List of fiction inspired by Dune

As one of the best-known and best-selling science fiction novels of all time, Frank Herbert's "Dune" series has inspired many works both inside and outside the SF genre. The series makes use of the Hero's Journey, as do many of the works that it inspired.

"Fading Suns"

The "Fading Suns" role-playing game shares many similarities of setting with "Dune"; the game is set in a galactic empire in the far future made up of feuding houses and guilds and based in part on cultures and societies of Earth's past. As with "Warhammer 40,000", the Middle-Eastern feel of the "Dune" setting is abandoned in favour of something more similar to the Holy Roman Empire or the Crusades, although the influence of "Dune" is obvious.

"Metabarons"

In "Metabarons" by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Juan Gimenez, the third Metabaron, Aghnar, was conceived as part of an elaborate ploy by a matriarchal secret society called the Sisterhood of Shabda-Oud in order to create an androgynous superhuman. However, the Shabda-Oud Sister charged with conceiving Aghnar instead chose to make the child male and use him secretly as a weapon to almost eradicate the Sisterhood. This scenario is similar to Lady Jessica's betrayal of the Bene Gesserit in "Dune". (This may not be a coincidence: Jodorowsky tried to make a film of Dune that never came about.)

Nausicaä of the "Valley of the Wind"

The manga and the film "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" share many similarities with "Dune", including the ecological themes of the story, Nausicaä's role as a chosen one foretold by prophecy, and Nausicaä's ability to tame and ride the giant Ohmu creatures.

"Matrix" Trilogy

"The Matrix" and its sequels are similar to "Dune" in that both series feature unwitting messiahs as the main protagonists. Like Paul Atreides from "Dune", characters are trapped by their destiny. Both series contain religious overtones, something more evident in the two sequels to "The Matrix". The history of "Dune" features a great campaign against machines, similar to Zion's war against the machines. Neo loses his eyes in "Revolutions" but can still see, resembling Paul's ability to see after he loses his eyes. Neo also sacrifices himself to save humanity after losing his lover Trinity. This somewhat echoes Paul walking into the desert immediately after Chani dies giving birth to the twins, whom Paul knows will save humanity. "Dune" has a distinct ecological theme in that humans need water which kills worms, but humans need spice from the worms. In "The Matrix", it is briefly touched upon that humans and machines need to coexist, and who is in control is often impossible to determine. Moreover, the Mentat Miles Teg in "Heretics of Dune" is able to perceive his environment in slow motion like Neo in "The Matrix"'s bullet time. The oracle from the Matrix trilogy possessed prescience.

"Robotech"

Series producer Carl Macek cites Dune as one of the inspirations for "Robotech" in his 1987 book Robotech Art III. Protoculture, like the spice melange was a multipurpose substance obtained from a dangerous organic source (the Arrakis sandworms in the case of melange, the Invid flower of Life in the case of protoculture. Protoculture served as an energy source for Robotechnology and was vital to the survival of the Robotech Masters Empire. In the Jack McKinney novels, protoculture also served as a drug or narcotic that could boost awareness and cause clairvoyant episodes (briefly seen in an episode of the Robotech Masters segment when Dana Sterling is almost electrocuted by a protoculture chamber). The novels also expanded protoculture to metaphysical levels introducing the ability to influence the course of events via "The Shapings" and the ability to influence the Shapings is similar to the Bene Gesserit ability to "pass within". Dr. Emil Lang's (and later Lazlo Zand's) initial exposure to protoculture turned his eyes completely black; similar to the blue within blue eyes of Dune's Fremen who are continuously exposed to the spice.

The Jack McKinney Robotech novelizations contain an additional homage to Dune in the literary style of the fictional epigraphs that appear at the beginnings of each chapter.

"Star Trek"

In "Star Trek", the Vulcans, like the Bene Gesserit of "Dune", suppress their emotions as dangerous. As well, their devotion to logic is very similar to the Mentat abilities and are often derided by humans as being too much like a computer. The planet Vulcan itself is a desert planet much like Arrakis.

