Scholar of Frank Herbert's science fiction series
#Dune
. Author of "Adaptations of Dune", "Frank Herbert's Dune: A Critical Companion", and other works.
👁️Each Dune adaptation made sure to feature the blue eyes of the Fremen, but took a different approach. David Lynch’s film used rotoscoping & an optical technique to turn just the whites of eyes blue (though this effect was not consistently applied to zoomed-out Fremen shots). /1
Every Dune adaptation faced production challenges. For Dune: Part One, shooting on location in the Middle East sometimes meant filming at 3am to capture the sunrise and avoid the extreme heat of the day. /1
John Harrison’s Dune miniseries used UV contact lenses & special cameras to make eyes appear blue, sometimes glowing. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part One had subtle blue CGI tinting that kept variations in actors’ natural eye colors so the effect wasn't the same for each person. /2
My article on Chani is out!
Chani and the Empowered Woman Stereotype in
#Dune
: Part Two: No Family, No Faith, Just Fight. Chani's portrayal in the 'Dune' movies eliminates key roles she held in the book, reducing her agency and depth as a character.
Dune: Part One's opening is completely different from the book. Instead of beginning with Princess Irulan’s writings or starting on the Atreides’ home of Caladan with Paul, Lady Jessica, & Reverend Mother Mohiam, the film opens with a prologue voiced by Chani set on Arrakis. /1
Pleased to announce my book on women in
#Dune
has been published! Women’s Agency in the Dune Universe: Tracing Women’s Liberation through Science Fiction is the first major study of female characters in Frank Herbert’s book series. Press release here:
In the book, a spice-rich diet causes the eyes of the Fremen and others on Arrakis to turn partially or fully blue. Those of the deep desert have blue-on-blue eyes without any white. Likely recognizing that fully adhering to this description would make characters look like /3
The voice-overs in David Lynch’s Dune don’t work for everybody, but they do replicate the inner thoughts of characters from the book. Readers of Dune build a connection with the characters in part because they can directly hear their concerns and how they’re processing events.
The only Dune adaptation to feature the Atreides’ banquet scene is the 2000 television miniseries. In the book, the banquet represents an opportunity for the Atreides family to get the lay of the land and discover the political agendas and allegiances of groups operating on /1
"Dune: Part Two’s Treatment of Women is an Abomination"
I couldn’t wait until my next book project to write down my initial thoughts about what I find to be a disappointing portrayal of the Bene Gesserit in
#Dune
: Part Two.
In David Lynch’s Dune, Paul drinks the Water of Life out on the open sand surrounded by Chani and other Fremen, instead of secretly ingesting it and falling into a coma that Chani has to save him from. Multiple sandworms appear but hold back and don’t attack, and Paul realizes /1
My chapter on women in the
#Dune
series has been published in the reference work The Routledge Companion to Gender and Science Fiction. It was a challenge to write such a brief essay on one of my fav topics, but I got there in the end.
aliens and obscure their expressions, filmmakers kept some white or lighter shades in the eyes. This maintained the distinctive look of the Fremen on screen. 👀🔵
~From Adaptations of Dune, available now in paperback, ebook, and audiobook at
/4
Why are the closing lines of
#Dune
considered so problematic?🤨 Rather than ending on Paul’s fight or accession, the book closes with a Bene Gesserit explaining how women will have love & influence such that their official political title won’t matter.
The Dune miniseries includes a waterfall flowing under Paul’s feet when he prepares to take back Arrakis with the Fremen. This is not from the book and risks the audience thinking Paul has become a god who can control the elements of the earth /1
Looking across the three Dune adaptations, the later two riff off of the Guild ship design in David Lynch’s 1984 film.
Lynch’s ship is a long, gray, tubular vessel.
The miniseries’ ship appears similar but has a fragmented, puzzle-like look. /1
If
#Dune
: Part Two has piqued your interest about the Bene Gesserit, check out my article on their many skills and the real-world influences on their characters, including religion, language and linguistics, and psychology.
Pretty impressive women!
Which of the cast and crew in Dune: Part One had read Herbert’s book?
Several had read and loved it since they were teenagers, incl director Denis Villeneuve, co-writer Jon Spaihts (
@jonspaihts
), composer Hans Zimmer (
@HansZimmer
), and actor David Dastmalchian (Piter de Vries)./1
Which of the cast and crew in Dune (1984) had read the book?
Not being a science fiction fan,
@DAVID_LYNCH
only read Dune after accepting the project to direct Dune (1984). He appreciated it was less about spaceships and more about believable characters and depth. /1
This is scary - science fiction has already warned us about this path.
Researcher makes argument for axlotl tanks in
#Dune
, that ‘brain-dead’ women could be used for whole body gestational donation, or artificial wombs. (Spoiler for later Dune novels.)
