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Why does the future look so ancient?
Science fantasy’s obsession with empires, lords, kings, tribes, and villages
With the release of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and Apple’s Foundations a revival of classic sci-fi is upon us. But so far it’s been a mixed bag…
I’ll admit I never really grew up with sci-fi books and only read Herbert’s magnum opus just because I knew Denis was adapting it. It’s clear he has a deep obsession with this tale. As for Asimov’s epic, I never even heard of it until I started watching the show, and this was due to Lee Pace’s presence. Most know him for The Fall or as Marvel’s forgettable villain, but it was his huge personality in Halt and Catch Fire that really caught my attention. The only other classic sci-fi I was exposed to was through Kubrick’s masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey. At one point I tried reading Arthur C. Clarke’s brick of a book and dropped it pretty quickly.
Personal taste aside, it’s clear that these classics of the sci-fi world have huge fan bases and followers. Especially with Dune. It has been lauded as a landmark in the sci-fi realm known for its world building and famous spice, but mainly for its difficulty to adapt onto the screen. Yet, after reading it and watching the latest release I can’t help but feel somewhat underwhelmed and conflicted. Denis’ vision of Arrakis is spot on. I could tell that his obsession for the…
