Dune Messiah

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Dune Messiah
Dune Messiah-Frank Herbert (1969) First edition.jpg
First edition
Author Frank Herbert
Audio read by
Cover artist Jack Gaughan
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series Dune
Genre Science fiction
Published1969
Publisher Putnam Publishing
Media typePrint (hardcover & paperback)
Pages256
OCLC 32595
813/.5/4
LC Class PZ4.H5356 Du PS3558.E63
Preceded by Dune  
Followed by Children of Dune  

Dune Messiah is a 1969 science fiction novel by American writer Frank Herbert, the second in his Dune series of six novels. A sequel to Dune (1965), it was originally serialized in Galaxy magazine in 1969, and then published by Putnam the same year. Dune Messiah and its own sequel Children of Dune (1976) were collectively adapted by the Sci-Fi Channel in 2003 into a miniseries entitled Frank Herbert's Children of Dune .

Contents

Plot

Twelve years into Paul "Muad'Dib" Atreides's reign as Emperor, he grapples with the unintended consequences of his role as the Fremen messiah. His jihad has resulted in the deaths of billions, and he struggles to maintain control as the Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild, and Tleilaxu work together to destabilize his rule.

One of the key elements in their plan is the introduction of a cloned version of Duncan Idaho, Paul's childhood mentor, given to him by the Guild Navigator Edric and made by the Tleilaxu. This Duncan, known as Hayt, is intended to sow doubt and discord within Paul's inner circle. Meanwhile, Paul's concubine Chani becomes pregnant, despite attempts by others to prevent it due to their fears about the child's fate.

Otheym, one of Paul's former Fedaykin death commandos, reveals evidence of a Fremen conspiracy against Paul. Otheym gives Paul his dwarf Tleilaxu servant Bijaz, who, like a recording machine, can remember faces, names, and details. Paul accepts reluctantly, seeing the strands of a Tleilaxu plot. As Paul's soldiers attack the conspirators, others set off an atomic weapon called a stone burner, purchased from the Tleilaxu, that destroys the area and blinds Paul.

Bijaz, actually an agent of the Tleilaxu, uses a specific humming intonation to implant a command that will compel Hayt to attempt to kill Paul under certain circumstances. Chani dies in childbirth, and Paul's reaction to her death triggers Hayt, who attempts to kill Paul. Hayt's ghola body reacts against its programming and Duncan's full consciousness is recovered, simultaneously making him independent of Tleilaxu control.

Chani gives birth to twins, who come into the world fully conscious with Kwisatz Haderach-like access to ancestral memories. The son is a total surprise for Paul, who had only foreseen the birth of their daughter. Scytale offers to revive Chani as a ghola, but Paul refuses to submit, considering the possibility that the Tleilaxu might program Chani in some diabolical way. The Face Dancer then threatens the infants with a knife to force Paul to accept and also demands all of his CHOAM holdings in return. By successfully escaping the oracular trap and setting the universe on a new path, Paul has been rendered completely blind, yet he can kill Scytale with an accurately aimed dagger due to a psychic vision from his son's perspective. Later that evening Bijaz approaches Paul and repeats Scytale's offer, but is killed by Duncan on Paul's order. Now prophetically and physically blind, Paul chooses to embrace the Fremen tradition of a blind man walking alone into the desert, winning the fealty of the Fremen for his children, who will inherit his empire.

Paul leaves his sister Alia, now romantically involved with Duncan, as regent for the twins, whom he has named Leto and Ghanima. Alia orders the execution of Edric, Mohiam, and others involved in the plot against her brother, going against his wish that none of them should be hurt. Alia spares Princess Irulan who, in grief for Paul, has renounced her loyalty to the Bene Gesserit and vowed to dedicate her life as a teacher to Paul's children. Duncan notes the irony that Paul and Chani's deaths have enabled them to triumph against their enemies: the Spacing Guild and the Bene Tleilax have been discredited, Irulan's defection from the Bene Gesserit removes the sisterhood's last lever against the Atreides, and Paul has escaped deification by walking into the desert as a man, while guaranteeing Fremen support for the Atreides line.

Publication history

Parts of Dune Messiah (and its sequel Children of Dune ) were written prior to the completion of Dune itself. [1] The novel appeared initially as a five part serial in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine published from June (cover dated July) to October (cover dated November) 1969 with illustrations by Jack Gaughan. A Putnam hardback edition also appeared in October 1969. The American and British editions contain different prologues which summarized the events of Dune. Dune Messiah and Children of Dune were published in a single volume by the Science Fiction Book Club in 2002, [2] and in 1979 by Gollancz with Dune as The Great Dune Trilogy.

