First let me get this confession out of the way, I have never been a devoted uber fan of Dune. I have read the original novel a few times, I see the deeper ecological and sociological warnings Herbert infused into the narrative, but it has never been one of my favorite books but simply an enjoyable one with something to say. I have read the immediate sequel and none of the other books, neither the one by the original author nor the expended one by others, so my interest in the upcoming movie is not from sense of awe about the source material.

I did see the David Lynch film back in the 80s and I even own it on Blu-ray, it is a lovely, strange, and confused mess that is less like Lynch’s filmography that every other movie he has directed. It missed the novel’s core themes but is enjoyable for the train wreck it is.

Denis Villeneuve, a film maker with a track record of interesting and intelligent science-fiction films, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, is an artist who might be able to crack the titanic trouble that adapting a novel primary about ideas into a visual medium. I am heartened to know that he is not attempting to cram all of the novel into a single film but without the sequels already ‘green lit’ we are in danger of being left hanging with an incomplete story. This Dune has an impressive cast, not that Lynch’s didn’t but I always have issues when family member for no discernable reason speak in radically different accents, and benefits from 21 century visual effects. (I really like the look of the ornithopters, the dragonfly-like wings at least feel credible. I confess to never having successfully visualized the craft while reading the novel.)

Next month I will learn if my excitement is justified.

My SF/Noir Vulcan’s Forge is available from Amazon and all booksellers. The novel is dark, cynical, and packed with movie references,