Books
Adaptations of Dune: Frank Herbert’s Story on Screen [view the press release]
This study explores the three screen adaptations of Frank Herbert’s Dune and how faithful they are to the book. It covers the 1984 film by David Lynch, the 2000 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries by John Harrison, and the 2021 film by Denis Villeneuve.
Frank Herbert’s Dune: A Critical Companion (2022) [view the press release]
*Please note that I do not make money from sales of my book on the Springer/Palgrave site or Amazon, due to the nature of the academic publishing industry. I only benefit if you purchase using an affiliate referral link (and accept cookies).
Springer/Palgrave offers a much more generous referral link percentage to authors, so if you’d like to buy Frank Herbert’s Dune: A Critical Companion, please do so here from them (use coupon code HOL30 for 30% off through December 31) – free shipping for hardcover, ebook is instant PDF download. If you still prefer Amazon, please use this Amazon referral link. Thanks for supporting independent scholars!
Women’s Agency in the Dune Universe: Tracing Women’s Liberation through Science Fiction (2021) [view the press release]
*Please note that I do not make money from sales of my book on the Springer/Palgrave site or Amazon, due to the nature of the academic publishing industry. I only benefit if you purchase using an affiliate referral link (and accept cookies).
Springer/Palgrave offers a much more generous referral link percentage to authors, so if you’d like to buy Women’s Agency in the Dune Universe, please do so here from them (use coupon code HOL30 for 30% off through December 31) – free shipping for hardcover, ebook is instant PDF download. If you still prefer Amazon, please use this Amazon referral link. Thanks for supporting independent scholars!
I also have a chapter titled “Liberating Women’s Bodies: Feminist Philosophy and the Bene Gesserit of Dune” in the book Dune and Philosophy: Minds, Monads, and Muad’Dib (2022), available on Amazon in paperback or ebook. My chapter includes new material not in my first book about the theories of philosopher Iris Marion Young and bodily mobility in relation to the Bene Gesserit.
Other Books
If you haven’t yet read Dune, you can find it on Amazon, your local bookstore, or local library. If you’re interested in other recent scholarship about the Dune series, check out Discovering Dune: Essays on Frank Herbert’s Epic Saga (2022), which is a collection covering topics such as philosophy, political science, disability studies, religion, environment, and history.
Articles
Kennedy, K. (2023). Tracing Second-Wave Feminism through Women in the Dune Series. The Routledge Companion to Gender and Science Fiction, edited by Lisa Yaszek, Sonja Fritzsche, Keren Omry, and Wendy Gay Pearson, Routledge, pp. 351-357.
Kennedy, K. (2021). Spice and Ecology in Herbert’s Dune: Altering the Mind and the Planet. Science Fiction Studies, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 444-461. [pre-production version, hosted on ResearchGate]
Kennedy, K. (2021). Frank Herbert, the Bene Gesserit, and the Complexity of Women in the World of Dune. Tor.com/Reactor.com
Kennedy, K. (2021). Lawrence of Arabia, Paul Atreides, and the Roots of Frank Herbert’s Dune. Tor.com/Reactor.com
Kennedy, K. (2020). The Softer Side of Dune: The Impact of the Social Sciences on World-Building. Exploring Imaginary Worlds: Essays on Media, Structure, and Subcreation, edited by Mark J.P. Wolf, Routledge, pp. 159-174. [pre-production version, hosted on this site]
Kennedy, K. (2016). Epic World-Building: Names and Cultures in Dune. Names, vol. 64, no. 2, pp. 99–108. DOI: 10.1080/00277738.2016.1159450 [production version, hosted on ResearchGate]
Interviews
Discussion of Dune the book, Dune: Part Two the film, and various theoretical perspectives on the Machinic Unconscious Happy Hour podcast (available on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud, or iTunes)
Variety article on Dune: Part Two’s treatment of Middle Eastern and North African elements and Islamic culture – ‘Dune 2’ Criticized for Lack of Middle Eastern and North African Inclusion and Influences: ‘A Missed Opportunity’
Inverse article on potential future sequel adaptations of Dune – Should Denis Villeneuve Make More Dune Sequels? Dune Scholars Aren’t So Sure 
Discussion of the character Chani in the Dune: Part Two film on the Gom Jabbar podcast
Discussion of the Fremen and Dune: Part Two on Nomads, Past and Present podcast
Women Discuss Dune panel with four of us scholars
Dune Talk interview about my book Adaptations of Dune
Dune Pod Interview about my book on the Bene Gesserit; available on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Discussion of the Fremen in Dune on the Digital Nomads podcast
Vulture article on the Middle Eastern and North African elements in Dune: Part One – Dune Has a Desert Problem
Esquire Netherlands article on Dutch elements in Dune – Ready for Dune? Here’s what you need to know before going to the cinema. The writer of the science fiction story was inspired by Dutch culture on several occasions.
Interview about my scholarship on Dune – What makes a world work? Exploring the groundbreaking universe of Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’
