National Lampoon's Doon

Last updated
National Lampoon's Doon
NationalLampoonsDoon.JPG
Pall Agamemnides, aka Mauve'Bib and the Kumkwat Haagendasz, rides one of the giant pretzels of Doon, the dessert planet
Author Ellis Weiner
Cover artistDoug Beekman
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Parody, Science fiction
PublishedNovember 1984
Publisher Pocket Books ( National Lampoon )
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages221
ISBN 0-671-54144-7
OCLC 123103635

National Lampoon's Doon is a parody novel written by Ellis Weiner and published in 1984 by Pocket Books for National Lampoon . Doon is a spoof of Frank Herbert's 1965 science fiction novel Dune .

Contents

Doon was reprinted by Grafton Books ( ISBN   0-586-06636-5) in 1985. In 1988 William F. Touponce called the book "something of a tribute to Herbert's success on college campuses", noting that "the only other book to have been so honored is Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings ," which was parodied by The Harvard Lampoon in 1969. [1]

Dune is set on the dangerous planet Arrakis, sole source of the spice melange, the most valuable substance in the universe. The parody follows a similar storyline, wherein rival restaurant-owning families battle for control of Arruckus, which is overrun by giant pretzels and the source of valuable beer.

Plot

The planet Arruckus is also known as "Doon", the Dessert Planet, and its only export is beer. Within the Galactic Empire, House Hardchargin, the House given charge of Arruckus, has been displaced by House Agamemnides, with Duke Lotto at its head.

Soon after arriving on Doon, Duke Lotto and House Agamemnides fall victim to a scheme originated by Baron Vladimir Hardchargin and implemented by the Duke's own accountant Oyeah, who kept a secret second ledger. When the Emperor called for an audit of the fief, the duplicate ledger made it appear as though House Agamemnides had been cooking the books. Duke Lotto's brief reign over Doon is ended and House Hardchargin is reinstated as fief-holders.

Banished to the sugared wilderness, Pall, head of House Agamemnides, and Lady Jazzica meet with and are eventually accepted by the planet's native population, the Freedmenmen. Pall begins to ascend the power structure of the tribe and takes the Freedmenmen girl Loni as his lover. Pall positions himself as the long hoped-for Freedmenmen messiah, who will finally bring the entrees the Freedmenmen have hungered for. By this route, he assumes and consolidates his power over the natives.

Meanwhile, Baron Vladimir Hardchargin is hungry for more success, and has plans to become the true power in the galaxy. Events come to a head when Pall challenges the Baron to a bake-off, with a new ingredient: peanut butter, rendered from the naturally occurring snack mix's peanuts, and debuting his secret weapon – a liqueur made from beer – Drambrewski. With the support of the people, Pall assumes Imperial control, banishing the Emperor's house to the prison planet Simplicissima Secundus, acquiring the hand of the Emperor's daughter Serutan in a marriage of convenience, and the Freedmenmen woman Loni as his concubine.

Reception

Dave Langford reviewed National Lampoon's Doon for White Dwarf #76, and stated that "with the best will in the world, a parody of a particular author gets tiresome after a few thousand words." [2]

Reviews

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Children of Dune</i> 1976 novel by Frank Herbert

Children of Dune is a 1976 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the third in his Dune series of six novels. It was originally serialized in Analog Science Fiction and Fact in 1976, and was the last Dune novel to be serialized before book publication.

<i>Chapterhouse: Dune</i> 1985 novel by Frank Herbert

Chapterhouse: Dune is a 1985 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the last in his Dune series of six novels. It rose to No. 2 on The New York Times Best Seller list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vladimir Harkonnen</span> Fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is a fictional character in the Dune franchise created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel Dune and is also a prominent character in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy (1999–2001) by Herbert's son Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The character is brought back as a ghola in the Herbert/Anderson sequels which conclude the original series, Hunters of Dune (2006) and Sandworms of Dune (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Atreides</span> Fictional character in Dune

Paul Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is a main character in the first two novels in the series, Dune (1965) and Dune Messiah (1969), and returns in Children of Dune (1976). The character is brought back as two different gholas in the Brian Herbert/Kevin J. Anderson novels which conclude the original series, Hunters of Dune (2006) and Sandworms of Dune (2007), and appears in the prequels Paul of Dune (2008) and The Winds of Dune (2009). According to Brian Herbert, Frank Herbert's son and biographer, House Atreides was based on the heroic but ill-fated Greek mythological House Atreus.

<i>Dune</i> (1984 film) 1984 film directed by David Lynch

Dune is a 1984 American epic space opera film written and directed by David Lynch and based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel Dune. It was filmed at the Churubusco Studios in Mexico City and the soundtrack includes the rock band Toto. Its large ensemble cast includes Kyle MacLachlan's film debut as young nobleman Paul Atreides, Patrick Stewart, Brad Dourif, Dean Stockwell, Virginia Madsen, José Ferrer, Sting, Linda Hunt, and Max von Sydow.

<i>Dune</i> (novel) 1965 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert

Dune is a 1965 epic science fiction novel book by American author Frank Herbert, originally published as two separate serials in Analog magazine. It tied with Roger Zelazny's This Immortal for the Hugo Award for Best Novel and won the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966. It is the first installment of the Dune Chronicles. It is one of the world's best-selling science fiction novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duncan Idaho</span> Fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert

Duncan Idaho is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Introduced in the first novel of the series, 1965's Dune, he became a breakout character and was revived in 1969's Dune Messiah. He is the only character to feature in all six of Herbert's original Dune novels.

