Greatness is a transitory experience. It is never consistent. It depends in part upon the myth-making imagination of humankind. The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the myth he is in. He must reflect what is projected upon him. And he must have a strong sense of the sardonic. This is what uncouples him from the belief in his own pretensions. The sardonic is all that permits him to move within himself. Without this quality, even occasional greatness will destory a man.

–from “Collected Sayings of Muad’Dib” by the Princess Irulan

This is from the famous sci-fi book Dune by Frank Herbert. As soon as I read this, Shah Rukh Khan came to my mind. He seemed to fit the saying like a glove!

The book is wonderful, in the same classic league as LOTR and HP. Though it was apparently published in 1965, it feels very fresh. The sandworms are so awesome, something crying out loud for a Hollywood remake with all the latest effects! (The TV series looks pretty good too) The significance of water for the Fremen feels remarkably like something that is hovering on the horizon for us, given the acute water shortage we are facing. A very engrossing and vivid book. Now I shall have to hunt for the sequels.