BOOK
Dune
THE GIST
The gist
On the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the most valuable substance in the universe, young Paul Atreides and his family are pulled into a deadly struggle among noble houses, an emperor, and the planet's native Fremen. A sweeping story of politics, religion, ecology, and power (1965).
ON THE SHOW
On the show.
- Ep 3 — Science Fiction isn’t about the future (12:45–14:08): Rob says Dune is set so far ahead that its technology feels more like magic (he calls it, like Star Wars, "almost science fantasy"), but it still has a lot to say about people and the machinations of power. Caitlin adds the messiah question: why do we follow the leaders we follow?
TERMS
Terms it runs on.
- Science Fantasy — Stories that blend science fiction's settings or explanations with fantasy's feel: spaceships alongside psychic powers, or dragons with a scientific backstory.