I’m in the desert for a few days with our preaching team. Once a year we head off site in order to plan out our sermon series for the next year. God often met with his people in the desert and the wilderness. I’m praying that he will follow suit with us as we try to discern what he would have us teach.
Spending time in Palm Desert made me think about some of these nerdy deserts.
Tatooine
Tusken Raiders. Jawas. Scum and villainy. What more could you ask for? Tatooine is the prototypical desert world. Its arid climate and sandy dunes seem familiar, but its inhabitants couldn’t be more alien. When I was younger I always remember being bored by Tatooine in Episode IV; I couldn’t wait for Luke, Han, Chewie and Ben to make it into outer space. For the planet furthest from the bright center of the universe, Tatooine sure does play an important part in that bright universe. Anakin Skywalker was born there, Luke Skywalker was raised there and Jabba the Hutt maintained his base of operations there. I’m sure plenty of core worlds would have loved to have Tatooine’s pedigree, especially Alderaan because boring is better than destroyed.
Mid World
As I’ve shared before I’m working my way through Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I’m onto the fifth book, but the first book takes place in another desert. In The Gunslinger Roland chases the man in black across an expansive desert, coming across a town of dangerous fanatics and boy who shouldn’t even be there. The desert plays an important part in the story; its massive size and relentless heat gives the reader insight into Roland and his obsessive quest. In The Dark Tower Mid World is made up of more than deserts, but the desert in The Gunslinger is a good introduction to King’s fantasy epic.
The Outback
I started reading comics in the early 90s and ever since then the X-Men have always been my favorite. I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but when it comes to reading comics I stick to the children of the atom. When I started reading Uncanny X-Men, the X-Men were in space fighting for the Shi’ar Empire. They eventually made it back to earth and the Charles Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. Right before I started reading Uncanny X-Men, though, the X-Men were hanging out in the desert outback of Australia. They had faked their deaths and decided to lay low down under. I didn’t read too many of those books, but I know they featured a lot of Gateway and a lot of the Reavers. Lady Deathstrike always freaked me out and I was happy to have missed her main run in the late 80s. I already had trouble falling asleep and I didn’t need her long claws giving me nightmares.
Thankfully Palm Desert isn’t as hot or dangerous as any of the above deserts. It’s actually pretty quiet, pretty developed and full of retired couples.
What are some of your favorite nerdy deserts?
“Dune… Arrakis… Desert Planet.”
When I first read your title this morning, my mouth started watering. I thought we were in for a post about “Nerdy Desserts.” Yum!
(This post was good, too, though!)
It’d take a lot to think of nerdy desserts. I don’t think blue milk and gagh count.
Challenge accepted, sir! http://bit.ly/1Jnm8gX (With thanks and apologies. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery… hope you like it!)
Ceti Alpha V – Star Trek II
Anywhere on Vulcan
And, as a Jesus film nerd,
Idumaea – The Last Temptation of Christ
And, on the desserts note, any time Deanna Troi eats chocolate in TNG, I find it highly unappetizing because all I can think about is the fact that Marina Sirtis hates chocolate so much that, after each take of her eating a bite, she would spit it out.
But, back to Ceti Alpha V, in that film, it recalls for me our separation from Eden, signified by the fact that the area of the world where Eden once was is now a desert. Khan is the serpent, who has been ruling the desert garden for a long time and is bitter and angry.
Ceti Alpha V is a great call. I still remember the dread watching Chekhov and Terrell explore that wasteland.
Ever read Ted Dekker’s The Circle series? If not you really should I think you’d really like him as an author, but there is a desert scene in there where Justin (Jesus reference) comes riding in the desert and is pretty awesome!
I haven’t but my wife has and definitely enjoyed them.