Herbert, Frank (2020) ‘Dune’, UK illustrated limited edition published by The Folio Society

Frank Herbert (2020) ‘Dune‘, UK illustrated edition, published by The Folio Society. Limited edition of 500 copies only of which this is low number 43. Condition: fine with all extras as published. Will arrive in the original packaging. Production details according to the publisher: Limited Edition – 500 hand-numbered copies illustrated by Sam Weber – Limitation tip signed by the artist – Bound in cloth printed and blocked with a design by Sam Weber – Endpapers printed in gold ink with a design by Sam Weber – Frontispiece and 13 colour illustrations (including 3 double-page spreads) printed on Modigliani paper – 10 black-and-white chapter headings – 512 pages set in Dante with Helvetica Neue and Black Tulip as display – Printed on Abbey Pure paper in black and gold inks – Red page tops – Ribbon marker – 11½˝ x 8˝ Commentary Volume – Essays by Michael Dirda and Brian Herbert – 72 pages – 11½˝ x 8˝ – 4-colour, double-sided, fold-out map redrawn by Sam Weber – Print for framing printed on Natural Evolution paper (10¾˝ x 7¼˝) – Cloth-covered, central-opening, clamshell box blocked and printed in gold and black with a design by Sam Weber 12˝ x 8⅔˝ x 3½˝ Dune remains the best science fiction novel of all time. It won the 1966 Hugo and Nebula Award. It has been described as the science fiction equivalent to Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ in fantasy in the book’s scope, depth, complexity and quality of writing. It has had a colossal influence on the sci-fi genre in literature and film. For exmaple, without ‘Dune’ ‘Star Wars’ would not have been made. ‘Dune’ has been adaped into film by David Lynch in 1984; and as a TV-mini series in 2000. An earlier attempt to film the source material by Alejandro Jodorowsky in the 1970s failed due to lack of finances. A star cast (Salvador Dali; Orson Welles) and the most creative team of that time (film score by Pink Floyd; conceptual art by H.R Giger; Jean Giraud and Chris Foss) had been working on the project and it became ‘the most influential film that was never made’. A new film adaptation by Canadian director Dennis Villeneuve – who has made some outstanding science fiction fims in the past (‘Arrival’ and ‘Blade Runner 2049’) – is being released at the end of 2021, and so the hope remains that the new ‘Dune’ will live up to the quality of its source material.