Library of Babble is our new sci-fi and fantasy book club! For the first episode, we discuss Frank Herbert’s 1965 classic Dune, as well as David Lynch and Denis Villeneuve’s film adaptations. We talk about the novel’s world-building, especially how it treats ecology (desert power!) and religion; the novel as both anti-imperialist and orientalist; its deconstruction of the white messiah; its roots in Herbert’s conservatism; and much more! As far as the films go, we debate the merits of Timothée Chalamee’s acting, marvel over Villeneuve’s landscapes (while wondering if he wouldn’t prefer to get rid of the characters altogether), and the impossible expectations set by the book for film adaptations.

Our next book for Library of Babble is Larissa Lai’s The Tiger Flu, which we will be discussing in late January!