1 - Ever seen the "Beer is the mindkiller" parody? There's one version here:

http://www.arachnyd.com/david/litany.html

There are almost certainly other versions. On the topic of Dune parodies, have you seen the episode of Billy and Mandy's Grim Adventures that contains a sly Dune parody?

For readers who haven't encountered this cartoon before the main characters are Billy, Mandy, and Grim. Billy and Mandy are just kids, but Grim is a skeleton in a black robe. He's got a scythe too. It's not clear if he is The Grim Reaper or just a grim reaper, but he's definitely got Powers. The cartoon's artwork is reminiscent of Ren and Stimpy, though I didn't check the credits to see if there's some connection.

Anyway, one hot summer day Billy and Mandy are bored and can't think of anything fun to do. So Grim suggests they use his crystal ball to look into the future. They look thousands of years into the future and see the following. The future Mandy has transformed herself into a giant worm/slug in order to gain immortality and rule the world. She's got hundreds of clone Billys growing in jars so that there's a replacement ready to hand when one dies. Future Billy seems to do this a lot. (Billy and future Billy are not too bright). Grim is one of Mandy's servants but doesn't like it at all. He conspires with the Resistance, but they need to discover the polar opposite of cinnamon* before their plan to overthrow Mandy can succeed. I'll stop there so as not to spoil the plot for any of you who get a chance to view it for yourselves.

Remind you of "God-Emperor" of Dune at all? I wonder if this is a one-shot or if they've done similar things with other SF classics? I'm awed that the creators managed to do this. There's no possible way any kid could be getting the parody that's been slipped in here.

*remember that melange is described, if memory serves, as being a complex taste containing notes of cinnamon.

2 - @Raj - the book is out of print (it is very old). But you should be able to get it through Amazon, either new or used.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/039951466X/lotusgeek-20

Rock

3 - Out of interest - if the book of quotes you mention available on Amazon ?

I'm a huge Dune fan too (although I have to admit the new stuff doesn't seem as good IMHO).

Cheers,
Raj.

4 - I'm guessing salt considering she's a worm/slug type thing and salt will, of course, kill her.

5 - My Counterstrike handle was "Duncan Idaho" :)

I just finished The Machine Crusade last week, and I have to say I was rather disappointed. The story is ok, but the writing style is TERRIBLE. A far cry from the depths of the original series.

By the way, you should definitely check out Herbert's other work. Any of the stuff with the "Bureau of Sabotage" is fantastic.

6 - If anyone is looking for a good read, I thoroughly recommend the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman. Apart from being truly gripping stories, these books also explore some fascinating theories (parallel universes, dark matter, religion, etc). These are the best books that I have read in years !!!

7 - Dune ROCKS. In high school I couldn't decide between particle physicist or Planetary Ecologist as a career path. In the end, of course, I did neither.

8 - what is the polar opposite of cinnamon?