[boris]

Dune was largely plagiarized from Cordwainer Smith. See, in particular, Smith's only published novel, Norstrillia, the "Underpeople" stories, and the "Casher O'Neill" stories.

For example:

SMITH...............HERBERT
Sand Planet.........Desert Planet
"Underpeople".....Fremen
Stroon (life-prolonging drug)........Spice (life-prolonging drug)
Giant Sheep........Giant Worms (source of drug)
Superbeing.........Superbeing (Casher O'Neill vs Maud Dib)
Telepathy used.....Telepathy used.
"Planoforming"...."Traveling Without Moving"
Etc., etc.

Nobody who reads both Smith and Herbert can avoid the conclusion that the big ideas in Dune were lifted from Smith's universe.

--Boris

[Burkeman1]

INteresting.

[lilylangtree]

I'm sorry to learn of the plagiarism because Dune is my favorite, all time sci-fi movie.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

".....Telepathy used."

I agree with most of your points, but I don't recall telepathy being used in "Dune".
As I recall, there was an awful lot of scheming going on because telepathy was not an issue.
"Plans within plans..."

[Doctor Stochastic]

Dune parallels the Arab expansion under Omar rather closely.

[Xenalyte]

Flame-retardant literary leathers on . . .

Dune is without doubt THE most boring series of books I've never succeeded in reading. The first book was such a slog that I put it down after 40 pages. I refuse to learn a new mythology and vocabulary just for a "good read," which this wasn't, even.

For the record, the only other books on my I Will Never Pick That Up Again List are Moby-Dick and Ulysses, and I was assigned to read those. I could understand someone plodding through Dune for a grade, but for fun? Not.