"Star Wars"

The "Star Wars" universe is also said to be heavily influenced by the "Dune" novels. This is a hotly debated topic among fans, as many of the themes present could be said to be archetypes of science fiction and fantasy novels, as well as of world mythology; other fans contend that the "Star Wars" films are only action films, with almost no deeper meaning. Thus, by this logic any ties between "Star Wars" and "Dune" would be very much superficial and coincidental. However, George Lucas himself acknowledged Herbert's influence by naming vehicles sandcrawlers and by noting that the snake-like skeleton in the original film was meant as a nod to Herbert's sandworms. Biographers of Lucas have noted that "Dune" was one of several science-fiction texts explored by Lucas while he was developing "Star Wars" in the early seventies.

The similarities were even more prominent in the early drafts of "Star Wars"' script. Princess Leia is transporting a crate of spice instead of station plans, the Jedi are identified as Jedi Bindu and the galaxy is divided into great houses. Herbert decided not to sue "Star Wars" creator George Lucas because the court battle would have gone on for years, making it more costly and troublesome than it was worth.Fact|date=February 2007

Desert Planet

Both Arrakis ("Dune") and Tatooine ("Star Wars") are desert planets with no naturally-occurring rainfall, with only sparse habition and few cities. Arrakis has two moons; Tatooine orbits two suns and also has two moons. Inhabitants of both planets make use of artificial means of water collection, such as vapor harvesters (windtraps in "Dune", moisture vaporators in "Star Wars"). Additionally, Smugglers are common on both worlds. In "Dune" this is the result of a Spacing Guild monopoly and taxation; in "Star Wars," smuggling occurs as result of high tariffs imposed by the Empire, as well as the Rebellion against the Empire.

and People

The sand people of Tatooine wear desert-gear which covers their entire body and a mask with an air filter, just like the Fremen. Like the fremen, they also wear sand colored capes and cloaks. Like the Fremen, the sand people always go armed, they live in isolation from extraplanetary affairs, resist the planetary government, and evade census and taxation.

and Worm

On Tatooine there is a sand worm similar to those in Dune referred to as the Sarlacc. However, the Sarlacc doesn't crawl beneath the sand. Instead it lies buried up to its gaping mouth, waiting for prey to walk, fall or fly close to its intra-buccal beak. Luke Skywalker and his party escaped a slow rotting death in the Sarlacc's stomach in Star Wars Episode VI.

Jabba The Hutt

Jabba the Hutt bears a number of similarities to Leto II in "God Emperor of Dune". Both resemble worms with almost useless appendages and a human-like face at the forefront of their worm-like physiology. Both rule over a desert planet in a gigantic palace. The main differences are that Jabba is smaller, weaker, less intelligent, without prescience, has a shorter lifespan, rules over a smaller portion of his known universe (all of which reflect his smaller role in the narrative), and most importantly, Jabba is a member of an alien race, whereas Leto II is a unique hybrid of two separate species: Human and Sandworm.

pice

Growing up on Tatooine, Luke believed his father to have been a navigator on a spice freighter.Citation
title = Star Wars: Databank
url=http://www.starwars.com/databank/character/lukeskywalker/
accessdate = 2007-08-30In one of the Star Wars novels they found spice in a market, and the commerce of spice is mentioned in others.In episode II (Attack of the Clones) Padmé and young Anakin drink spice in Tatooine in the moisture farm of Cliegg Lars (husband of Anakin’s mother).

Kessel

The spice-mines of Kessel are mentioned in passing in the original "Star Wars" film. In the expanded universe, a mind-altering spice created by aggressive creatures is mined on Kessel. The planet and creatures resemble the worms and desert planet of Arrakis, which produce the spice melange. In one supplement for the original "Star Wars" role-playing game, Kessel was referred to as "Arrakis by any other name".

The Jedi

It is argued that the Jedi are inspired by the Bene Gesserit order of "Dune." The Jedi ability to control weak minds ("These are not the droids you are looking for") resembles the Bene Gesserit skill of verbal control over a subject (known in the novels as Voice). "Dune" explored the Voice as the ability to analyze an individual's character and formulate a specific tone to appeal to them, while "Star Wars" left the nature of such vocal control unexplained. These differences may be the result of differing media: "Dune" is a lengthy novel, while "Star Wars" is a film. However the Bene Gesserit is not the only source of inspiration to the Jedi, many contend that the Jedi were based largely on Taoist philosophy and Zoroastrianism, and unlike the Bene Geserit, Jedi can be male or female.

Both organizations have prophecies concerning a Messianic figure: "The Chosen One" in the "Star Wars" prequels, and the Kwisatz Haderach in the "Dune" universe. In "Dune," the messiah myth was implanted by the Bene Gesserit so they could gain leverage over a primitive culture should a Reverend Mother be trapped on the planet; in "Star Wars," however, the Prophecy of the Chosen One is left largely unexplained.

