Discovering Dune: Essays on Frank Herbert's Epic Saga

by Dominic J. Nardi (Editor), N. Trevor Brierly (Editor), Donald E. Palumbo (Editor)

Overview

Frank Herbert's Dune is one of the most well-known science fiction novels of all time, and it is often revered alongside time-honored classics like The Lord of the Rings. Unlike Tolkien's work, the Dune series has received remarkably little academic attention. This collection includes fourteen new essays from various academic disciplines—including philosophy, political science, disability studies, Islamic theology, environmental studies, and Byzantine history—that examine all six of Herbert's Dune books. As a compendium, it asserts that a multidisciplinary approach to the texts can lead to fresh discoveries. Also included in this collection are an introduction by Tim O'Reilly, who authored one of the first critical appraisals of Herbert's writings in 1981, and a comprehensive bibliography of essential primary and secondary sources.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476682013
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	08/18/2022
Series:	Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy , #81
Pages:	284
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Dominic Nardi is a political scientist and has published academic articles about politics in Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and Blade Runner. N. Trevor Brierly is a literature scholar and software engineer living in Northern Virginia. He has published and presented on Dune, Tolkien, worldbuilding, Shakespeare, and Northrup Frye.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword Timothy O'Reilly 1

Introduction: "A beginning is a very delicate time…" Dominic J. Nardi N. Trevor Brierly 5

Part I Politics and Power

Dune and the Metanarrative of Power Edward John Royston 13

Political Prescience: How Game Theory Solves the Paradox of Foreknowledge Dominic J. Nardi 29

"The greatest predator ever known": The Golden Path and Political Philosophy as Ecology Michael Phillips 46

He Who Controls Knowledge Controls the Universe: Leto II and the Golden Path Caroline Anne Womack 64

Part II History and Religion

Frank Herbert's Byzantium: Medieval-Futurism and the Princess Historians Irulan and Anna Komnene Maximilian Lau 83

Beside the Sand Dunes: Arab Futurism, Faith, and the Fremen of Dune R. Ali 104

"A critical moment": The O.C. Bible in the Awakening of Paul Atreides N. Trevor Brierly 127

Part III Biology and Ecology

Locations of Deviance: A Eugenics Reading of Dune Leigha High McReynolds 145

From Taming Sand Dunes to Planetary Ecology: Historical Perspectives on Environmental Thought and Politics in the Dune Saga Paul Reef 156

Shifting Sands: Heroes, Power, and the Environment in the Dune Saga Willow Wilson Dipasquale 177

Part IV Philosophy, Choice, and Ethics

The Sands of Time: Dune and the Philosophy of Time Nathaniel Goldberg 195

The Choices of Muad'Dib: Goods, Traditions, and Practices in the Dune Saga Jeffery L. Nicholas 210

"I suggest you may be human": Humanity and Human Action in Dune Curtis A. Weyant 228

Belief Is the Mind-Killer: The Bene Gesserit's Transcendental Pragmatism Kevin Williams 244

Appendix: Bibliography of Scholarship Dominic J. Nardi N. Trevor Brierly 257

About the Contributors 269

Index 271

Editorial Reviews

Discovering Dune: Essays on Frank Herbert’s Epic Saga offers a welcome addition to critical analyses of Herbert’s Dune series. Spanning topics from politics, history, and religion to science, technology, and philosophy, this collection of essays brings fresh perspectives to bear on this best-selling science fiction universe. Some authors take advantage of new analytical approaches, such as using game theory to explore prescience or discussing Paul Atreides through the lens of disability studies. Others focus on characters and themes that deserve extended critical attention, including Princess Irulan, Leto II, and Arabic and Islamic influences. As a whole, the collection presents itself as relevant to 21st-century concerns and will likely prompt readers to want to reread the series equipped with new insights. We need more thoughtful engagements with all of the books in Herbert’s epic saga, and this essay collection delivers.”—Kara Kennedy, author, Women's Agency in the Dune Universe

From the Publisher