Episode 36 takes us to the desert planet of Arrakis for our discussion of Dune, with particular reference to the 2021/2024 films as well as Frank Herbert's books.
Our themes centre on the depiction of colonial power and imperialism, with particular reference to messiah figures, the 'white saviour', and religious messaging for political gain.
We also look at Dune as early cli-fi, the environmental messaging of co-existing with the natural world, and the impact of capitalism on the environment.
We reference a number of pieces of literary criticism in this episode, and we recommend reading the following to complement our thoughts:
Durrani, Harris. Dune’s Not a White Savior Narrative. But It’s Complicated. | by Haris Durrani
Parkerson, Ronny. SEMANTICS, GENERAL SEMANTICS, AND ECOLOGY IN FRANK HERBERT'S DUNE on JSTOR
Ramos, Dino-Ray. Let's Talk About 'Dune' And The Representation Of People Of Color In Sci-Fi And Genre Films - DIASPORA
Senior, William A. “Frank Herbert’s Prescience: ‘Dune’ and the Modern World.” Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts 17, no. 4 (68) (2007): 317–20. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44809216.
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