I’m pleased to announce the publication of my book Frank Herbert’s Dune: A Critical Companion! It is part of the “Palgrave Science Fiction and Fantasy: A New Canon” series and brings together previous scholarship and new approaches to Dune to give fresh insights into the complexities of this science fiction classic. In this book, I show why Dune deserves a place in the science fiction and fantasy canon. After a review of Herbert’s life and the historical context of the U.S. and science fiction genre in the mid-20th century, there are chapters on five key themes in Dune: politics and
Read moreNext Book on Dune Releasing Soon
My next book on Dune is coming out soon! Register for the virtual celebration event in October and sign up for my e-newsletter for the latest release details.
Read moreTranslation of Dune Article into Portuguese
There’s a new translation of my 2016 journal article “Epic World-Building: Names and Cultures in Dune” into Portuguese! Construção de Mundo Épica: Nomes e Culturas em Duna. Thanks to the translator for helping make this scholarship more accessible beyond English-language readers.
Read moreReview of Dune: Imperium Rise of Ix Expansion and Deluxe Upgrade Pack
Dune Imperium: Rise of Ix The Dune Imperium: Rise of Ix (2022) expansion definitely changes the gameplay for this Dune board game. (See my review of Dune: Imperium for more on the original gameplay.) It took a second play of the expansion for me to get the hang of the new features and see their potential for new strategies, and there’s more to explore in future games. Here’s a brief review of the expansion and my experience playing it in a two-player game. The Rise of Ix expansion includes a CHOAM board overlay that sits on top of and expands
Read morePodcast Interview on the Bene Gesserit
In this interview with Haitch and Jason from the Dune Pod podcast, we discuss my book on the women of Dune and other Dune topics. They were great hosts to chat with about science fiction! Check out the episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Read morePodcast Interview on Fremen in Dune
It was a pleasure to be interviewed on the Digital Nomads podcast and explore the oft-neglected Fremen characters in Frank Herbert’s Dune! We discussed some of the cultures and histories that influenced Herbert and helped create a multi-layered science fiction work that rewards re-readings. Check out the Digital Nomads podcast episode “The Fremen in Dune” here.
Read more