"Sand in my Shoes" Interview


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"Sand in my Shoes" Interview

Post by Tleilax Master B »

Sand in my Shoes Interview:

Frank Herbert's Dune universe is currently expanding under the careful eye of Herbert's son Brian. Working with fellow author Kevin J. Anderson, they've both been exploring the early worlds of Dune -- first in their Prelude series and now in their Legends of Dune series, starting with The Butlerian Jihad, and currently in their latest release The Machine Crusade. Writing in an existing universe requires a detailed knowledge of the underlying topography to avoid mistakes and Herbert and Anderson understand this fully.
"With The Legends of Dune, we were constrained by the appendix of Dune," Herbert said. "Frank Herbert laid out in general what had occurred in The Butlerian Jihad -- how there was a human child killed by a Thinking Machine; how this provoked an outpouring of emotion; and the humans rose up to defeat their Thinking Machine masters."

The Holy War started by this event is the driving force of the plot through out the Legends of Dune series and the authors have successfully captured the overall Dune atmosphere.
Herbert said, "I did a huge concordance of the six Dune books, so I know all the references to the Butlerian Jihad and what page number they're on, so we included all that information too. I'd also spent five years writing Dad's biography, Dreamer of Dune -- rereading everything he wrote and putting it together with the things he said to me. I hear his voice as I write in his marvelous universe now. And Kevin was inspired by Frank Herbert too and although they never met, Kevin still knows him as far as is possible."

Herbert and Anderson share a comfortable writing partnership and they spend many hours brainstorming plot and characters for each book.
"Sometimes we have a story idea and have to create a character to fit the actions," said Anderson. "Other times we have a vivid character who naturally goes in certain directions. We talk out the books in detail and when we divide the chapters, we can usually determine which of us is best suited to write a character or scene. For example, with The Machine Crusade, I fell in love with Selim Wormrider and therefore wrote the first draft of most of those chapters; Brian was particularly fond of Norma Cenva, the scientist, so he took that storyline. But by the time we're done, we've each gone over each other's chapters so many times we own them all jointly."
Herbert continued, "I usually write the first draft of the Erasmus character. Kevin came up with a character -- a Thinking Machine who was researching what it was like to be human -- and I said let's add (the Nazi medical researcher) Dr Mengele to him and make him really dark and strange. Then Kevin laughed and said, 'Boy Brian, I don't know if I can write that, you'd better do it!' He wasn't saying that couldn't write it -- it was just a little dig that only my twisted mind could write that character. So we have a lot of fun. We riff off each other, like a musical performance."

Their next book will be the long awaited Dune 7 story, following on from ChapterHouse: Dune.
Herbert said, "We've been brainstorming this one during our Machine Crusade tour. For example, I was talking with Kevin in front of a large audience one night and I suddenly had an epiphany, an idea I thought should be in Dune 7. So I bounced it off Kevin right there in front of the audience and we did some brainstorming. The idea was that even though Frank Herbert referred to the destruction of Dune in Heretics and ChapterHouse, it was never written. So I said to Kevin: why don't we open the first of the Dune 7 books with a dramatic destruction of Dune scene? We started kicking it around and we now agree that it is a good place to start."

Herbert is keeping some of the Dune 7 details quiet though.
"We found some of Dad's notes in a safe deposit box that had been locked for eleven years and we've been using them for Dune 7," he said. "We have an advantage over other science fiction series because we can always bring a character back from the dead, as a ghola, because the Tlulaxa can breed human beings out of dead cells."

So who will be back from the dead in Dune 7?
"Oh that's a closely guarded secret, you'll have to wait and see!"
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Post by Tleilax Master B »

Posted for your lambasting pleasure :wink:

(Just so you know, the "Tlulaxa can breed human beings out of dead cells"; that's how the gholas get on the Ithaca :roll: )
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Post by Omphalos »

Where is this from? Could you please post a source, B? Thanks.
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Post by Tleilax Master B »

Omphalos wrote:Where is this from? Could you please post a source, B? Thanks.
http://www.sfsite.com/07a/sabh203.htm

Says it originally appeared on Sci Fi Europe.
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Post by Freakzilla »

Most commonly know the interview in which they admit they made up erasmus.
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Re: "Sand in my Shoes" Interview

Post by orald »

Writing in an existing universe requires a detailed knowledge of the underlying topography to avoid mistakes and Herbert and Anderson understand this fully.

They also seem to ignore this...fully.
"With The Legends of Dune, we were constrained by the appendix of Dune," Herbert said.
"And that's why we ignored it."
"Frank Herbert laid out in general what had occurred in The Butlerian Jihad -- how there was a human child killed by a Thinking Machine; how this provoked an outpouring of emotion; and the humans rose up to defeat their Thinking Machine masters."

Err, I'm no great Dune researcher, but where the bloody hell is THAT mentioned? :?
...the authors have successfully captured the overall Dune atmosphere.

Oh yes, giant metal insects FTW. :roll:
Herbert said, "I did a huge concordance of the six Dune books, so I know all the references to the Butlerian Jihad and what page number they're on, so we included all that information too.
You don't even seem to know who's Jessica's mother, among other things, so...
I hear his voice as I write in his marvelous universe now.
Yes, it's called "rolling in the grave". Though AFAIK FH was cremated, his ashes are surely rolling as I speak.
And Kevin was inspired by Frank Herbert too and although they never met, Kevin still knows him as far as is possible."

Pity they never did meet...FH's would've probably taken his water on sight.
"Sometimes we have a story idea and have to create a character to fit the actions," said Anderson.
That and change existing characters completely.
"Other times we have a vivid character who naturally goes in certain directions.
"...so naturally we turn it 180 degrees so it can walk the way we want."
For example, with The Machine Crusade, I fell in love with Selim Wormrider
Which would explain why you're childless, but hey, I like guys too.
Herbert continued, "I usually write the first draft of the Erasmus character. Kevin came up with a character -- a Thinking Machine who was researching what it was like to be human -- and I said let's add (the Nazi medical researcher) Dr Mengele to him and make him really dark and strange. Then Kevin laughed and said, 'Boy Brian, I don't know if I can write that, you'd better do it!' He wasn't saying that couldn't write it -- it was just a little dig that only my twisted mind could write that character.
So you're saying only your(BH) twisted mind can fathom how Dr. Mengele thought? Why is that not surprising?
Herbert is keeping some of the Dune 7 details quiet though.
"We found some of Dad's notes in a safe deposit box that had been locked for eleven years and we've been using them for Dune 7," he said.
Of course, the much heard of notes that no one has ever seen or heard of until the Dune 7 idea was suddenly brought up. :roll:
"We have an advantage over other science fiction series because we can always bring a character back from the dead, as a ghola, because the Tlulaxa can breed human beings out of dead cells."
Advantage over other sci-fi="we have it easy because we can just mess around and put characters out of place".
So who will be back from the dead in Dune 7?

I would've said "hopefully not P&B, they'll remain dead and burn in hell", but it's a bit too late for that.
:(
In memory of Perach, who suffered and died needlessly.

I wish I could have been with you that one last time.
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Post by Freakzilla »

They obviously have a different appendix than we do.

:cry:
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Post by SandChigger »

Brian Herbert drafted the Norma Cenva scenes? Norma Cenva, the SCIENTIST?

Having seen a bit of Brian's scientific prowess in his Timeweb recently, it all makes a LOT of sense.

NONsense, I mean.

Let's see, how does it go again? Butt-fugly midget bint gets tortured by nasty Transformer Jans-in-pans, her mood-ring necklace rock melts and she dissolves into a cloud of energy until she reforms herself and sees the back of her head across the universe? Was that the highlights?

Dune become best-selling science fantasy. Hallelujah! Praise the Benjamins! :roll:


(I note that the copyright date on this thing is 2005. That's a year after they finished BoC, but TMC is mentioned as the "latest release", so that pushes this back to 2003, no? It's sad to see that Brian isn't handling interviews any better recently than then. Has anyone listened to the ones linked to from the new MySpace page?)
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Post by Freakzilla »

This interview (or one very similar), BTW, is on YouTube. The chick interviewing is hot.
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Post by orald »

Freakzilla wrote:This interview (or one very similar), BTW, is on YouTube. The chick interviewing is hot.
We demand a link! In the name of science of course... :oops:
In memory of Perach, who suffered and died needlessly.