Most of the conflict and fighting in
#Dune
happens 'off-page' - Herbert was interested in zooming in on the human psyche and people in relation to their environment, not epic space battles or an immense galaxy. Even the closing sandworm charge only merits a few sentences.
The Dune miniseries adaptation worked around the budgetary constraints of not filming in a real desert by using cinematographer Vittorio Storaro’s Translites system to create unique desert backdrops on the soundstages in Prague. /1
I’m counting down to the
#Dunemovie
US release with selections from my
#Dune
blog and articles from the past year (mostly about the awesome Bene Gesserit) and a fun recipe for watch parties on the final day!
#sciencefiction
#Dune2021
My article “Spice and Ecology in Herbert’s
#Dune
” has just been published in Science Fiction Studies. I explore spice’s role in world-building & ecology, and basis in real-world contexts like spice trade, counterculture, psychology, & Middle East politics.
Which of the cast and crew in the miniseries Frank Herbert’s Dune had read the book?
Director John Harrison had read it in college and actor William Hurt (Duke Leto Atreides) had read it in the late ‘60s/early ‘70s. Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and actors Giancarlo /1
So the crazy woman trope..
This also allowed for Jessica’s role to be expanded, Spaihts says. “It left Jessica talking to a kind of phantom...walking through the Fremen world in an apparent madness, talking to someone who wasn’t there..we loved the drama"
One of my favorite quotes from Dune is when Jessica tells Thufir he hasn't yet been dismissed using the Voice, and he has a big WTF moment as he realizes how much invisible power she has. Herbert's use of internal perspectives really shines in these moments.
#MemoriesfromArrakis
There’s just a month to go until the release of my next book, Adaptations of
#Dune
: Frank Herbert's Story on Screen!
This study of the film and TV adaptations explores how faithful they are to the original through features like story, script, setting, & characters. Stay tuned!
Except for the part about the Bene Gesserit killing with the Voice, which they don't do, this article presents an interesting overview of music inspired by
#Dune
through the years.
The ebook version of my new
#Dune
book is now available as an instant PDF download, as are abstracts of each chapter.
I'll post whenever there's a Palgrave sale this year for those who missed the holiday discount.🪙
@schelle017
@DuneNewsNet
Unfortunate that that’s all you took from her multi-faceted character in the book. For an actual ‘just the wife character’ with about three lines of dialogue and zero development, see other SF like Isaac Asimov’s Foundation book.
This change temporarily reorients the perspective characters and provides a concrete reason for the animosity between the Harkonnen and the Fremen, but means that the first scene taken more directly from the book doesn't happen until nearly 15 minutes in. /3
Bady's article in
@Slate
makes some valid points about the simplification of the new Dune adaptations but falls into a similar trap of oversimplifying Herbert & overlooking the novel's ~lack~ of explanations that make it a great example of world-building in science fiction. /1
Me, watching Dune a second time, shaking my head so everyone knows I'm not enjoying Frank Herbert's reactionary refusal of progressive futurism and fatalistic embrace of villainy that is a proxy for the desire to do atrocity:
he has tapped into a great power to control his environment. This major change was likely due to the film’s running time being shortened, but instead of condensing events from the book, it substantially alters them. /2
The cast and crew of David Lynch’s Dune (1984) were real troopers in the face of a host of production challenges while filming in Mexico City.
One location had been a former garbage site cleared of carcasses, bones, and broken glass yet still smelling of rotting flesh. /1
their new planet of Arrakis. The miniseries includes a condensed version showing Jessica’s political intelligence, Liet-Kynes’ scientific nature, and off-worlders’ hostile attitude toward the Fremen and desert. The scene highlights the tenuous nature of the Atreides’ position. /2
How faithful are the three screen adaptations of
#Dune
to Frank Herbert’s book? Which cast and crew members read it? What challenges did each production face?
As we count down to Dune: Part Two, follow along as I post a daily snippet from my new book Adaptations of Dune.
My latest article in
@reactormag
(formerly
@tordotcom
) explores features that were faithful or not so much in the
#Dune
adaptations, and includes a comparison of the three. Based on my new book, Adaptations of Dune.
Coming Soon! Chairdogs: The Cultural Implications of Living Furniture in the Dune Universe
If you haven’t made it to the 5th book, Heretics of Dune, you’re missing out. 😉
The ambiguity of Dune the novel is part of what makes it open to multiple interpretations, allows for rigorous discussions about its deeper layers and political messages, and elevates it to literature. And keeps it relevant and interesting decades after its publication! /6
like in the ending of Lynch’s Dune where rain falls. But this seeming miracle does help the miniseries show the religious aspect of Paul’s leadership and why the Fremen are more willing to follow him. /2
Cast and crew also encountered sandstorms and high winds. For director Denis Villeneuve, this was worth it to avoid green screens as much as possible.
