The Bene Gesserit: All these years of careful planning wasted. The Duke's child was meant to be a girl and marry Feyd-Ruatha, uniting the Houses of Harkonnen and Atriedes.
Feyd: yeah but like where's the problem?
Bene Gesserit:
Feyd: I mean I'm not gay but I'll fuck him if that will keep you all quiet for five minutes.
You know what should have happened at some point in Dune books 4-6? Ghola Alia Atreides. This would benefit absolutely nobody in the story and probably make things worse, but think of the potential.
The God-Emperor probably wouldn't have allowed/accepted an Alia ghola because y'know. he saw what happened to the original. But the Scattering would be the perfect time for some Tleilaxu to attempt to recreate her, hopefully without the whole Abomination thing. Let's say they succeed. She appears to be a perfectly normal if rather quick child for a long time, until one day she disappears. Oops, looks like she got her memories back, and she hid that from everybody! Now you have an incredibly skilled and cunning young adult with Bene Gesserit skills in a universe that probably still has some cults here and there worshipping her. The Bene Gesserit themselves are also scattered, and the newly-transforming Honoured Matres are being shaped by outside influences. What does she do? Who knows? Does she want to start another Empire under her control? Does she want to be powerful, feared, revered? Or does she want to just finally live in peace? And what about her Other Memories, have they awakened as well?
Maybe she finds Duncan Idaho (number ????) and they run away and travel together, or she turns the Honored Matres into her own society, or she unifies various cults and reforms her base of power, or she just finds a place where no one knows her and she can finally just be accepted. Regardless, it would be interesting.
BEST KNOWN FOR: Portraying Jason Ione on the action drama series Baywatch Nights; Ronan Dee on the Syfy science fiction series Stargate Atlantis, Khal Drago on the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Throne; Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU); Duncan Idaho in the science fiction film Dune; and Dante Reyes in Fast X.
For about a year, now, I've been wracking my mind on the subject of the latest reconstruction of the extinct holocephalan[1] Helicoprion[2]. By all other accounts the latest reconstruction, which can be viewed below, is the best it's ever been. The iconic Eugeneodontid[3] tooth whorl fits into the jaw in a logical way and lends credence to our present understanding of its diet.
But, as you gaze further posterior, you may notice something queer: no pelvic or anal fins. Now, a not-insignificant number of living chondrichthyes[4] lack anal fins. This is not out of the realm of imagination. But the same cannot be said of the pelvic fins, which aid in control and stabilization and also serve as the girdle for which claspers are attached to in males. All living chondrichthyes possess pelvic fins; from chimaeras like Hydrolagus colliei[5], to sharks like Hexanchus griseus[6], to skates[7] like Raja binoculata[8].
(Hydrolagus colliei)
(Hexanchus griseus)
(Raja binoculata)
So, why are they missing in our latest reconstruction? I made attempts last year to reach out to the researcher responsible for our modern understanding of Helicoprion, Jesse Pruitt (whose lecture on his research set me off on this journey), through LinkedIn, but I never got a response. Looking through my message history, though, the conversation appears to have disappeared, making me wonder if I'd actually sent it at all.
This morning, I tried again. I drafted up my question and reasoning and sent it to Pruitt's LinkedIn and ResearchGate profiles, and I sent it to the Idaho Visualization Laboratory (IVL) which made the Helicoprion model. I had expected considerable delay, but to my mirth, I got a response this afternoon.
On behalf of IVL, Leif Tapanila responded to my email with answers. As it were, other Eugeneodontids from the Carboniferous and Permian periods were preserved better than our Helicoprion specimens. Specimens of Fadenia[9] and Romerodus[10] were preserved very well with full-body imprints in consistent shale rock.
(Fadenia)
(Romerodus)
These imprints lack pelvic fins. Considering their close relation to Helicoprion, this absence was assumed for the visualization. I've inquired after Edestus[11], another Eugeneodontid of the same era, since there are many specimens and imprints, however fragmentary. I have yet to receive an answer, but when I do, I will update this post.
(Edestus)
I was determined to find some oversight, since holocephalan specimens from the Devonian period include pelvic fins in their reconstruction, but it seems the facts have dissolved my suspicions. I wanted to share this with you all, since I cannot edit Wikipedia articles (much to my dismay, as I have learned much and more in my studies of H. griseus that I want to add to its page). This knowledge deserves to be shared, since I find it ponderous.
Until next time,
[1] Subclass of chondrichthyes, containing contemporary chimaeras.
[2] Extinct eugeneodontid. Etymology translates to "Spiral saw"
[3] Order of holocephalan characterized by tooth "whorls" and inability to shed teeth.
[4] Class of chordate (vertebrate) characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton
[5] Chimaera known as the "spotted ratfish"
[6] Hexanchiform known as "bluntnose sixgill shark"
[7] Order of elasmobranch "Rajiformes," adjacent to rays.
[8] Rajiform known as "big skate" (no, really. haha)
[9] Eugeneodontid from the Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic period
[10] Eugeneodontid from the Carboniferous period
[11] Eugeneodontid from the Carboniferous period characterized by its scissor-like teeth and jaws.
Happy February everyone, Todd "Secret Romantic" Brotzman will go on for hours about how Valentine's Day is about capitalist corporate greed but he will also show up at 7pm with a dozen roses and reservations at a candlelit restaurant, and Dirk "Secret Not-So-Romantic" Gently will make eyes over every pink teddy bear in the store but then forget the date.
This a very important art book that NEEDS to be published. It is Sensational Master: The Art of Rafael Gallur. Gallur is a Mexican painter that did covers for Sensacional De Luchas and many more popular Mexican comic books. This book is dangerously close to not being funded on Kickstarter so please, if you love art and think the preservation of obscure forms of the 9th art (comic books) is important, please consider funding this project. You will be glad you did.
The one thing I'll never forgive Brian Herbert for doing is giving Paul a childhood friend. Excuse me sir, that child is clearly a weirdo who can only befriend adults because he's a creepy omniscient Victorian child.
btw we made it back 2 louisiana last night at like 4am. the trip was so much fun you guys, i wish i couldve put all of yall in my pocket and taken yall with me 😴✈️