During the Dune Publishing Highlights 2021 panel at San Diego Comic-Con@Home (July 24), Tor Books announced a new anthology written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Now, in addition to the cover reveal, we have confirmation that Sands of Dune will be a collection of four short stories—primarily set before and during events of Frank Herbert’s original Dune novel—featuring characters we’ll see on screen in this year’s movie adaptation. Publication date is listed as June 28, 2022.
This cover artwork is by Matt Griffin, who has also created the illustrations for the first two books of The Caladan Trilogy, including Dune: The Lady of Caladan coming out later this month. Here we see a blue-eyed Fremen, with the maw of a gargantuan sandworm in the background:
The highlight of Sands of Dune will be a brand-new novella, telling the tale of Shadout Mapes and her fight against the Harkonnens in the time period before Dune.
This collection will also include two existing Dune short stories, that were previously only available in separate science fiction and fantasy anthologies:
- Blood of the Sardaukar was first published in Unfettered III: New Tales By Masters of Fantasy (2019), an anthology edited by Shawn Speakman. We’re introduced to Colonel Bashar Jopati Kolona, high-ranking Sardaukar warrior, leading the assault against House Atreides at Arrakeen. This tale has also been adapted to comic book format by BOOM! Studios and you can read our earlier review here.
- The Waters of Kanly was originally published as part of Infinite Stars (2017), a short story collection edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt, and takes place after the attack on Arrakeen. The story follows Gurney Halleck, as he joins the smugglers of Arrakis, in his quest for revenge against the Harkonnens
You can read the official synopsis from the publisher here:
The world of Dune has shaped an entire generation of science fiction. From the sand-blasted world of Arrakis, to the splendor of the imperials homeworld of Kaitain, readers have lived in a universe of treachery and wonder.
Now, collected for the first time, are three previously unpublished Dune stories that shine a light upon the darker corners of the Dune universe. Spanning space and time, this collection is essential reading for any Dune fan.
The stories: the lost years of Gurney Halleck as he works with smugglers on Arrakis in a deadly gambit for revenge; inside the ranks of the Sardaukar as the child of a betrayed nobleman becomes one of the Emperor’s most ruthless fighters; a young firebrand Fremen woman, a guerrilla fighter against the ruthless Harkonnens, who will one day become Shadout Mapes.
Note: The reference to “three previously unpublished” works is an error on the part of the publisher. As we’ve detailed above, Kevin J. Anderson confirmed: “Two of them have been published before, the third is new. Brian and I will be writing another new one shortly.”
Sands of Dune will be available in hardcover and ebook formats:
