The Spice Must Flow: The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies

by Ryan Britt

Geek-culture expert Ryan Britt takes us behind the pages and scenes of the science-fiction phenomenon Dune, charting the series' life from cult sci-fi novels to some of the most visionary movies of all time.
 
Using original, deep-access reporting, extensive research, and insightful commentary, The Spice Must Flow brings the true popularity of Dune out into the light for the very first time. With original interviews with the beloved actors and directors behind the films—including Timothée Chalamet, Kyle Maclachlan, Denis Villeneuve, Patrick Stewart, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Newman, and many more— The Spice Must Flow also examines the far-reaching influence of Dune on art, music, politics, and, most notably, its status as the first ecological science-fiction story specifically concerned with climate change.
 
Britt skillfully and entertainingly guides readers through the history of how the Dune universe has unfolded, including the novel’s unlikely evolution from a failed piece of journalism about Oregon sand dunes into an epic science-fiction story, the way Herbert’s work inspired George Lucas, untold stories from the 1984 David Lynch film, the knife-edge balance between blockbuster hit and indie film Timothée Chalamet brings to the 2021 movie, and the exciting future of the franchise. Through a blend of narrative, oral history elements, and fascinating trivia, The Spice Must Flow is the new essential guide to the behind-the-scenes story of Dune.

The fiction of Dune is deadly serious, but the real-life story of how it came into existence is full of wonder, surprises, and spice.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Pop Culture, Audiobook, Books About Books, Film, Science Fiction Fantasy

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2023

Reviews

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: Geek-culture expert Ryan Britt takes us behind the pages and scenes of the science-fiction phenomenon Dune, charting the series' life from cult sci-fi novels to some of the most visionary movies of all time.

Using original, deep-access reporting, extensive research, and insightful commentary, The Spice Must Flow brings the true popularity of Dune out into the light for the very first time. With original interviews with the beloved actors and directors behind the films—including Timothée Chalamet, Kyle Maclachlan, Denis Villeneuve, Patrick Stewart, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Newman, and many more—The Spice Must Flow also examines the far-reaching influence of Dune on art, music, politics, and, most notably, its status as the first ecological science-fiction story specifically concerned with climate change.

Britt skillfully and entertainingly guides readers through the history of how the Dune universe has unfolded, including the novel’s unlikely evolution from a failed piece of journalism about Oregon sand dunes into an epic science-fiction story, the way Herbert’s work inspired George Lucas, untold stories from the 1984 David Lynch film, the knife-edge balance between blockbuster hit and indie film Timothée Chalamet brings to the 2021 movie, and the exciting future of the franchise. Through a blend of narrative, oral history elements, and fascinating trivia, The Spice Must Flow is the new essential guide to the behind-the-scenes story of Dune. The fiction of Dune is deadly serious, but the real-life story of how it came into existence is full of wonder, surprises, and spice.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: What I said the book above wasn't this book is. It's by archgeek Ryan BrittRyan Britt of Luke Skywalker Can't Read: And Other Geeky Truths fame, so he's got the chops and knows both the beat and the drill. Plume's published three of his books now, so clearly he commands the geek-culture street cred to make it profitable. Plus he's got a witty way with words that makes his deep familiarity with the subject less...creepy, more fun and funny.

This fictional universe has a lot of hot-button topics in it: Religion, climate change, religion, anti-technological bias, religion, and sheer unsurpassed-in-SF canon-guarding/gatekeeping/incel-friendly detail. Britt doesn't exactly dwell on the toxic parts of the fandom but neither does he ignore them. There are lots of worldbuilding details that he discusses and there are lots of ideas pinned under them, set in stories that are brimful of unapologetically partisan points of view. This is guaranteed to make some people go into full-on rages when their preferred interpretation of some detail is argued against.

This makes me sad, and reminds me of Kit Connor (of Heartstopper fame) feeling forced to reveal his private sexuality to stop muttered accusations of queerbaiting. As he said at the time this was occurring:
"I'm bi. Congrats for forcing an 18-year-old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye."
(emphasis added to point up the disconnect between messages in the original and fannish gatekeeping)
That's the downside of passionate fandom. Anyone who has been in the Geek Culture world for more than A Minute has seen/been caught up in a pile-on when someone dares to be/say/assert an opinion or a take or even present a closely-reasoned analysis of that fandom's shared object that somehow rubs (some of) the fans the wrong way.