A closer match to the Bene Gesserit, at least in terms of the superstitions surrounding the order, are the Force-wielding "witches" of Dathomir found in Expanded Universe fiction.

Twins

Another similarity is between Paul's wife Chani giving birth to twins after expecting only one child in the "Dune" series, and Anakin's wife, Padmé, doing the same in the "Star Wars" series. In both versions the mothers die during childbirth, an occurrence which is foreseen by the fathers although they react differently to it. The Atreides twins (Ghanima and Leto II) and the Skywalker twins (Luke and Leia), have a mental and emotional contact between them so strong it sometimes borders on being an even closer relationship than simple sibling love. Luke and Leia, in the expanded universe of "Star Wars" novels, have to deal with this. Ghanima and Leto talk about possible relationships between them in the novel "Children of Dune", but they are bound by the Fremen ways not to go further. Though Leto "marries" Ghanima, his physical transformation prevents them from carrying out more than an emotional relationship, and Ghanima takes Leto's court historian Harq al'Ada as a male concubine.

Father and Son

Just as Leto II completed the Golden Path that his father Paul had begun, it can be argued Luke Skywalker fulfills the prophecy of the "chosen one" in the place of his father Anakin, bringing balance to the force. In both fictional universes, the father is believed to be dead but later returns under a new identity: the heretic Preacher in "Dune", and the evil Darth Vader in "Star Wars". Most dramatically, in both narratives the hero discovers he is descended from his adversary--Luke from Vader and Paul from Baron Harkonnen.

tormtroopers

The Imperial Stormtroopers in "Star Wars" may also have been inspired by the Imperial Sardaukar of "Dune". Both of them are specially "manufactured" main forces used by the Emperor of the respective fictional universes. It should be noted that most fictional rulers employ large standing armies. Although the original clonetroopers in "Star Wars" are clones of a single human (Jango Fett), the stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire are trained on Carida from an age around 17 (ages vary according to different rotations of planets). The Sardaukar are individuals raised in a harsh environment, the Imperial prison planet Salusa Secundus, from youth. Sardaukar troop origin and training are explained in full in the "Prelude to Dune" prequel trilogy. However, Sardaukar are considered to be one of the best fighting forces in the Dune universe, possessing greater than average strength and intelligence and larger overall size, while Stormtroopers are often depicted as hapless drones, useful only in overwhelming numbers.

Vehicles

Ornithopters, the primary means of on-planet travel in the "Dune" novels, are seen on the Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk in the final "Star Wars" prequel, '. In the final battle of ', large carry-alls very similar to those in the "Dune" novels are shown dropping off ground vehicles; In the "Dune" universe, carry-alls are used to transport spice harvesting vehicles away from danger. The Jawa sandcrawlers physically resemble "Dune"'s enormous spice harvesting vehicles, also called sandcrawlers.

Muad'Dib

In the Expanded Universe novel series The Bounty Hunter Wars, the character of Muad'Dib is present. Muad'Dib is a name used repeatedly in the Dune series of novels.

"Tremors"

The film "Tremors" features desert worm creatures, informally called Graboids, that bear a distinct resemblance to the Sandworms of Dune, though on a far smaller scale. The graboids' mouths consist of four opposing jaws (described as looking like a "grotesque flower" in the screenplay), which are similar to the triple-jawed mouths of the sandworms in David Lynch's earlier production of "Dune" (the sandworms in the subsequent SciFi Channel production of "Dune" possess more conventional-looking paired jaws). However, in the Bonus Features to the "Tremors" DVD, Collector's Edition, director Ron Underwood states that care was taken to make the graboids look distinct from sandworms.

In addition, both sandworms and graboids are attracted to rhythmic vibrations on the surface, such as the footsteps of animals or people, as well as operating machinery. In the case of graboids, this is obviously an adaptation for catching prey. In the case of sandworms, it may be hunting behavior or it may be a response to an irritating stimulus. Although "Dune" predates "Tremors" by many years, it remains to be determined whether "Tremors" co-writer Steven S. Wilson was heavily influenced by "Dune," or whether his creations are simply convergent with those of Frank Herbert.