~From Adaptations of Dune, available now in paperback, ebook, and audiobook at
/2
Chani sets the scene for the conflict over spice on this desert world, before the film cuts to Paul awakening from a dream about her and going to breakfast with his mother, and other added scenes like the changing of the fief ceremony. /2
New article in
@Variety
by
@shararehdrury
on
#DunePartTwo
and its treatment of Middle Eastern and North African elements and Islamic culture, casting, and the missed opportunity to adapt Herbert's
#Dune
in a way that involved and represented marginalized communities.
Thanks to everyone who's reading a copy of my new book Adaptations of Dune!
If you’re enjoying it, I’d so appreciate it if you’d take a minute to leave a review on Amazon to help others discover it. 🙏
I’m on a much-awaited trip to the US (and first time in NYC) and saw a young man on the subway reading a paperback copy of Heretics of Dune. What a delight!
He was apparently so absorbed he almost missed his stop too. 😄
The ornithopters in Dune: Part One bring to life these vehicles modeled on nature. In the book, ornithopters are described as aircraft that beat their wings like birds do and hum like drowsy insects. The film takes inspiration from this and makes them into large machines that /1
Pleased to announce my book Frank Herbert's Dune: A Critical Companion has been published! This scholarly study brings together old & new approaches to this classic science fiction novel. Support me by purchasing through my affiliate link🙏
Just back from the
#DuneMovie
exclusive preview. Great experience, especially enjoyed:
✔️Depiction of the Voice
✔️Ornithopters
✔️Sandworm
✔️Spice
✔️Paul's visions
✔️Thufir's Mentat processing
✔️Hans Zimmer mentioning powerfulness and richness of female characters
#Dune
#Dune2021
I've just submitted the manuscript for my next book on
#Dune
. It has to go through the cogs of review, etc., but it's a relief to have completed this stage. Frees me up for some new projects!
Dune is a great world-building novel because it doesn’t try to explain everything. It allows readers to fill in the details themselves with their imagination. Herbert barely mentions fights, battles, the atomic explosion. He cares about how characters react, what they think. /5
Also, the author claims that the Dune novel “explains everything” and that “Herbert soaks us in details, anything and everything…” Actually, Herbert leaves a lot w/o explanation. Instead he uses names and other devices to give clues about factions like Guild & Bene Gesserit. /3
It’s off! My next Dune book manuscript has been submitted to the publisher. It covers some of the major approaches to Frank Herbert's
#Dune
as well as historical and biographical context. Stay tuned for updates on publication.🕰️
The Bene Gesserit women of
#Dune
: active, influential, and powerful. Check out my
@tordotcom
essay on the complexity of these female characters, based on material from my forthcoming book on the Sisterhood.
"The women of the Bene Gesserit are active, influential, and powerful, even if not in the ways we might expect."
On the complexity of women in the world of Frank Herbert's
#Dune
Unfortunately there will be no book on Chairdogs in Dune. 🐕😅
My next (non-April Fools' Day) book project will be a follow-up to Adaptations of Dune looking at Dune: Part Two and the Children of Dune miniseries.
And in the meantime will be articles and podcasts. 📝🗣️
My latest blog explores how parallels between Gertrude Bell—British archaeologist, writer, and 'Queen of the Desert'—and Lady Jessica in
#Dune
show how women can successfully carry themselves in unfamiliar territory and exert influence.
Stay tuned for a dive into the representation of the Bene Gesserit women of
#Dune
and insights from my forthcoming book in a new
@DuneTalkShow
podcast. Thanks to
@DuneNewsNet
for a great discussion! 🧡
Are you interested in learning more about Frank Herbert's Dune? My review should convince you that
@DuneScholar
's book is the right choice. And she's already written another one on adaptations!
@sfranews
Yet another new
#Dune
book alert! “The Worlds of Dune: The Places and Cultures that Inspired Frank Herbert” by
@TomHuddleston_
is a beautifully designed book exploring the ideas and concepts behind this science fiction classic. See my review:
Ten min ovation for
#DenisVilleneuve
sci-fi masterpiece
#Dune
Special effects are great but what really sets this apart from the Star War genre is the acting.
#TimotheeChalamet
and
#RebeccaFerguson
transport the mother-son relationship to a new level. See it at
#TIFF
next week.
Hope you’re enjoying my daily posts counting down to Dune: Part Two!
All these snippets are from my new book Adaptations of Dune 📕 covering Dune (1984), Frank Herbert’s Dune (2000), & Dune: Part One (2021).
Available in paperback, ebook, & audiobook at
🍿Know any
#Dune
fans in Atlanta? WIN FREE tickets to Dune: Part 2 thru a trivia challenge inspired by my new book Adaptations of Dune!
