Dune Encyclopedia - what's canon? -- DUNE Novels Discussion Board

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

05/16/25 15:53:13 [ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, [4] ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 00:34:41 04/16/03 Wed
Author: compose
Subject: Dune Encyclopedia - what's canon?
In reply to: The Cannabist 's message, "Following post comes from "other board" - it may prove interesting here." on 00:33:21 04/16/03 Wed

this is for cannibist, since we were discussing the whole dune encyclopedia argument in the "dune advice" post from spicemunkey.

quotes are taken from www.dunenovels.com

"Some fans may have noticed apparent inconsistencies between DUNE: HOUSE ATREIDES (1999) and THE DUNE ENCYCLOPEDIA (1984), compiled by Dr. Willis E. McNelly. To clear up any confusion that might exist, the authors think it is important to explain that THE DUNE ENCYCLOPEDIA reflects an alternate "DUNE universe" which did not necessarily represent the "canon" created by Frank Herbert. Frank Herbert's son, Brian Herbert, writing with Kevin J. Anderson, IS continuing to establish the canon of the DUNE universe...."

**this just sounds silly to me. by what right does brian herbert claim that he and kevin anderson are the only ones who can continue to write the canon? just because brian is his son? i agree that he probably knows his pops better than any other writer, but mcnelly was no slouch**:

("His close relationships with Frank Herbert, author of the series of Dune novels, and other authors such as Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Harlan Ellison, Philip K. Dick, James Blish, Robert Heinlein and others led to the creation of the Science Fiction Section of the Special Collections Library at California State University, Fullerton. The collection is built upon the donation of many of his own and his father, Willis McNelly Sr.'s, collection of rare science fiction books along with original drafts and priceless additions from his author friends and colleagues Editor of the successful and highly sought-after Dune Encyclopedia.")

**mcnelly wasn't just some dude who walked in off of the street and compiled all this info about dune. if he wasn't an insider than i don't know who is. also, it said that frank said it didn't "necessarily" represent the canon. this is neither a rejection nor an acceptance of it.**

**if brian herbert was a great author, or not even that, if brian herbert was anything above a marginally talented author, then maybe i could give him more leeway. but as it stands right now, he's just related to frank herbert and riding on his coattails. just sharing herbert dna doesn't give him the right to say that he has the monopoly on dune canon. (i realize the irony of this because by law he and anderson actually do have a monopoly on dune canon, i'm speaking idealistically here.) **

"This is being done with the full approval of the owner of the DUNE copyright, the Herbert Limited Partnership..."

**and who is the Herbert Limited Partnership? well...brian herbert of course. so brian herbert is essentially saying that he gives himself permission to write whatever the hell he wants and that makes it canon.**

"While Frank Herbert himself considered THE DUNE ENCYCLOPEDIA interesting and entertaining, he did not refer to Dr. McNelly's derivative work while writing any of his DUNE novels."

**well of course frank didn't refer to it because "heretics of dune" and "chapterhouse: dune" didn't really have anything to do with anything that was in the encyclopedia. the encyclopedia dealt with small details and the interesting anecdotes that went along with the first four books, there was no need to refer back to it's small details and interesting anectodes and histories of certain characters when the last two books took place another 10,000 years or so after GEoD.**

"Likewise, in writing their DUNE novels (beginning with DUNE: HOUSE ATREIDES), Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson have exclusively used, and will continue to use, Frank Herbert's original notes as well as their own imaginations, and not THE DUNE ENCYCLOPEDIA.

**this is based solely on my opinion, but i have a sneaky suspicion that brian herbert and kevin anderson just found it a lot easier to write in the whole ixian plot and leto's other son etc... and declare the encylopedia "non-canon" rather than examining the enclyopedia and making the prequels match up to them. again, if the writing and ideas in the prequels were remarkable or really imaginative, i might not feel this way, but i felt the story lines and character development of the prequels pales in comparison to the creativity and complexity found in the encyclopedia.**

"We hope that the millions of DUNE fans will continue to enjoy all of the works written in Frank Herbert's marvelous universe."

**translation: we hope millions of dune fans will buy our books.**

"(signed)
Dr. Willis E. McNelly
Brian Herbert
Kevin J. Anderson"

**i wouldn't be a bit surprised if mcnelly signed this letter simply out of respect for his old friend and coworker, brian herbert's dad.**

again, this is all just my opinion and i may change my mind once the new DUNE Concordance comes out. if it is indeed superior (more creative and believable) to the DUNE Encyclopedia, then i shall happily convert to the brian herbert/kevin anderson camp, but until it comes out, i'm still loyal to mcnelly.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

my 2 cents -- The Cannabist, 00:36:01 04/16/03 Wed
- touche' -- compose', 00:54:06 04/16/03 Wed
  - I do concede that Brian cannot weave as well as Frank -- The Cannabist, 00:59:11 04/16/03 Wed
    - from the preface to the encyclopedia -- compose', 02:07:52 04/16/03 Wed