"Warhammer 40,000"

The Imperium of Games Workshop's "Warhammer 40,000" ("WH40K") universe shares many similarities with that of "Dune"; it is a futuristic space opera universe based strongly on cultures from Earth's past. In the case of "WH40K" the setting is more akin to that of the historical Crusades than the Middle-Eastern or Islamic flavour of "Dune"; however the prevalence of old-world religion and ritual in a far future setting is common to both. Both universes also share many similarities in terms of timeline and history, and the importance of those with psychic abilities; for example, the Guild Navigators of "Dune" are virtually indistinguishable in terms of role and organisation to the mutant-psychic Navigators of the Warp in "WH40K". Similarly, the Imperial Space Marines of the "Warhammer 40,000" universe, resemble the Sardaukar. "WH40K's" "Emperor of Mankind" is sometimes referred to as the "God-Emperor", and both Leto II of "Dune" and the Emperor of "WH40K" possess superhuman and psychic powers, and have an elite army of female warriors (the Fish Speakers and Sisters of Battle, respectively). The inhabitants of both empires are forced to worship their respective Emperor, although the Emperor of "WH40K" did not wish to be worshipped.

Additionally, "WH40K" borrows some of the names of technologies from the "Dune" series, such as lasguns, suspensors and plasteel.

"Wheel of Time" series

A number of similarities to "Dune" are noted by readers of Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time" fantasy book series. In particular his Aiel are nomadic desert dwellers (similar to the Fremen) influenced by an external power of female mystic tradition, the Aes Sedai (similar to the Bene Gesserit), who imparted many customs, such as a legend concerning the appearance of a saviour or messiah (Rand al'Thor (like Paul Atreides in "Dune") [http://www.steelypips.org/wotfaq/3_sources/3.11_other-sf-dune.html Wheel of Time FAQ 3.11: On similarities between "The Wheel of Time" and other SF (including Dune)] . In addition, two of the Forsaken characters mention the giant worms in the Blight.

"Homeworld"

Several similarities in Relic Entertainment's Homeworld series of games and the Dune series of books exist. Most notably, the Exiles/Higaarans themselves resemble the Fremen in that they're a religious, nomadic middle-eastern inspired culture which lives on a barren desert planet called Kharak, and were forced there by oppressive enemies. The Vaygr resemble the Fremen as they were during the Jihad, and Makaan himself resembles the cult-like figure that Paul Atreidies became. The Taiidan Emperor is referred to as the "God Emperor" and occupies a similar tyrannical role to that of Leto II. In addition, both Karan S'Jet and Makaan are human beings who, through technology, are able to transcend biological limitations in terms of mental capability, and who live floating in large liquid nutrient tanks. Finally, the themes of messianic prophecy take a very similar course in Homeworld to the ones found in the Dune books.

"Half-Life 2"

A few similarities exist between Valve's PC game Half-Life 2 and the novel Dune. In the chapter Sandtraps the player is confronted several times with creatures called antlions. If the player steps on the sand, the world rumbles for a moment and then a horde of these creatures attack the player much like the sand worms in Dune. At a part in the game another character even tells the player to, "Stay on the rocks!" In addition, the player encounters several thumpers in the game that largely resemble the thumpers in Dune. However instead of being small, they are very large, tall and can't be moved. Also the thumpers repel the antlions, unlike in Dune where they attract the sand worms. Later in the storyline, the player is able to take control of the antlions to fight for him, much like the Fremen do in Dune.

"Spore"

In the 2008 EA video game Spore during the civilization and space stage of the player's creature's evolution stages there are places on the creature's planet called Spice Nodes. The Spice Nodes are places on a planet where spice escapes into the planet's atmosphere. The player can command military vehicles to go to a Spice Node and set up a derrek to mine the spice. Once in space stage, the spice can be traded with other civilizations. There are also 5 different colors of spice and the rarity of each color dictates how expensive it is.

"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time"

In the 1998 Nintendo 64 video game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, an opposing faction to the main protagonist (Link) who dwell in the desert, the Gerudo, are an exclusively female group with a prophecy that a male would be born among them. That male, becomes the villainous Ganondorf, however, instead of a messianic figure such as Paul in Dune. Also the Haunted Wasteland in the Zelda game shares many similar features to the deserts of Arrakis, (such as guiding poles).

ee also

*Doon

External links

* [http://moongadget.com/origins/dune.html "Star Wars" Origins: "Dune" - Moongadget.com]