Dune in popular culture

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Main article: Dune (novel)

This article concerns the Dune series by Frank Herbert

Dune

Dune Messiah

Children of Dune

God Emperor of Dune

Heretics of Dune

Chapterhouse Dune

Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965. A joint winner of the 1966 Hugo Award and the winner of the first Nebula Award for Best Novel, Dune is popularly considered one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time. It is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history^[1], and was the first bestselling hardcover science fiction novel ever^[2]. Dune spawned five sequels written by Herbert, and inspired a 1984 film adaptation by David Lynch (which itself influenced popular culture), two mini-series made by the Sci Fi Channel (United States), computer games, board games, and a series of prequels and sequels co-written by Brian Herbert, the author's son, and Kevin J. Anderson. It has had an enduring effect on many subsequent works of fiction, film and television, and music.

Contents 1 Film 2 Games 3 Music 4 Television 5 Other 6 See also 7 References

[edit] Film

• Frank Herbert, as well as a number of other Science Fiction writers such as Isaac Asimov, hated the Star Wars film series for what they perceived to be a work derivative of their own. According to Brian Herbert in his biography about his father, these writers formed an official society called "Science Fiction Writers Too Big for Star Wars." Dune had been optioned twice by the time filming began on Star Wars in 1975, and the script was well circulated in Hollywood.^{[citation needed]} The Star Wars film series (which began in 1977) contains a number of elements similar to and arguably inspired by Dune.^[3]

[edit] Games

• In the classic Roguelike game of Nethack there is a monster called a "long worm". If this monster is killed, it leaves a "worm tooth" that a player can transform into a "crysknife", one of the strongest non-artifact weapons in the game.
• In the science fiction MMORPG Anarchy Online, a hypercorporation called Omni-Tek was granted control of a seemingly useless desert planet called Rubi-Ka. However, Rubi-Ka is the only known source of notum, an extremely valuable mineral. This scenario is very similar to that in the Dune novels. "Krys" knives and giant sandworms are also featured in in the game.
• In the MMORPG Starport: Galactic Empires, in which players can colonize different types of planets, the "pollution disaster" that befalls desert planets is an attack on the colony by giant worms. Additionally, desert planets are the type of planet from which the most "spice" can be harvested.
• A number of elements within the Warhammer 40,000 universe created by Games Workshop bear profound similarities to the Dune novels. Close similarities include reliance upon Navigators who are essential to space travel, elite religious fanatic soldiers, and universe-spanning political struggle under the control of a superhuman God Emperor. This was Partially confirmed by Jervis Johnson, one of Games Workshops's game designers, making a statement in White dwarf 325(their Monthly magazine) about how certain aspects of the game came about. Stating that before Games Workshop came along he liked to read the Dune Novels among The lord of the Rings and Conan.^{[citation needed]}
• The first few levels of the Super Nintendo game Super Turrican II are set on a desert planet, and the final level of the first world requires the player to ride on a series of giant worms moving rapidly across the surface of the sand. In an obvious reference to the Fremen technique of worm riding, the player is required to jump off each worm before it burrows into the sand. To complete the world, the player must fight one of the worms, which makes a terrifying entrance by charging forward, jaws gaping, at the screen, analogous to the scene in the novel in which a worm devours a spice processing station. During the battle, the worm is also shown to have large rows of revolving, spoke-like teeth, another possible reference to the sandworms of Dune.
• In the online game Neopets, there is a pet available called Usul, which was Paul's secret Fremen name.
• The "Burrowing Bishop" (a constellation-based enemy of Kingdom of Loathing) is stopped from escaping using "Maker Hooks", the equipment used to capture and ride sandworms.
• The Sega video game series Phantasy Star features a planet called Motavia which is a desert planet and possesses worms that the player can fight. In Phantasy Star IV, a farmer is raising worms but has lost control. The player can accept a mission to fight the "giant" uncontrolled worm which looks very much like the sandworms in the film Dune. Another parallel is that Motavia is transformed into a lush green planet in Phantasy Star II and returns to its desert form in Phantasy Star IV, just as Dune changed from desert to lush paradise and back in the series of novels.
• The PC game World of Warcraft has several references to Dune. Weapons such as "Dib'Muad's Crysknife" (Muad'Dib), "Reverend Mother's Crysknife", and "Shani's Crysknife" (Chani) appear as quest rewards; there is also an item called the "Jom Gabbar" (gom jabbar). Boneworms (Sandworms) are prevalent in the Bone Wastes of Terrokar Forest, and can be drawn out using a "Fumper" (like Dune's thumper). One particular group quest involves using the Fumper to call an elite Sandworm named Hai'Shulud (Shai-Hulud), the Bone Emperor.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Music

