Discovering Dune: Essays on Frank Herbert's Epic Saga (Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy, 81)

Discovering Dune: Essays on Frank Herbert's Epic Saga (Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy, 81)

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. “ 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 “A welcome addition to the scholarship on the Dune novels. Seeing them refracted through this volume's diversity of critical approaches and disciplinary lenses is valuable for everyone.”―Joshua Pearson, California State University, Los Angeles “Whether you’re an old or new Dune fan, the recently published essay collection Discovering Dune: Essays on Frank Herbert’s Epic Sage will have something to interest you…This book is written in a way that new fans of the series―intrigued by the new film adaptations and pop culture attention―can pick it up and discover something interesting about Herbert’s work.”― Dune Scholar “Excellent...well-organized, well-written, well-edited, and seems poised to play a major part in a Herbert studies renaissance.”― Mythlore “This essay collection offers a welcome addition to the field of scholarship on the Dune series as it matures in the twenty-first century. Within the space constraints of an edited collection, it manages to cover a broad range of perspectives and includes analyses of the entire series rather than just the first novel…accessible to a wide audience, and it can be dipped into and out of depending on a reader’s areas of interest… This collection should satisfy seasoned sf scholars as well as new entrants to the study of this bestselling series.”― Science Fiction Studies Dominic Nardi is a political scientist and has published academic articles about politics in Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and Blade Runner. He lives in McLean, Virginia. 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.