I wish I could have been with you that one last time.
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Re: "Sand in my Shoes" Interview

Post by Mr. Teg »

Tleilax Master B wrote:Sand in my Shoes Interview:

"With The Legends of Dune, we were constrained by the appendix of Dune," Herbert said. "Frank Herbert laid out in general what had occurred in The Butlerian Jihad -- how there was a human child killed by a Thinking Machine; how this provoked an outpouring of emotion; and the humans rose up to defeat their Thinking Machine masters."
Constrained by the appendix of Dune!

Isn't this a direct contradiction that Legends was based on extensive notes and outlines they discovered?
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Post by Rakis »

Herbert and Anderson share a comfortable writing partnership and they spend many hours brainstorming plot and characters for each book.
:lol: :lol: :lol: ...seriously, a comfortable writing partnership? Isn't that the kind of phrase the marketing media use just to hide the opposite? :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Post by orald »

I thought they used that phrase it to hide a homosexual relationship. :o

I'm not the one to judge, surely, but damn, that's one frightening thought! :shock:
In memory of Perach, who suffered and died needlessly.

I wish I could have been with you that one last time.
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Post by orald »

Freakzilla wrote:The chick interviewing is hot.
Yes, but she need less make-up IMO, she looks a bit like hooker.
In memory of Perach, who suffered and died needlessly.

I wish I could have been with you that one last time.
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Post by inhuien »

And now for something completely different :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEWM7zII ... re=related
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Post by Nekhrun »

Does anyone know what that interview is from? There must be more of it somewhere.
Fantômas

Post by Fantômas »

I wonder if in 50 years from now would there be controversy still about the "new" vs. original 6 books of FH & how much acceptance the new books will gain & how many OH convert to the new stuff.
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Post by orald »

inhuien wrote:And now for something completely different :)
Words of the master! All hail the messiah!
*Now what was it he said about powerful leaders and messiahs? :lol: *
fantomas wrote:I wonder if in 50 years from now would there be controversy still about the "new" vs. original 6 books of FH & how much acceptance the new books will gain & how many OH convert to the new stuff.
NEVER!!! Blasphemy! Idoltery! EVIL!!! :evil: :x :evil: :x :evil:
In memory of Perach, who suffered and died needlessly.

I wish I could have been with you that one last time.
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Post by inhuien »

Nekhrun wrote:Does anyone know what that interview is from? There must be more of it somewhere.
Looking at the set (what little you can see), and the clock graphic more so I'm inclined to think that it's an early interview for the BBC Breakfast show that started runnig 1983. Now I may be wrong but at one point you can hear the interviewer coughing or whatever and that almost sounds lke Frank Bough who presented the show from it's launch.
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Post by Tleilax Master B »

fantomas wrote:I wonder if in 50 years from now would there be controversy still about the "new" vs. original 6 books of FH & how much acceptance the new books will gain & how many OH convert to the new stuff.
Not a fucking one, I can just about guarantee it. What, are the new books suddenly going to shift around and become canon? I fail to see how the things that we OH hate are suddenly going to become things we accept. :?

Tell ya what, if Pinky and the Brain decide to go back and change things in the later editions to correct most of the inconsistencies, I might actually have a little more respect for them.... (Fat fucking chance).
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Post by Nekhrun »

fantomas wrote:I wonder if in 50 years from now would there be controversy still about the "new" vs. original 6 books of FH & how much acceptance the new books will gain & how many OH convert to the new stuff.
I think that they will be completely forgotten in 15-20 years and everyone will remember it as a The Sad Period. So, in response to your comment, in 50 years people will be laughing about how horrible that the new books were. That kind of trash, no matter what it is linked to will not survive.
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Post by Tleilax Master B »

As a matter of fact, as time goes by, some of the most die hard Prequelites are starting to switch over--or at least no longer consider themselves prequelites. Take Tyrant for example. He used to fully support TAZ, and has now switched over. Perhaps the greatest prequelite of them all, Konman, is starting to admit he didn't like Hunters and Sandworms.....
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Post by Fantômas »

Tleilax Master B wrote: Not a fucking one, I can just about guarantee it.

Tell ya what, if Pinky and the Brain decide to go back and change things in the later editions to correct most of the inconsistencies, I might actually have a little more respect for them.... (Fat fucking chance).
Got It.
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Post by orald »

Tyrant was a Prequalite?! :shock:

Burn! They must all burn in the name of chr...err, Muad'Dib! :evil:
In memory of Perach, who suffered and died needlessly.

I wish I could have been with you that one last time.
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