Quite a lot of people, myself included, stay away from fandoms for this reason. This book is a gentle, explanatory rebuke of our skittishness in the form of a reasonable geek-culture maven's informed, excited (almost besotted) explainer of just why this fandom came to be. Also a gentle chiding of the obsessive gatekeeping by some groups of fans. The book makes the point that Frank Herbert, and his son Brian after him, have created and are curating an immense, expansive Duneiverse of fiction, films, comics, and cosplay that contains literal multitudes. There is such astonishingly varied information in this fiction! Letting new players into the sandbox is Author Britt's aim in much of what he's doing...yet he never loses sight of the established fan's desire to see the whole Duneiverse from a wide-angled view...at least as far as the 2021 film...the 2024 one was filming as he wrote, so details and gossip were all embargoed.

I need to be reminded from time to time that fandom can be fun, and fascinating, and an all-around good experience. I hope this book will do the same for you, as a gift to yourself, and your other giftees.

[Karen’s Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a big reader of non-fiction, but I am Dune obsessed. I’m always looking for articles that are anything Dune related, and I’ve read every Dune book (all 26 of them) several times. I’ve read Dune itself maybe 20 times throughout the decades. I’ve watched the Dune movies (both the 1984 and 2021 versions), and the 2 miniseries, so many times I couldn’t begin to tell you how many times.

I love Dune. I love everything related to Dune. I think I have something like 7 or 8 editions of just Dune, not counting how many editions I have of Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune.

So when I picked up Ryan Britt’s The Spice Must Flow, I was in Dune heaven. So many tidbits I had no idea about from how Dune came to be in Frank Herbert’s mind, to how each movie came to be made (or not made in most cases). There are wonderful interviews with many of the stars cast in the movies and miniseries. So. Much. Dune!!

If you enjoy Dune, I highly recommend The Spice Must Flow for all of the behind the scenes extras!

*Thanks so much to Plume and Penguin Random House for the gifted early copy!*

[Gerhard · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The journey of the spice from the 1950s until now doesn’t require you to understand or even remember what has happened. The Bene Gesserit know that even they won’t live to see the results of their plans. Dune will be around for much longer than any of us. Because as long as children can recognize a sandworm and see one thing, while adults see something else, the Golden Path will continue to unfold, hopefully, forever.'

Perfunctory introduction to the Duniverse that is ideal for new readers or as an overall refresher. But a bit superficial and truncated, like the Lynch movie. And Ryan Britt unforgivably maligns the great Second Trilogy.

[Brady Billiot · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
Solid and definitely informative although it’s obviously intended for a very niche audience. I enjoyed know the chaos and various offspring that resulted from the attempts at adapting dune into a movie. Learning about the publication of dune was also great.

[Kevin Xu · Rating 3 out of 5]

basically everything in this book is already detailed in frank herbert biography, but since that's out of print, less are going to read that. even if it wasn't, its written by his son, which people hate because of the prequels, they don't trust him at all anymore.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVE these "making of" books. Have read similar books on "John Wick," "Fury Road," "Interstellar" and even Roger Moore's diary on the making of "Live and Let Die." But along with Let's Go Crazy: Prince and the Making of Purple Rain, this is one of the few to go beyond the movie-making and cover an entire phenomenon, from the books (including both the original and second Herbert trilogies, as well as the sixteen subsequent Herbert Jr. books), to the books' impact on "Star Wars" and other films (to the point where you can basically play "seven degrees of Dune" to any sci-fi or fantasy film made since the mid-70s), to - obviously - the various film versions (Jodorowsky, Lynch, the surprisingly good SciFi channel miniseries' and finally Villeneuve's "Part One").*

A highly enjoyable and surprisingly quick read, if probably for a select audience, (you ought to be able to figure out just from the cover if that includes you or not). Makes me now want to go back and (slowly) rewatch the first movie, both miniseries,** and then last year's "Part One" in anticipation of "Part Two," finally out March.
__________________________________

* That said, one area not really addressed is "the music of Dune." Britt briefly mentions a 1977 jazz album titled "Dune" which the jazz-loving Herbert just hated. But he fails to mention any of the various film scores - the weird Toto/Brian Eno soundtrack for the 1984 movie; Brian Tyler's best-selling 2002 score for "Children of Dune" (whose uplifting, anthemic "Inama Mushif" is something I'd like played at my funeral - can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hfwv...), or even Hans Zimmer's Oscar-winning score for "Dune: Part One." And film music aside, I know there's at least one other "Dune" song out there; Roger Powell - long-time keyboard player for Todd Rundgren's Utopia - included a song called "Sands of Arrakis" on his 1980 album "Air Pocket," a full four years before the David Lynch film came out, (and I have to believe that a fair number of "Dune geeks" are also "Rundgren/Utopia nerds").

