Frank Herbert’s Dune Chronicles series is known as the first major world building science fiction saga. Published in 1965, Dune’s influence is clear in many science fiction novels and movies produced since then. Some of the most obvious examples of Dune’s influence can be found in the stories of large, sand-dwelling creatures of nightmares that resemble the iconic sandworms of the planet Arrakis.
Dune’s Shai-Hulud
Frank Herbert’s early work can be found throughout the Library’s collections. From his early work in newspapers such as the Oregon Statesman, San Francisco Examiner, and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, to his stories published in pulp magazines like Startling Stories, Astounding Science Fiction, and Amazing Stories. In fact, the first Dune story written by Herbert was published in the magazine Analog in December 1963.
After Dune was published as a book in 1965, it eventually acquired a devoted following and sparked many interpretations, from the 1984 movie Dune to comics and the current film series. You can view the 1985 Dune comic book series in the Newspaper & Current Periodical Reading Room and read about Paul Atreides’ life on the planet Arrakis, including his encounters with the great sandworms known as Shai-Hulud.
After Herbert’s death in 1986, the Dune universe was continued by his son Brian Herbert. Brian went on to author and co-author nearly twenty more books from the Dune universe. The recent graphic novel of Dune: House Atreides can be found in the Library’s general collections.
Sarlaccs, Krayt Dragons, and Other References
Fans of both Dune and the Star Wars movies will have no trouble recognizing the similarities between Dune and the planet Tatooine. The year before the 1984 movie of Dune was released, Return of the Jedi hit theaters. The third installment (and Episode VI) of the Star Wars movies, Return of the Jedi featured the desert planet Tatooine where Boba Fett falls into the gaping mouth of the Sarlacc, an enormous sand monster with many teeth. The Sarlacc Pit is located in the “Dune Sea.” It is easy to see the similarities between this giant, monster and the sandworms of Dune.
Tatooine is also the home of the Krayt Dragons, large reptiles that move beneath the sand, much like the sandworms of Dune move beneath the sands of Arrakis. The Krayt Dragons are featured in the recent television series The Mandelorian, as well as the Mandelorian comics.
Four years after the release of the movie Dune and five years after Return of the Jedi, sandworms appeared in a much different world through puppetry in the move Beetlejuice. In 1990 we were treated to the comedic-horror movie Tremors, which centers around Kevin Bacon (as Val McKee) fighting off more people-eating sandworms. References to Dune and sandworms continue to appear throughout popular culture, movies, television, and comic books.
Additional Resources:
- Learn more about the comic book collections in the Newspaper & Current Periodical Reading Room.
- Read more blog posts about comic books from Headlines and Heroes.
- Search the Library’s online catalog for more books by Frank and Brian Herbert and other Dune related materials.