Warning : Not Very Coherent

Warning : not very coherent

I so badly wanted the slow extinction of fremen culture in dune messiah and children of dune to be an examination on how the colonial rule destroy indigenous way of life and fuck up the local ecosystem causing untold damages for the sake of "modern development" when its actually just a mindless chase for profits. But I know its not. There were some bit of writing that pointed in that direction (how terraforming destroys the habitat of desert animals, especially the worms, gradual loss of knowledge on water discipline, how riding the sandworms becomes rarer and rarer) but overall, it doesnt seem like its what frank hebert actually wanted to say.

From the first book, the fremen is seen as 'noble' or special because the harsh conditions of Arrakis made them into a society of honor with the strength and battle prowess that rivaled the sardaukar. The sardaukars were defeated by them because they've gotten too confident and comfortable from constantly winning. In dune messiah, we see the fremen slowly undergoing through the same thing as their planet becomes less harsh. The fact was regularly noted by people who went through the sietch days and somehow, its all they care about. Feeling resentment over how the new generations are weak and waterfat. Cultural things like music, communal gatherings, camaraderie, were all treated like a footnote. There was a scene in dune messiah where a veteran, Farok was complaining about living in suburban houses instead of the caves. IRL, suburban houses on a desert climate took so much to maintain. It's expensive. It wastes water, power that are currently sourced by burning fossil fuels, and it kills the local ecosystem. It also promotes loneliness because people are separated in tiny family units. There is a lot of plot potential in there. But in the book, its merely a rant that describes how Farok wanted the old ways without specifying why and how it was better for him and fremen as a whole. Meanwhile in dune it was specified how awful living in the old days are. And then of course, a part of why Paul had his downfall was because the fremen thinks its disappointing that theyre not brutal savages trained by the desert and a fear of the shai-hulud anymore

It's a wasted opportunity! The book wants you to believe the old ways of the fremen are better, but all it focuses on is how better living conditions makes them soft. They resent not sacrificing virgins and leaving blind people to die. The things they lost that the book narratively cares about is the things that aids the Atreides and their empire, not the things that makes the fremen who they are (communal living in the sietch, solidarity, appreciation for the environment).

Despite being glorified, the fremen is not treated like people. Their way of life is universally seen as best for the planet, but there is no sincere examination on why it actually works for the fremen. And the book suffers because of it. In the end, the fremen is merely a placeholder for frank hebert to spout his weird beliefs about survival of the fittest instead of a story about indigenous culture. My friend, you were so close but you missed it!