** Okay; so not sure where you can watch the first miniseries, but "Children of Dune" - which covers both the second and third books in the original trilogy - is available to anyone with a library card and access to Hoopla.

[Mai H.]

Non-fiction November TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Plume

[Tyler Weed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uh oh this made me want to read the dune series again…

[Angell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. I learned a lot about classic sci-fi, both books and movies. It gave me a better appreciation for Dune as a whole. It also made me like Frank Herbert a lot more.

There were times where the author did talk like a Dune bro and made me want to fight him in a Waffle House at 3am off Ponce. BUT, overall this was good, if biased. I think there are some valid criticisms of Dune that were completely ignored and should’ve been addressed.

[Anelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of interesting trivia about Frank Herbert, the Dune books, films, etc., but be massive spoiler alert in you haven't read the books, the author shares major plot points and endings of the 6 Dune books by Frank Herbert and some plot points from some of the books written by his son.

[Yuri Krupenin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Небезынтересно как сжатое (она достаточно короткая) изложение истории написания ��ниг и создания адаптаций, но это невозможно читать: написано так, будто то ли мне хотят что-то продать, то ли держат меня за идиота, то ли этот текст был сперва опубликован где-то на вебсайте с разбиением на 500 страниц с тремя банерами на каждой.

[John Schorg · Rating 2 out of 5]

While it provides an overview of the world created around Dune, this reads more like a PR package than a critical evaluation. What's worse is the author makes it pretty clear that if a person doesn't like the book or doesn't "get" it or finds it impossible to get through, then there's something wrong with that person. Well, bleah to that.

[WorldconReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

As casual fan of "Dune", I really enjoyed reading "The Spice Must Flow" by Ryan Britt. Although it is not a "Cliff Notes", it does entertain the reader with a recap of the key points in the series. But more than that, "The Spice Must Flow" describes the history behind the original novel and covers the ongoing development of the succeeding novels and movies. Having read the first novel, and seen several of the movies, I really enjoyed reading about Britt's interactions with Herbert's family, and related actors, actresses, producers, and more. Britt very convincingly makes the case that "Dune" has had a massive impact on popular culture since the late 60's: Movies such Star Wars, Beetlejuice, music from Fatboy Slim, and so much more. Even though I consider myself a longtime SF fan, I came away enlightened about the interaction and development of the SF field since the 60's.

I completely recommend this to anyone with an interest in SF or "Dune". My only regret is that, having read "The Spice Must Flow", I can no longer put off reading the "Dune" series to the end.

I thank the Ryan Britt the Penguin Group for kindly providing an advanced electronic review copy of this excellent work.

[Ellie Hanjian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 - audiobook- too many colloquialisms about like “nerd culture” in what otherwise would have been a perfectly fine non fiction book. Also I definitely think it the author could have done more with this considering the length of the dune canon. Like what about the Herbert and Anderson spin offs? Hello?

[Chris Stange · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
Some fun history and facts, but lots of strange personal opinions and snobbish remarks

[ria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was kinda exactly what I needed after falling in love with Dune! I'm always curious about background information on my favourite things, it's why I love video essays on pretty obscure pieces of media that I've loved throughout the years, so when I realised that hey, I kinda really like Dune now, I knew I had to get on something like this. And I didn't know about this book until I stumbled upon a video essay about Dune so like, thank you Jess of the shire! This was really fun, it talked about the writing and publication process which was really interesting to learn more about, it talked about the Dune influences you can see in A LOT of media but most notably Star Wars (crazy revelations were had during my Dune phase as a big Star Wars fan) and it delved just enough into each adaptation attempt, successful or otherwise. Honestly I kinda wanted more but I understand why this was written the way it was (it's to make you look into the specific stuff you're interested in without boring you with too many details about stuff you're probably not). The author talks about Dune in such a cool way, you can clearly tell he's a fan who deeply loves not just the story of Dune the book but also the story of Dune as a piece of art. Yeah it was great, I need a physical copy of this asap so I can highlight most of the book!

[Cass™ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5

Read because I was still running on that high after watching Dune: Part 2 (2004) and it scratched the right itch. However, if you have done your research on the background of Dune and how it came to be, then what is covered here won't be new information. There were definitely new things for me that were covered like the background of the two previous Dune adaptations and tv shows as well as a few insights from the actors in the movies. The rest was just good review of things I already knew.

