June 2019 Recommended Reading/Viewing

[Coír Draoi Ceítien]

Once again, we're halfway through the year now (or at least we will be once the month ends). I've been thinking for some time about what I'm going to recommend, and while I hade an idea originally, it was connected to my original reading list, and that didn't go as planned. Considering that by this point I've tried to establish a base for science fiction, I thought I might go that route, though I'll also add some fantasy for good measure.


Reading: Dune (1965) by Frank Herbert

Hailed by many as the greatest science fiction novel ever written (a lofty claim), this Hugo-winning novel is an epic of worldbuilding and interplanetary politics told with overtones of traditional fantasy, made with the subtle intent of subverting the monomyth. Paul Atreides, heir to the Duchy of Caladan, finds himself thrust into hostile territory when the imperial Padishah Emperor grants his family an important fief of jurisdiction: the arid desert planet Arrakis, colloquially known as Dune, sole source in the universe of the addictive spice mélange upon which commerce and economy are based. When they find themselves betrayed and nearly exterminated by their eternal rivals, the brutal Harkonnens, Paul and his mother seek refuge amongst the mysterious native Fremen people, where he begins to discover that he may be both a genetic superman made from years of selective breeding and the Fremen's fabled messiah destined to usher in a universal jihad. A masterpiece of soft sci-fi, it's the best-selling novel in the genre and a must-read for storytellers.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Dune-Chronicles-Book-1/dp/0441013597/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1559353300&sr=1-1
Mass Market: https://www.amazon.com/Dune-Frank-Herbert/dp/0441172717/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1559353300&sr=1-1
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Dune-Frank-Herbert-ebook/dp/B00B7NPRY8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1559353300&sr=1-1



Viewing: The Seventh Seal (Ingmar Bergman, 1957)

A perennial film school/arthouse favorite, this is the story of a stalwart knight and his cynical squire who return to Sweden from the Crusades in the midst of the Black Death. As the knight begins to question his faith and search for meaning in life, he encounters Death himself, whom he challenges to a chess game in order to prolong his life and find his answers. During the trek to the knight's castle, he and his squire encounter many walks of life, all of whom have found some purpose amidst the carnage, which leads to the knight wishing to make one meaningful deed before the end. This film, expertly and artistically shot, brought the director international fame and is even listed among the Vatican's 1995 list of 45 significant films contributing to religion, values, and art. A treasure for any era, it warrants much discussion to this day.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Seventh-Seal-Criterion-Collection/dp/B001WLMOL4/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1559355667&sr=1-2
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Seventh-Seal-Criterion-Collection-Blu-ray/dp/B001WLMOG4/ref=tmm_mfc_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1559355667&sr=1-2
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B004D797D2/ref=pd_cbs_318_3



I hope I've made good choices. I'll see you all next month!