Dune Talk is back for 2022! On this show, we welcome returning special guest Dr. Kara Kennedy—also known as the Dune Scholar—for an insightful interview about her newly published book. The result of many years of research and her PhD thesis, Women’s Agency in the Dune Universe: Tracing Women’s Liberation through Science Fiction (Palgrave) is a comprehensive exploration of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood throughout Frank Herbert’s six-book Dune saga.
In this first major publication studying the female characters in Dune, Kara looks at the historical context of when the series was written, including cultural movements and literary trends of the mid-20th century, as well as other key influences on Frank Herbert’s work. We get into how his portrayal of influential and powerful Bene Gesserit women in Dune speaks both to that time period and current issues in society. And of course, Marcus and Simon are eager to hear Kara’s thoughts and critique on Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part One movie.
This podcast (69 minutes) is available below in both video and audio formats. Enjoy and spread the word to fellow Dune fans!
Dune Talk: Episode 26 – The Women of Dune
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Show Notes
This episode focused on Women’s Agency in the Dune Universe: Tracing Women’s Liberation through Science Fiction by Kara Kennedy, PhD. For more information, see our report about this first book exploring the portrayal women of Frank Herbert’s Dune saga.
Thanks to Kara Kennedy (@DuneScholar), our special guest on this episode, for this insightful interview. You can find more of her accessible, scholarly analyses of the Dune saga on the Dune Scholar website. Also check out her first appearance on the Dune Talk show, a lore discussion about the Bene Gesserit.
This episode’s hosts:
- Marcus Gabriel | @DuneNewsNet
- Simon Daoudi | @sdaoudi
Do you have a question or suggestion for future episodes of Dune Talk? We want to hear from you! Tweet out to @DuneTalkShow, reply to our Instagram posts @DuneTalkShow, or simply leave your note in the comment section below.
Special thanks goes out to Ashton GIeckman for music and Sheldon Lee for voice overs.