The one pet peeve I did have was that if you have not read past the first book there will be so many spoilers for the remainder of the series. I had to skip over quite a few chunks of some chapters because the author decided it would be good the basically give in-depth summaries of each of the books. That was quite annoying because the author's interpretation of each one was fascinating, but I did not want to spoil myself for anything after Dune Messiah.

I also read this as an audiobook and the narrator was great. I liked listening to it while I was cleaning around my apartment or cooking. It felt like a fellow fan of the Dune franchise just telling you all they knew about it, very conversationalist tone. Highly recommend!

[Matt Hutson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed delving into the history of Dune, and Ryan's narration is excellent. This book not only entertains but also educates us about the captivating story of Dune. The background information about Frank Herbert and his creative process is particularly enlightening and enriches our understanding of the book.

Frank Herbert's journey is intriguing. His initial aspiration as a non-fiction writer, focusing on the sand dunes of Oregon, took an unexpected turn, and it wasn't until Dune gained traction in the 1970s that he could fully support himself.

The impact of a story on society often hinges on its transition into a physical book.

While there may be striking similarities between Star Wars and Dune, Star Wars wasn't a copy; it was undoubtedly influenced by Dune. The resonances are evident, such as the Bene Gesserit voice and the Jedi Mind Trick, as well as desert planets like Tatooine and Arrakis. Both narratives feature oppressive empires, personified by the Emperor of Dune and the evil Empire in Star Wars. The heroes, Luke Skywalker and Paul Atreides, bear resemblances. However, the similarities are not close enough to constitute plagiarism. Frank Herbert never pursued legal action against George Lucas for Star Wars, possibly because he deemed it "lowbrow" compared to Dune.

Adapting Dune into a movie was challenging, particularly after the release of Star Wars in 1977, as people might perceive it as a copy of Star Wars rather than the other way around. Consequently, when David Lynch embarked on the Dune film project in 1984, he aimed to distinguish it from Star Wars.

Fast forward to 2020, when Denis Villeneuve released his version of Dune. It brilliantly stands on its own, separate from Star Wars. Despite nearly six decades since the first book's release, Dune remains timeless. The film masterfully captures the essence of the book, albeit with minor deviations.

What I appreciated most about the movie was its deliberate pacing, an exception to the usual fast-paced blockbusters. Dune engages your attention by focusing on every detail, in contrast to the action-packed thrillers typically associated with the genre.

Dune's themes have aged remarkably well, provoking contemplation about ecology and climate change. It draws a striking parallel between spice and water on Dune and oil on Earth, shedding light on the potential for ecological repair.

Additionally, Dune serves as a unique platform for presenting Muslim cultures and religions.

Frank Herbert delves into themes of colonization and the suppression of indigenous cultures, highlighting the stark consequences of cultural replacement.

Dune follows the hero's journey archetype while skillfully bending and breaking its rules, making it a thought-provoking narrative.

Above all, Dune compels readers and viewers to reflect on their contributions to society and their potential for effecting change. What are we doing to make a difference?

[Greg Talbot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dune maintains a singular achievement in science fiction literature. A defiant vision of our future that reveals our inexorable self destruction across a universe of extracted planets. Technology has empowered us toward greater imperialism, consumption and ecological destruction. Through the eyes of Prince Paul Atreides, we see the sectarian attack on his father's empire, and his hero's journey through religious and colonial upheaval. All of this in one book, that broke through to mainstream audiences.

Ryan Britt's "The Spice Must Flow" explores the creation and culture built from this sci-fi epic.  Like the best science fiction epics, such as Lord of the Rings, or Gene Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun", Dune offers us our own journey, and a launching pad toward our own activism, moral searches and self-understanding. Dune. 

There are a lot of parts to love about this book. The origin story, Herbert's interest in the slow moving Dunes of the Northwest of America, and an interest in paying IRS dues, is relayed here. The placement story, how Dune was embraced by the new generation of science fiction readers, despite it's story mapping closer to a traditional myth. The film stories, all the wild attempts and adaptations, from  David Lynch's surrealism to the Jodorowsky arthouse, Dune has benefited from the great reimaginings of these auteurs.

