Technophobic Parallels - Dune and BSG

Television, Movies Games and Books Other Science Fiction
#1

What are your thoughts on the technophobic parallels between Dune and BSG?

Both had a sentient machine uprising in their past causing wariness of computers/technology. The Dune machine uprising enslaved humanity, the BSG machine uprising wanted to wipe humanity out completely.

In the Dune 'verse drug-enhanced human supercomputers (Mentats) are used instead of computer systems.

In the Dune 'verse interstellar travel (space folding) is achieved with hideously Spice mutated humans of The Guild, not computer systems.

In BSG jumps were plotted by humans assisted by computers.

In the Dune 'verse even the hunter/seeker was human controlled, which would have been a MUCH more efficient weapon were it automated.

I suppose one could argue that the attitude of the BSG 'verse wasn’t “computer BAD”, but “networked computer BAD”. Of course computers were used to pilot ships, communicate, and control weapons systems in Dune as well, they just couldn’t pull the trigger without input from a human.

My knowledge of Dune is lacking, I’ve only seen the movie and read a couple books. There may be more detail available that I’m not aware of.

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#2

Machines becoming sentient and turning on their human creators is very common in science fiction. Or even more basically, the ‘perils’ of advanced technology. Im curious to see how this changes as our real world level of tech approaches what we’ve seen in a lot of sci-fi in the past.

#3

I think in both cases it’s interesting to note that the message seems to be that there is not much difference in the end. In the BSG-verse the Cylons are often more human than the humans are. In Dune they prohibit thinking machines but then create Mentats (human computers) which are just as capable of making cold, calculated decisions.

Since my computer still asks if I am sure every time I delete a file I think we are a long way away from either future.