Trivia ?: Which cereal did sound team use in Part One to make the sound of spice in the sand?
DM the answer (w/ name & email) to go in the draw!
We don’t learn much at all about Guild Navigators or space travel. Their name is enough to let us fill in the details about medieval guilds. We don’t know what Bene Gesserit training involves, what they were hoping to do with Kwisatz Haderach, their prescient abilities, etc. /4
My
#Dune
Imperium game pieces were kindly painted by my brother-in-law on my trip back to the US and they turned out great. My favorite is of course the Bene Gesserit blue!
Actor
@Kyle_MacLachlan
(Paul Atreides) called himself a ‘Dune freak’ and had read it multiple times and wanted the adaptation to exactly match his beloved book. He served as the reference point for his fellow actors. /2
The author pretends that Herbert can be pinned down by a simplistic label “middle-aged conservative” and doesn’t tell the full story of Herbert and his interest in Indigenous communities, environmentalism, bodily autonomy for women, etc. /2
...and if you're watching Lynch's film Dune and thinking 'what is this?!' for the first or nth time, you'll have books from me,
@maxevry
, and
@RyancBritt
that can help unpack it in different ways.
Countdown day 4: Gender politics in
#Dune
are complex and demand more attention than a surface-level look at gender roles. See how Bene Gesserit women are active, influential, and powerful in the face of plausible limitations.
#sciencefiction
#Dunemovie
Others read the book in preparation to work on the film, including designer Patrice Vermette and costume designer Jacqueline West. Villeneuve and Vermette worked together to create a visual bible based on cues from the book, but recognized that since the book didn’t /2
resemble massive dragonflies or hummingbirds due to thin wings that beat so fast they almost disappear. It also shows their wings folding, like in the book, to provide more maneuverability. /2
Scandals, hot takes, regrets, and reflections. Whatever you think of the 1984
#Dune
film, don't miss this engaging story about its production!
Check out my review of
@maxevry
’s "A Masterpiece In Disarray: David Lynch's Dune. An Oral History" by
@1984Prods
Another book announcement! I'm the 1st chapter in
#Dune
and Philosophy: Minds, Monads, and Muad'Dib. I use philosophers Simone de Beauvoir and Iris Marion Young to analyze Bene Gesserit women and their range of bodily movement. Check it out:
describe everything, they had freedom to shape the world into their own. Actor Timothée Chalamet (Paul Atreides) (
@RealChalamet
) read the book before his meeting with Villeneuve about the role, making annotations and talking to friends & family about their respect for Dune. /3
Enjoyed
@VeronikaKratz
's take on this, but I'd argue that ultimately Herbert's treatment of Dr. Liet Kynes and his demise is meant to illustrate the flawed nature of such tampering with desert ecology. And the sequels further strengthen this message.
Dune is “fundamentally, a book about deserts as problems that can and should be ‘solved,’ which is to say, made to be productive.” -
@VeronikaKratz
in “Frank Herbert’s Ecology and the Science of Soil Conservation.”
@NiCHE_Canada
#Dune
#DuneMovie
#EnvHist
Countdown over! The day has finally arrived to watch this long-awaited
#DuneMovie
.
"Mingle the waters, let the change come to all, that the people may partake and share in the blessing." -
#LadyJessica
#Dune
#FrankHerbert
The ship in Dune: Part One is also long and gray but has a sleeker, more oval look.
In the book, there isn’t much description of Guild ships, so the fact that they all look similar when visualized shows the later ones are likely paying homage to the first film’s design. /2
Another new
#Dune
book alert!
@RyancBritt
's "The Spice Must Flow: The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies" from
@DuttonBooks
is an engaging, entertaining history of Dune ~and~ acknowledges women's influence! 😊 Check out my review:
My first online course Dune 101 has launched! Explore author Frank Herbert’s life, 20th c. history, setting and factions, & key themes in
#Dune
through audio-visual content. Check out the course page to learn more:
#sciencefiction
#fantasy
#education
"Although Lawrence’s narrative was certainly an inspiration for key aspects of Dune, there are also critical contrasts in the portrayals of Lawrence and Paul, the Arabs and the Fremen, women, and religion."
Check out
@maxevry
’s
@WIRED
article on the unearthed David Lynch Dune Messiah script!
It was perfect timing while finishing my research on the Dune 1984 film.
Lynch would have loved showing the Tleilaxu. 👻
This is a big one! I found David Lynch’s unfinished script for DUNE 2, and wrote all about it for
@WIRED
with the help of
@DuneScholar
,
@DuneInfo
, and Stilgar himself Everett McGill!
Staying up until 1am to deliver a virtual conference presentation at
#SFRA21
on my recent comparison of Lawrence of Arabia and
#Dune
- hope my mind can stay up too 😴