Arid deserts, alien worlds, mystical powers and galactic conflicts – all phrases that might call to mind images from the Star Wars universe. And yet they’re at the root of an older, equally epic sci-fi saga that began more than a decade earlier, in 1965, when writer Frank Herbert published his debut novel Dune.
Set in the far future, when a human empire rules the Universe, Dune tells the story of a desert world wracked by conflict – and of the rise of an unlikely saviour.
On 22 October this year, director Denis Villeneuve, who directed two of the last decade’s best science fiction films Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, is set to bring his own bold adaptation of Dune to UK cinema screens.
Get ready for space opera, superhumans, and more visual effects than you can shake a sand trout at.
Oh, and maybe some science too.
THE ORIGIN STORY
Dune is a landmark in science fiction. It mixes stories about political greed, ecological abuse and unchecked technological progress in a fully realised universe. Award-winning science fiction author Stephen Baxter tells us where Frank Herbert’s idea came from and how it shaped what came after it…
WHERE DOES THE NOVEL DUNE SIT AS A MOMENT IN SCIENCE FICTION?
This story is from the October 2021 edition of BBC Focus - Science & Technology.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2021 edition of BBC Focus - Science & Technology.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
5 SIMPLE WAYS TO RECLAIM YOUR ATTENTION
Primed for constant interruptions, your brain is now distracting itself, says science. It's time to break the cycle and retrain your focus
GOING ROGUE
Some planets are stuck following the same orbital paths their entire lives. Others break free to wander alone through the vast, empty darkness of interstellar space and there's a lot more of them than you might think
BED BUGS VS THE WORLD
When bloodthirsty bed bugs made headlines for infesting Paris Fashion Week in 2023, it shone a spotlight on a problem that's been making experts itch for decades: the arms race going on between bed bugs and humans. Now, with the 2024 Summer Olympics fast approaching, the stakes are higher than ever
THE EYES THAT WATCH THE SKY
When it launches in 2026, the Copernicus programme's Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring satellite will give us a new window on to Earth's atmosphere... And how we're altering it
TIME-RESTRICTED EATING LINKED TO HIGHER RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEATH
Skipping breakfast might not be so good for your health, after all
INSIDE THE PROJECT TO SCAN THOUSANDS OF RARE SPECIMENS
A major collaborative project has created 3D reconstructions of previously locked away museum specimens
VIDEO IS FIRST EVIDENCE OF AN ORCA KILLING A GREAT WHITE
Tourists sailing off the South African coast film a never-before-seen event: a lone orca attacking a 2.5m shark
AI REVEALS PROSTATE CANCER IS NOT JUST ONE DISEASE
DNA analysis carried out by artificial intelligence has helped scientists make a discovery that could revolutionise future treatment
MYSTERIOUS WAVES DETECTED IN JUPITER'S CORE
Scientists hope unusual fluctuations in the gas giant's magnetic field might reveal what's inside
MINI ORGANS GROWN FROM UNBORN BABIES MARK A BREAKTHROUGH IN PRENATAL MEDICINE
A new technique could allow congenital conditions to be diagnosed and treated before birth