• The album Dune (Klaus Schulze album) by electronica artist Klaus Schulze is almost entirely devoted to evoking soundscapes based on the novel
• The song To Tame a Land by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from their album Piece of Mind is based on the novel. According to the band's fansite, Frank Herbert, who disliked hard rock music, disapproved of this song and refused to allow it to be released under the title "Dune".
• Various works by heavy metal band Fear Factory contain titles and themes related to Dune, including the song "Hunter-Killer" on their Demanufacture album and the remix album Fear is The Mind Killer.
• The hardcore band Shai Hulud drew their name from the Fremen word for the sandworms.
• Post-Hardcore band Harkonen drew their name from the Landsraad Great House Harkonnen.
• The rock band Giant Sand first called themselves The Giant Sandworms, because they thought their home (Arizona) resembled Dune.
• The song "Traveler In Time" by the power metal band Blind Guardian from their album Tales from the Twilight World begins with the lyrics "The morning sun of Dune."
• In 1980, Level 42 recorded "Dune Tune" which sounds like a song from the deep desert.
• The German techno band Dune released their first self-titled album in 1995; one of the songs is titled "The spice", with the lyrics "Spice exists on only one planet in the entire universe the planet is Arrakis — also known as Dune." Many of their songs use deep space, the future, stars, and other science fiction motifs.
• The German hip hop band Die Fantastischen Vier mention "Surfer des Sandwurms" (Surfers of the Sandworm) in their track "Millionen Legionen." The song makes several references to superheroes, science fiction, fantasy, and other heroes.
• In the song "Weapon of Choice" by Fatboy Slim, the lyrics "If you walk without rhythm, it won't attract the worm" are a reference to the arhythmic walking pattern of the Fremen, because steady rhythms or vibrations attract the giant sandworms to the source of the rhythm.^{[citation needed]}
• The Goth-Rock band Bene Gesserit took their name from Dune's secret sisterhood.
• The track "Fear" by Adam Freeland, featured in the video game Rez, features the repeating one-line lyric "Fear is the mind killer." The line was a thought Paul Atreides had before his hand was in the nerve induction box held by Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam.
• The track "March of the Tyrant" by Majesty was written after the developing story in God Emperor of Dune, and references the God Emperor, the Golden Path and Arrakis in its lyrics.
• The drone band Nero made a concept album about Dune which is notable for using samples from the film Dune (film) during its 18-minute long improvisational album-closer, "Kwizzach Haderach"

[edit] Television

• In the cartoon Earthworm Jim, the character Peter Puppy would often recite the Litany against Fear.
• Episode 16 "Mandy the Merciless" of the Cartoon Network show The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy is an obvious allusion to God Emperor of Dune, with Mandy as Leto II, Billy as Duncan Idaho, and Grim as Moneo. The source of Mandy the Worm's power is cinnamon, which is one way the flavor of melange is described in Dune.
• The Cartoon Network show The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy in the episode with the beauty pageant one of the "skill competitions" involves the gom jabbar.
• In episode 94 of The Simpsons, "Homer and Apu", after tasting Apu's spicy food, Lisa says "I can see through time!". This is a reference to Dune's spice melange, that allows the hero to see beyond time and space. Lisa's glowing blue eyes in this segment are a further reference to an effect of spice in Dune.
• In the Sci Fi Channel animated series Tripping the Rift, Season 2 episode titled "Creaturepalooza" Commander Adam is forced to eject from his experimental jet fighter after being struck by a giant worm very similar to Dune's sand worm on the planet Vitalius 4. The worm is killed by T'nuk throwing a pair of "spicy Thai food" stained underwear left by Commander Adam into the mouth of the giant worm.
• In episode 519, of Mystery Science Theater 3000 Crow says "we have worm-sign" when a scene with a desert appears on screen. And then later in the same episode, he says "Arrakis, Dune, Desert Planet", the exact words used in the novel.
• In the beginnings of most episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 Joel/Mike and the robots yell "We've got Movie Sign!" a reference to "Worm-Sign."

[edit] Other

• Comedian Dane Cook references Dune being like Nestlé Nesquik on his CD Harmful If Swallowed in the track "Hopped Up On the Q".^{[citation needed]}
• The webcomic Questionable Content has made several references to Dune, parodying the Litany against Fear, punning on the phrase "gom jabbar," using the term Kwisatz Haderach, and remarking that a character would make a "damn fine Harkonnen." There is even a strip in which a band rewrites the story of Dune using equines.

[edit] See also

• List of fiction inspired by Dune
• Dune film ~ Influence on popular culture

[edit] References

• Touponce, William F. (1988), Frank Herbert, Boston, Massachusetts: Twayne Publishers imprint, G. K. Hall & Co, ISBN 0-8057-7514-5; PS3558.E63Z89