The many faces of Dune
Frank Herbert’s cult saga is often presented as a masterpiece of science fiction, with its dunes, philosophy, giant sand worms and precious spice. However, it would seem that Dune has not permeated the collective imagination as much as one might think. In the face of the emergence of another space universe featuring star wars, Dune pales into insignificance. Released in 1977, the first Star Wars film overshadowed the sandy planet. Regarded as the heir to Dune, the saga initiated by George Lucas has eclipsed the latter in popular culture.
And yet, Dune had many people thinking. In the early 1970s, Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on a colossal project, bringing together artists as renowned as they were eclectic, including Pink Floyd, Orson Welles, Salvador Dalí, Moebius and H. R. Giger. Faced with an over-the-top proposal from an over-the-top artist, Hollywood studios rejected the project, and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune never saw the light of day. However, his legacy can be felt in films such as Alienwhose creature, coincidentally, was created by our very own H. R. Giger. Giger had never worked in cinema before being approached by Jodorowsky for Dune, and took over some of his work for Alien.
Jodorowsky, for his part, has not said his last word, and has proposed a comic-book version of his Dune project. In collaboration with Moebius, the Chilean created The Incala science-fiction epic in many ways reminiscent of Dune.
Another adaptation of Dune saw the light of day this time, that of director David Lynch, considered a monumental failure… But then, isn’t there a definitive version of Dune in the cinema? Denis Villeneuve has taken up the challenge with a new two-part adaptation, the first of which will be released in autumn 2021. To keep you waiting, the BCUL has put together a selection of documents including Frank Herbert’s novels, adaptations and other film projects of Dune, its true and spiritual heirs, as well as literature from and about science fiction. We invite you to browse the thematic selection online and in the BCUL Riponne open-access bookshop. There’s plenty to keep you busy between now and the release of the new film!
