Timothée Chalamet! Oscar Isaac! Rebecca Ferguson! Zendaya! Jason Mamoa! Now that we have your attention, do you have a minute to talk about our prophet and messiah, Paul Muad'Dib the Kwisatz Haderach?
For August marks the 55th birthday of one of the greatest epic tales and science fiction novels of all time – DUNE! By Frank Herbert. So here’s a thread about the classic often cited as the most best-selling #scifi novel (those things on the cover are sandworms btw.. So cool)
Herbert was a reporter who’d had moderate success as a writer & wrote ‘Dune World’ inspired by a visit to Oregon's sand dunes. Serialised in Analog by editor John Campbell, it was a hit with readers who nominated it for #HugoAwards Best Novel despite not being in book form!
Despite Dune World’s success, almost 20 publishers rejected it because, size (125,000 words) or because, 'confusing &/or slow'. Until Sterling Lanier, an editor at Chilton Book Company stepped in. The only issue was, Chilton was a publisher of automotive repair manuals!
Herbert quipped that Chilton might rename his book, ‘How to Repair Your Ornithopter’ (after the transport vessels in Dune). Anyways, Dune was finally published in August 1965 as a 412-page doorstopper & Chilton promptly fired Sterling Lanier because of its publication costs.
After a slow start, Dune, with its heady melange of interstellar intrigue, warring noble houses, ecology, religion, mysticism & a sandy, spicy desert planet would go on to become a massive hit leading to Herbert writing 5 more books in the Dune saga.
Now for the really fun bits
Amongst Dune adaptations, avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune is legendary for being one of the best films NEVER made! To star in it were Orson Welles, Geraldine Chaplin & even Mick Jagger & Salvador Dali. Providing the music? Pink Floyd!
The production team was just as great, with legendary French artist Jean Giraud aka Moebius doing character designs & sets.
Check out some of his awesome Dune art and storyboards here: duneinfo.com/unseen/moebius
Also part of the team was an unknown artist called H.R. Giger
Jodorowsky’s Dune never got made. For one it was to be 14 hours long!
But if it wasn’t for this spectacular failed project, our favourite sci-fi horror monster, the Alien Xenomorph creature may never have happened or looked like it does!
It was during Dune pre-production that a young scriptwriter, Dan O’Bannon met the artist H.R.Giger which would lead to O’Bannon writing ‘Jaws in space’ i.e Alien & Giger creating the greatest scary-space-horror-monster-creature.
Long story, read it here: factordaily.com/hr-giger-alien…
Giger at work along with a cool photo of him with Dan O'Bannon.
No talk of Dune would be complete without talking about Sting! Take a look at this picture of him in the role of Feyd Rautha Harkonnen (you’re welcome!) in the adaptation by Twin Peaks creator & Blue Velvet/Mulholland Drive director David Lynch
In this picture David Lynch & Frank Herbert are all happy. But the director of Dune (1984) is one Alan Smithee. Why?
Alan Smithee (also Allen Smithee) is an official pseudonym used by film directors who wish to disown a project.
Lynch so disliked the final product that he refused to get a credit for the film.
Which brings us to the latest attempt to adapt Dune for the big screen, by the Oscar-winning director of Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villeneuve, a two-part movie of what he describes as “Star Wars for Adults”. Expectations are high. The fan posters look awesome!
Will Denis Villeneuve’s Dune break the jinx? Will we finally have a worthy on-screen adaptation of this classic? Time will tell.
Whatever the result, this timeless classic will live on factordaily.com/denis-villeneu…
Many thanks to @theBekku for this thread.
Here he is casually rubbing shoulders with another legend.
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