J.R.R. Tolkien's Candid Opinion on Frank Herbert's Dune Is Just Too Spicy

Summary:

• Despite the fact that Frank Herbert's Dune and J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings are undoubtedly some of the best works in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, the latter didn't like Herbert's work.
• In one of his letters, Tolkien admitted that he "disliked Dune with some intensity," but refused to comment on the reasons.
• Both book cycles have received worthy film adaptations, and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, has even been compared to Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings.

Frank Herbert's Dune was written a little later than The Lord of the Rings. It was published chapter by chapter in the magazine Analog Science Fiction and Fact from 1963 to 1965. As a standalone book, Dune was published in 1965, ten years after J. R. R. Tolkien’s trilogy.

Science fiction aficionados could not help but compare the two great works, especially since the action in both takes place in a carefully described, vast world.

Both texts tell the story of events on an epic scale, with memorable characters, and each of these two works has its own philosophy and theological concept.

Tolkien Didn’t Like Frank Herbert’s Dune

What did Tolkien himself think of his colleague's text? He didn't like Dune at all.

This is what Tolkien said about Frank Herbert's work in one of his letters:

"In fact I dislike Dune with some intensity, and in that unfortunate case it is much the best and fairest to another author to keep silent and refuse to comment."

Perhaps one of the reasons why the great author had such a negative attitude towards his colleague's work is that Dune is actually the complete opposite of Middle-earth.

Tolkien's stories, in one way or another, tell of the ultimate victory of Good and justice. The main characters are not powerful leaders, but simple hobbits. Even the wise Gandalf is relegated to the background by the author.

At the same time, Herbert's Dune is a story about power, revenge, deceit and cruelty of the rulers.

The Lord of the Rings and Dune Both Received Worthy Adaptations

However, regardless of how Tolkien feels about Herbert's books, these two cycles have one thing in common – both works have received more than worthy adaptations.

Peter Jackson's trilogy is still regarded as the best thing that could have happened to The Lord of the Rings on the big screen. And while The Hobbit may have received less fanfare, it did not lower the bar.

As a result, all The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films grossed an impressive $5.8 billion worldwide.

With the biggest budget of his career (the first Dune had a budget of $165 million), director Denis Villeneuve felt a great creative freedom – and made the most amazing fantasy blockbuster of recent years and the most successful transfer of this story to the big screen.

At the same time, Dune: Part Two, released on March 1, is already being compared to The Lord of the Rings in terms of its grandiose scale and magnificent production, and not a single blockbuster in recent years has received such a comparison.

Source: Tolkien’s Library: An Annotated Checklist by Oronzo Cilli