Analysis

Herbert likened the initial trilogy of novels (Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune) to a fugue, and while Dune was a heroic melody, Dune Messiah was its inversion. Paul rises to power in Dune by seizing control of the single critical resource in the universe, melange. His enemies are dead or overthrown, and he is set to take the reins of power and bring a hard but enlightened peace to the universe. Herbert chose in the books that followed to undermine Paul's triumph with a string of failures and philosophical paradoxes. [3]

Critical reception

Galaxy Science Fiction called Dune Messiah "Brilliant ... It was all that Dune was, and maybe a little more." [4] Spider Robinson enjoyed the book "even as [he] was driving a truck through the holes in its logic, because it had the same majestic rolling grandeur of the previous book." [5] Challenging Destiny called the novel "The perfect companion piece to Dune ... Fascinating." [4]

Adaptations

David Lynch had planned to adapt sequels to Dune during the film's production in 1983–1984, with a script tentatively-titled Dune II. Based on Dune Messiah, the film had some differences from the novel's story, much like the first film had. After the critical and commercial failure of Dune, the sequel did not proceed. The partial script developed by Lynch with notes by Frank Herbert was discovered in summer 2023 at Herbert's archives at California State University, Fullerton. [6] [7]

Dune Messiah and its sequel Children of Dune (1976) were collectively adapted by the Sci-Fi Channel in 2003 into a miniseries entitled Frank Herbert's Children of Dune . [8] The first installment of the three part, six-hour miniseries covers the bulk of the plot of Dune Messiah. The second and third installments adapt Children of Dune. [9]

Prior to the release of his 2021 theatrical adaptation Dune , director Denis Villeneuve confirmed at the 2021 Venice Film Festival that a film based on Dune Messiah was planned, and it would serve as the third film in a trilogy. [10] After Dune: Part Two (covering the second half of the first novel) was officially greenlit in October 2021, Villeneuve reiterated his hope to continue the series with a third film focusing on Dune Messiah. [11] [12] Screenwriter Jon Spaihts confirmed in March 2022 that Villeneuve still planned on a third film, and TV series spin-offs to continue the Dune saga. [13] Villeneuve began writing a script for a Dune Messiah film in 2023. [14] In February 2024, Villeneuve said the script was "almost finished" but also said he "[doesn't] want to rush it," citing Hollywood's tendency of focusing on release dates over a film's overall quality. [15] Composer Hans Zimmer had already begun working on the film's score to assist Villeneuve in creating the film. [16] In April 2024, following the critical and commercial success of Dune: Part Two, Legendary Pictures confirmed that Dune Messiah was in development with Villeneuve as director. [17]

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References

  1. ↑ Herbert, Frank (1976). "When I Was Writing Dune". Children of Dune (2008 ed.). Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN   9781440630514 . Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  2. ↑ Herbert, Frank (2002). Dune Messiah and Children of Dune (1st SFBC Printing ed.). Science Fiction Book Club. ISBN   0-7394-2399-1..
  3. ↑ Herbert, Frank (July 1980). "DuneGenesis". Omni . FrankHerbert.org. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2014. Of course there are other themes and fugal interplays in Dune and throughout the trilogy. Dune Messiah performs a classic inversion of the theme. Children of Dune expands the number of themes interplaying ... That fits the pattern of the fugue.
  4. 1 2 Herbert, Frank (1976). "Praise for the Dune Chronicles". Children of Dune (2008 ed.). Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN   9781440630514 . Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  5. ↑ Robinson, Spider (September 1976). "Galaxy Bookshelf". Galaxy Science Fiction : 110.
  6. ↑ Evry, Max (January 10, 2024). "I Found David Lynch's Lost Dune II Script". Wired . Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  7. ↑ Prestinary, Patrisia. "LibGuides: Frank Herbert's Dune - A guide for further study" – via Libraryguides.fullerton.edu.
  8. ↑ Fritz, Steve (December 4, 2000). "Dune: Remaking the Classic Novel". Cinescape. Archived from the original on March 16, 2008. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  9. ↑ Asher-Perrin, Emmet (September 19, 2017). "SyFy's Children of Dune Miniseries Delivers On Emotion When Philosophy Falls Flat". Tor.com . Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  10. ↑ Casey, Dan (September 3, 2021). "Dune Director Denis Villeneuve Teases Trilogy Plans". Nerdist . Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  11. ↑ Davids, Brian (October 28, 2021). "Denis Villeneuve on Dune Success and the Road to Part Two". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  12. ↑ Jolin, Dan (January 10, 2022). "Denis Villeneuve talks 'taxing' Dune shoot, identifying with Paul Atreides, sequel plans". Screendaily.com. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  13. ↑ Ellwood, Gregory (March 10, 2022). "Jon Spaihts on a Potential Dune Trilogy & Collaborating With Park Chan-Wook [Interview]". ThePlaylist.net. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  14. ↑ Zacharek, Stephanie (31 January 2024). "Denis Villeneuve Refuses to Let Hollywood Shrink Him Down to Size". Time . Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  15. ↑ Bythrow, Nick (2024-02-26). ""The Danger In Hollywood": Dune 3's Release Delay Plan Defended By Denis Villeneuve". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  16. ↑ Zee, Jazz Tangcay,Michaela; Tangcay, Jazz; Zee, Michaela (2024-02-29). "'Dune 2': Hans Zimmer Talks Composing Paul and Chani's Love Theme, Co-Writing Gurney's Song With Josh Brolin and Prepping for 'Messiah'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ Thompson, Jaden (April 4, 2024). "Denis Villeneuve and Legendary Developing Dune 3 and Nuclear War: A Scenario Film Adaptation". Variety . Retrieved April 7, 2024.
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