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Revision as of 07:33, 21 April 2006

The Dune Encyclopedia by Dr. Willis E. McNelly is a collection of essays written by fans of Frank Herbert's Dune novels. It was published in 1984—its only edition. No further editions are planned due to copyright issues.

Publication and contents

The Dune Encyclopedia includes many rare, Dune-related pictures and drawings. The book is currently out of print and is in great demand by fans. The encyclopedia was written and compiled by Dr. Willis E. McNelly, a friend of author Frank Herbert (and a man who knew the Dune universe as well as Mr. Herbert did himself), and others at California State University. It is a companion to Frank Herbert's classic science fiction series Dune.

With over 536 pages, it describes in great detail many aspects of the Dune universe not found in the novels themselves, such as biographies of the major characters, the languages of Fremen, Galach, and Spacing Guild (including alphabets and pronunciation), and shortened summaries of the plots of novels. The Dune Encyclopedia also includes explanations of the armies, major schools (Bene Gesserit, Mentat, Sword Masters of Ginaz, etc.), and major industries (including Spice), as well as descriptions of future technologies and artwork on the major concepts of the novels.

Canon dispute

Its canon status is a matter of some dispute: Frank Herbert approved the work, considering it "interesting and entertaining" and reputedly wrote some of it himself and drew on it, but he also did not hesitate to render it erroneous through later developments in his Dune series (the book was compiled and published some time between Heretics of Dune and God Emperor of Dune). It is also worth noting that the nature of The Dune Encyclopedia itself makes it claim to be canon somewhat less than is normal; the book is written as an encyclopedia published in the Dune universe, rather than claiming to contain absolute fact about this universe. Thus, a lot of the information (such as the biographical or historical) is only to be seen as a possible later interpretation and not the absolute truth of the matter. One could conceivably hold The Dune Encyclopedia to be canon in this sense while agreeing that some of its information is downright wrong.

Many of its ideas go directly against prequel trilogies, written later by Kevin J. Anderson, and Brian Herbert (Frank Herbert's son): Prelude to Dune (Dune: House Atreides, Dune: House Harkonnen, Dune: House Corrino) and Legends of Dune (Dune: The Machine Crusade, Dune: The Butlerian Jihad, Dune: The Battle of Corrin). Anderson and Brian Herbert claim to use the original notes of Frank Herbert when writing those novels.

Brian Herbert has declared The Dune Encyclopedia non-canon on the official Dune site, with the consent of Dr. Willis E. McNelly:

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

Further reprints of the encyclopedia were not allowed by the Herbert estate and Brian Herbert .

See also

References and external links

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