Arrakis —informally known as Dune and later called Rakis—is a fictional desert planet featured in the Dune series of novels by Frank Herbert. Herbert's first novel in the series, 1965's Dune, is considered one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time, and it is sometimes cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Jessica</span> Fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert

Lady Jessica is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. A main character in the 1965 novel Dune, Jessica also plays an important role in the later installment Children of Dune (1976). The events surrounding Jessica's conception, her birth and her early years with Leto are chronicled in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy (1999–2001) and the Caladan Trilogy (2020–2022) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. The character is brought back as a ghola in the Herbert/Anderson sequels which conclude the original series, Hunters of Dune (2006) and Sandworms of Dune (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alia Atreides</span> Fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert

Alia Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Introduced in the first novel of the series, 1965's Dune, the character was originally killed in Herbert's first version of the manuscript. At the suggestion of Analog magazine editor John Campbell, Herbert kept her alive in the final draft. Alia would next appear as a main character in both Dune Messiah (1969) and Children of Dune (1976). The character is brought back as a ghola in the Brian Herbert/Kevin J. Anderson conclusion to the original series, Sandworms of Dune (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Count Fenring</span> Fictional character created by Frank Herbert

Count Hasimir Fenring is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is featured in the 1965 science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert, and is also a key character in the Prelude to Dune trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. He later appears in the 2008 novel Paul of Dune, and the Caladan Trilogy (2020–2022).

<i>Dune</i> (franchise) American science fiction media franchise

Dune, also known as the Dune Chronicles, is an American science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert and has continued to add new publications. Dune is frequently described as the best-selling science fiction novel in history. It won the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel and the Hugo Award in 1966, and was later adapted into a 1984 film, a 2000 television miniseries, and a 2021 film. Herbert wrote five sequels, the first two of which were concomitantly adapted as a 2003 miniseries. Dune has also inspired tabletop games and a series of video games. Since 2009, the names of planets from the Dune novels have been adopted for the real-world nomenclature of plains and other features on Saturn's moon Titan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feyd-Rautha</span> Dune character

Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is a fictional character in the 1965 science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. He is the younger nephew and heir of the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, and is depicted to be cruel, treacherous and cunning, though not as much so as his uncle.

<i>The Dune Encyclopedia</i> Book by Willis E. McNelly

The Dune Encyclopedia is a 1984 collection of essays written by Willis E. McNelly and multiple other contributors as a companion to Frank Herbert's Dune series of science fiction novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margot Fenring</span> Fictional character created by Frank Herbert

Margot, Lady Fenring is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. She is featured in Herbert's Dune (1965), and is a major character in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy (1999–2001) and the 2008 novel Paul of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. She later appears in the Caladan Trilogy (2020–2022). Margot is the Bene Gesserit wife of Count Hasimir Fenring, a close friend of the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, but is loyal to the Sisterhood.

<i>Eye</i> (short story collection)

Eye (1985) is a collection of 13 science fiction short stories by American writer Frank Herbert. All of the works had been previously published in magazine or book form, except for "The Road to Dune".

Organizations of the <i>Dune</i> universe Details of the Dune science fiction novels

Multiple organizations of the Dune universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's Dune series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, the saga chronicles a civilization which has banned computers but has also developed advanced technology and mental and physical abilities through physical training, eugenics and the use of the drug melange. Specialized groups of individuals have aligned themselves in organizations focusing on specific abilities, technology and goals. Herbert's concepts of human evolution and technology have been analyzed and deconstructed in at least one book, The Science of Dune (2008). His originating 1965 novel Dune is popularly considered one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time, and is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history. Dune and its five sequels by Herbert explore the complex and multilayered interactions of politics, religion, ecology and technology, among other themes.

We've a three-point civilization: the Imperial Household balanced against the Federated Great Houses of the Landsraad, and between them, the Guild with its damnable monopoly on interstellar transport.

<i>Dune</i> prequel series Five sci-fi trilogies (pub. 1999–2020) set prior to Dune (1965)

The Dune prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's original six novels, which began with 1965's Dune. In 1997, Bantam Books made a $3 million deal with the authors for three Dune prequel novels, partially based upon notes left behind by Frank Herbert, that would come to be known as the Prelude to Dune trilogy. Starting with 1999's Dune: House Atreides, the duo have published 14 Dune prequel novels to date. In 2011 Publishers Weekly called the series "a sprawling edifice that Frank Herbert’s son and Anderson have built on the foundation of the original Dune novels." Jon Michaud of The New Yorker wrote in 2013, "The conversion of Dune into a franchise, while pleasing readers and earning royalties for the Herbert estate, has gone a long way toward obscuring the power of the original novel."

References

  1. Touponce, William F. (1988). "Herbert's Reputation". Frank Herbert. Boston, Massachusetts: Twayne Publishers imprint, G. K. Hall & Co. p. 119. ISBN   0-8057-7514-5.
  2. Langford, Dave (April 1986). "Critical Mass". White Dwarf . No. 76. Games Workshop. p. 9.
  3. "Title: National Lampoon's Doon".