The latest version of Dune, and by extension the sequel, Dune Messiah, comes from the extraordinary director Denis Villeneuve. Masterful artistic design, brilliant casting and spellbinding visuals, this series of films may rival George Lucas's great 'Star Wars' or Peter Jackson's 'Lord of the Rings'. In the words of Timothee Chalamet "I think the projection of the future that Dune presents is much bigger , more urgent than any one version of it (p.1).  Villeneuve remarking on his directing history felt the need to stay true to Ridley Scott's Bladerunner, for Villeneuve's 'Blade Runner 2049", but wanted to stay true to his teenage self when working on "Dune".

Although I appreciate Britt's work, enthusiasm and not gatekeeping to only hardcore science fiction fans, there are times his writing grated on me. His opinion can be quite loud about the value of Dune movies and books. Sometimes the writing gets very blog-like, where I sensed Britt was more interested in telling us what other people think of Dune, rather than really diving into the work or meditating on the underlying text.
 
Overall a fun and timely read, considering Dune 2 will be released in the next several weeks. Hopefully this book, excellently titled,  will get more people to read Dune, see an adaptation or get deeper into science fiction's trove of delights. 

[Dave Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just long enough, and stops where it should
This is a love letter to all things Dune. You get the (brief) biography of Frank Herbert, And better yet What he was thinking when he set out to write the thing that would become Dune 3 or 4 generations later. A short list of pop-culture references to Dune (Not all at once in an actual list but dispersed through out the book) and more about the "Did Lucas rip off Herbert" controversy than I ever knew existed. A lot of this book is focused on movies. The failed (or are they failures?) attempts to make Dune into a movie. The successful (or was he successful?) 1984 movie, the Sci-Fi Channel mini-series, and a special focus on the 2021 version of Dune. FYI this guy loves the 2021 version. This book is almost a stealth ad for the Denis Villeneuve movie.
Ryan Britt really goes out of his way to make it all fun and the whole thing is told in mostly chronological order.

[Trash · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Dune, and then while reading the last two of the original series I wondered what had happened to turn the books into a steaming pile of trash. The answer was that Herbert’s wife was the catalyst to elevate his writing and world views into something interesting and meaningful to read. When she passed, he skewed much closer to an old white man’s view of the world, women and apparently a touch of antisemitism.

The second half of this book, while containing some interesting facts, is such a ridiculous fanboy point of view on dune it’s hard to stomach. Basically everything and everyone that came after Dune couldn’t exist if not for dune or their light involvement in failed dune projects.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ruled. Britt walks this line of just the right amount of information and just the right amount of geeking out. Lots of fun history, trivia, back story, and "behind the scenes" in a 7-hour audiobook (246 page paperback). It's very approachable and breaks down the "Dune is hard sci fi that is difficult to understand" myth.
It argues that Dune is for everyone and you know what? I AGREE. Dune rules.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift for Christmas, and I was excited to receive it. I'm a big fan of Dune (both books and various movies). I wanted to see what the author had to say about the history of Dune and (for me) this book did not disappoint. There is all sorts of information on the inspiration of the book, the publishing, the various movies, etc. If you are a fan of Dune, you'll probably enjoy this book.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel 'Dune' had a difficult birth but gained recognition quickly, winning both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Herbert's broad vision of galactic politics and religion.

Britt analyses the impact of 'Dune' both within the SF community and the importance of each adaptation on the sensibilities of SF cinema. This book acknowledges the weaknesses within the source texts, but glories in the courage to attempt to create such a complex story.

[Hannah Deyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only Dune would get me to read my first nonfiction book since college. An incredible deep dive into not only the movies, the books, science fiction, and pop culture, but also about the societal implications of them all. A good read for casual lovers and hardcore fans alike.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone with only a vague interest in Dune this was pretty good. But it was utterly unlike any other non-fiction book I’ve read. Listening to the audiobook is equivalent to having a friend with ADHD try and explain the exact same information…full of tangents and random transitions

[Eloise Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly remarkable story! The writing style is elegant and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the world the author created. The characters were well-drawn and their arcs were satisfying. I didn’t want it to end. This one is definitely going on my favorite list. A perfect escape!

[Parker Lindberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a break from Dune with more Dune

[Selene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved Britt's writing style. This was such a cool casual read. Frank Herbert was truly a pioneer. Still not reading Dune tho 🫡

[Amanda Hartness · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book easy to follow, and informative. I learned a lot about how the story of Dune came about and what made it so special and why it continues to be relevant today. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the books, or the movies. Even if you haven’t read the books because you think they are too hard and boring or complicated- read this book, it may change your mind.
I definitely want to reread the series now.