David Lynch holding infant son Austin during filming of Dune

David Lynch’s Infant Son and Other Personal Stressors in the Making of Dune the Film

Criticism

Director David Lynch’s infant son wasn’t mentioned in any of the dozens of sources for the chapter I wrote on his fateful Dune (1984) film. I only stumbled across this info in one of the last sources I looked at for a quick cross-check of a different fact. This source was Lynch’s autobiography, Room to Dream (2018), coauthored with Kristine McKenna and full of interviews with people in Lynch’s life (read more about it in Vice‘s article Women Are the Most Surprising Part of David Lynch’s New Memoir). It was here that I read about his then-spouse Mary Fisk giving birth

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Tom Huddleston's book The Worlds of Dune: The Places and Cultures that Inspired Frank Herbert

Review of Tom Huddleston’s The Worlds of Dune: The Places and Cultures that Inspired Frank Herbert

Criticism

Tom Huddleston’s The Worlds of Dune: The Places and Cultures that Inspired Frank Herbert (2023) is a beautifully designed book that explores the range of ideas and concepts that inspired Frank Herbert in the writing of his 1965 science fiction masterpiece, Dune. Through an introductory biography chapter followed by twelve chapters named after planets, characters, and other elements in Dune, Huddleston looks at various political, environmental, and social influences that help show the many layers of meaning in Herbert’s complex novel. Each chapter is accompanied by images from art history, film, books, comics, and photographs that bring the story to

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Ryan Britt's The Spice Must Flow: The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies book cover

Review of Ryan Britt’s The Spice Must Flow: The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies

Criticism

In The Spice Must Flow: The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies (2023), Ryan Britt has written an engaging and entertaining history of Frank Herbert’s Dune and the winding road it has taken to become a pop culture fixture. Its clever chapter titles and charming tone make for an enjoyable read. Weaving interviews with analysis and humorous commentary, Britt brings together a wide range of materials to explore the history of Dune, and he manages to make the feat look effortless! Thirteen chapters cover the different stages in the life of this famous science fiction story,

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Max Evry A Masterpiece in Disarray Lynch Dune book

Review of A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune. An Oral History by Max Evry

Criticism

It’s got scandals, hot takes, regrets, and reflections. It’s got serious musings alongside funny anecdotes. It’s all about the infamous Dune film adaptation by David Lynch, and whatever you think of the original film (or extended version, or fan edits…) you won’t want to miss this engaging story about this fateful production. In Max Evry’s new book, A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune. An Oral History, he provides a behind-the-scenes look at the 1984 film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction book, Dune (1965), with the benefit of nearly four decades of time for reflection. As an experienced film

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Na Viro science fiction book by Gina Cole

Review of Gina Cole’s Na Viro – Pasifika science fiction

Criticism

I’ve been waiting for a science fiction novel like Na Viro (2022) by New Zealand author Gina Cole. Threaded with Pacific and Māori imagery, terms, and worldviews, it clearly represents Pasifika science fiction and showcases what Cole has termed ‘Pasifikafuturism’ in a beautiful and engaging way. It also centers on women’s experiences—grandmother, mother, sister—and takes their strength and capability in the face of personal and technical challenges as a given. Though great at what she does, the main character, Tia, has doubts and family troubles like all of us. She has to find ways to overcome her fear of deep

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