless be aware of the non-Psukhe magic stated to have a mark of damnation, he would not have the understanding of its meaning which accompanies witnessing it (the darkness that comes of an otherworldly origin)?

Kellhus is Dunyain too.  Debatably more so than Moe.  But, Moe states not that the Outside or the gods are not real, but that the Outside is merely a reflection of the Inside and that nothing (in his estimation) violates the Principle of Before and After.  It's not a question of existence, it's a question of meaning, that is, does the Outside matter?  Moe draws Kellhus to him through the contrivance of the Thousand-fold Thought, so he really doubts anything matters aside the practical (Principle of Before and After and so just the Inside, no Outside).

On 5/31/2021 at 8:14 AM, IFR said:

Or is it something to do with Kellhus' revelation during the Circumfix?

Yes, it does have to do with that, in my opinion, but you'd likely be "better off" reading the next series before tackling that question, again, in my opinion.