YouTube clip of Machinic Unconscious podcast about Dune: A Critical Companion

Interview on Machinic Unconscious Happy Hour Podcast

I had a great discussion with Cooper and Taylor on the Machinic Unconscious Happy Hour podcast. We covered all sorts of topics relating to Dune, from how my books came to be, our favorite books in the Dune series, and some deeper theoretical perspectives based on our academic backgrounds. And of course we had to talk about the recent film adaptations. I’ve got new angles to think about in future Dune scholarship, and hopefully listeners find something interesting to pick up on as well. Check out the episode “Kara Kennedy – Dune: A Critical Companion” on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud, or

Read more

Teens and Dune

A good proportion of teens seem interested in learning more about Frank Herbert’s Dune, especially younger ones in the prime demographic for encountering this science fiction classic. Oh, to be discovering and reading Dune for the first time – that experience certainly shaped my life! Following on from my recent presentations on the novel Dune to several junior high/high school classes (thanks to those who responded to my post about what to cover :), I wanted to report back on what teens had questions about and what piqued their attention the most. There were some basic questions like how long

Read more
teen students wearing uniforms in library (generated by Firefly)

What do teens want to know about Dune

I’ve been invited to give some talks on Dune to students at a local junior high and high school, so this has me wondering: what do teens want to know about Dune? I’ve done plenty of talks on this subject, but typically my audience is adults, usually at university, so I want to make sure I’m pitching my presentation at the right level. I don’t want to talk down to them, but I also want to be accessible and get them interested in reading this epic science fiction text if they haven’t already. This is a pivotal time in their

Read more