Summary
AlthoughFrank Herbert’sDune(1965)was once considered to be unfilmable, the recent success of Denis Villeneuve’s take on the material has shown that this is far from true. Thanks to breathtaking visuals and strong performancesby actors like Zendayaand Timothee Chalamet, the epic tale of Paul Atreides' revenge against the scheming Harkonnens has impressed fans and critics alike.
TheDunemovies may be long (clocking in at a combined 320 minutes), but they’ve left many fans hungry for more. Luckily, many much-loved elements of Hebert’s narrative can be found in a number of acclaimed movies, books, and television shows. From classic franchises likeStar Warsto lesser-known novels, there are plenty of options for fans looking to spice up their wait for Villeneuve’s next movie.
6Star Wars
Movies (1979–2019) | Created by George Lucas
A young man with a close association to a desert planet is destined to play a vital role in overthrowing the galactic government, but may discover that power has a tendency to corrupt. If this premise sounds familiar, it’s because it broadly sums up the character arcs of bothDune’s Paul Atreides andStar Wars’Anakin Skywalker. In another universe, it might also have described Luke Skywalker—George Lucas even toyed with the idea of having Luke take his father’s place as the franchise big-bad following Vader’s defeat.
Outside the prequel movies,Star Warslacks the political maneuvering central toDune’s narrative, preferring to focus on a simpler good versus evil narrative. However,there are similaritiesto Herbert’s space opera, with Jedi mind tricks coming across as a twist on the Bene Gesserit’s Voice.
5The Expanse
Television Series (2015–2022) | Created by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby
WhileThe Expanse(based on a series of novels by James S.A. Corey) lacks the desert imagery ofDune, it more than makes up for this by replicating Herbert’s fiendishly complex web of political machinations. Devious political operators like Chrisjen Avasarala could even give the Harkonnens a run for their money, whilethe mysterious protomoleculehas all the universe-changing potential of Arrakis' spice.
Admittedly, early seasons ofThe Expanseprimarily focus on the political situation within the Solar System rather than reaching forDune’s epic scale, but this does nothing to detract from the show’s tense atmosphere.The Expansemay be different toDunein terms of how it depicts the future, but its dense world-building and strong characters are sure to draw in fans of Herbert’s work.
4Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Television Series (1993–1999) | Created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller
Star Trekcreator Gene Roddenberryfamously disliked the idea of religion in his utopian future, butDeep Space Ninedemonstrated that storylines which explored faith could make for gripping and thought-provoking television. Much like Paul Atreides,DS9’s Benjamin Sisko finds himself adopted as a religious figure, the Emissary of the Prophets, by a group of alien worshipers. Like Paul, Sisko is reluctant to accept this role, which will lead to him playing a dramatic role in galactic events.
Due toDS9’s ensemble cast and broad range of topics, Sisko’s path towards godhood is far less central to the narrative than Paul’s journey inDune. However, theStar Trekseries nonetheless manages to emulate the political backstabbing, epic warfare, and arc of an outsider being adopted into an alien culture that is central to Herbert’s novels.
3Nova
Novel (1968) | Written by Samuel R. Delaney
Written when Delaney was just 25 years old,Novaimagines a future in which a resource vital for space travel, Illyrion, sparks a feud between rival human factions. The powerful Red family is desperate to maintain its hold over the flow of Ilyrion, while the upstart Lorq Von Ray aims to find a fresh supply of the power source at the center of an exploding star. The parallels toDune’s conflicts over spice production are evident.
Novaalso bears tonal similarities toDune. Despite the book’s futuristic setting, Delaney emphasizes elements of the historical and occult, such as the focus on great houses and the use of tarot cards in place of some technologies. Given Delaney’s inventiveness, it’s surprising thatNovahas yet to be adapted for the screen, althougha Neil Gaiman-led adaptationwas announced in 2023.
2Babylon 5
Television Series (1993–1998) | Created by J. Michael Stracyznski
Denis Villeneuve’sDunemovies have been rightly praised for their impressive visuals, so it might seem odd to compare them toBabylon 5,a series which has not aged well in the looks department. However, despite some wonky early CGI and a tight budget,Babylon 5remains one of the foundational texts of small-screen science fiction.
J. Michael Stracynzi’s series features severalDune-adjacent elements, including an unforgettable portrayal of how power corrupts and some doom-laden prophecies.Babylon 5is less tightly focused than Herbert’s novels, as it coversa wide range of alien racesin addition to conflicts between different human factions. The result is a living, breathing universe that rivals the journey of Paul Atreides in the script department, even if it can’t compete in purely visual terms.
1The Faded Sun Trilogy
Novels (1978–1979) | Written by C.J. Cherryh
The Faded Sun Trilogycomprises part of Cherryh’s epic Alliance–Union Universe, a series spanning thousands of years and dozens of novels. Set following humanity’s victory over the alien regul and their mri mercenaries, the trilogy focuses on the budding relationship between the human Sten Duncan and the mri Niun. The mri are a race of desert-dwelling warriors,much like the Fremen, and Duncan must learn their ways if he is to survive various challenges and betrayals.
While the first book in the trilogy,Kesrith, is particularly reminiscent ofDunedue to its desert-planet setting, the later novels (Shon’jirandKutath) also invite comparisons. The corpulent, scheming regul are not unlikeDune’sBaron Harkonnen, although Cherryh’s talent for creating truly alien cultures ensures thatThe Faded Sunnovels never feel derivative. Indeed, Cherryh’s foregrounding of mri characters offers an extraterrestrial perspective on human affairs that is absent from Herbert’s saga.
