Goodnight Shai-Hulud, bursting out of the dune
March 1, 2011 3:28 PM Subscribe
A few months ago, a bunch of us thought that Goodnight Dune would make a great sci-fi children's book. So did Julia Yu.
We were all right. That's great.
posted by chavenet at 3:41 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by chavenet at 3:41 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
I never thought a Bene Gesserit witch could make me tear up like that.
You know, apart from when the Reverend Mother tests me via nerve induction. [Shudder!
posted by Celsius1414 at 3:42 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
You know, apart from when the Reverend Mother tests me via nerve induction. [Shudder!
posted by Celsius1414 at 3:42 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
I tried to find out more info on the author/illustrator to add to the post, but Googling Julia Yu doesn't turn up any similar art, and the WHOIS info is a dead end.
This is my first post on The Blue. I'm glad you like it.
posted by KGMoney at 3:44 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
This is my first post on The Blue. I'm glad you like it.
posted by KGMoney at 3:44 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Kidding aside, that was wonderful.
posted by Celsius1414 at 3:46 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by Celsius1414 at 3:46 PM on March 1, 2011
Very nice but... The no room wasn't introduced until book 4, God Emperor of Dune. It is out of place mixed with the rest of the items which are all very much Dune based.
That's as much nerd pedantry as I can manage in the face of overwhelming cuteness.
posted by Babblesort at 3:47 PM on March 1, 2011 [8 favorites]
That's as much nerd pedantry as I can manage in the face of overwhelming cuteness.
posted by Babblesort at 3:47 PM on March 1, 2011 [8 favorites]
I love the fact there's a bowl of hallucinogens (water-of-life) in a child's room. No, I really do love it.
posted by angrycat at 3:51 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by angrycat at 3:51 PM on March 1, 2011
The portrait of the bunny wabbit Wellington Yueh demonstrating proper tooth-brushing has filled me so full of SQUEE that I can barely sit still.
I want to hug every pixel of this thing.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 3:52 PM on March 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
I am in love. I think this will kill a friend of mine who is obsessed with dune - kill him with SQUEE.
posted by strixus at 3:54 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by strixus at 3:54 PM on March 1, 2011
The tooth! Remember to brush THE TOOTH!
posted by Babblesort at 3:54 PM on March 1, 2011 [28 favorites]
posted by Babblesort at 3:54 PM on March 1, 2011 [28 favorites]
Mr. F is sitting at work suffering in his Dune fandom, the web filter that restricts his viewing of this work like a TCP-based gom jabbar.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 3:57 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 3:57 PM on March 1, 2011
Very nice but... The no room wasn't introduced until book 4, God Emperor of Dune.
What are you talking about? The no-technology was introduced in the prequel Dune: House Atreides by Brian Herbert and Kevin J.... NOOOOOO!!!
*is torn to death by fandom*
posted by infinitewindow at 3:59 PM on March 1, 2011 [6 favorites]
What are you talking about? The no-technology was introduced in the prequel Dune: House Atreides by Brian Herbert and Kevin J.... NOOOOOO!!!
*is torn to death by fandom*
posted by infinitewindow at 3:59 PM on March 1, 2011 [6 favorites]
This book needed to rain in the end to piss off all the kids that like the other books.
posted by cjorgensen at 4:06 PM on March 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by cjorgensen at 4:06 PM on March 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
This book needed to rain in the end to piss off all the kids that like the other books.
*unsheaths crysknife*
posted by kmz at 4:09 PM on March 1, 2011
*unsheaths crysknife*
posted by kmz at 4:09 PM on March 1, 2011
You've drawn it. Don't sheath it unblooded.
posted by Babblesort at 4:10 PM on March 1, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by Babblesort at 4:10 PM on March 1, 2011 [6 favorites]
I kept waiting for the bed's headboard to fold down to release that ravening sliver of metal, the hunter-seeker.
posted by killdevil at 4:12 PM on March 1, 2011 [10 favorites]
posted by killdevil at 4:12 PM on March 1, 2011 [10 favorites]
Excellent.
Seconding no-room cricitism. Fanboyism is the little-death.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 4:18 PM on March 1, 2011
Seconding no-room cricitism. Fanboyism is the little-death.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 4:18 PM on March 1, 2011
Goodnight recruits
Goodnight stillsuits
Goodnight sardaukar
And goodnight gom jabbar
Goodnight suk doctor
And goodnight ornithopter
I love it.
posted by Songdog at 4:36 PM on March 1, 2011
Goodnight stillsuits
Goodnight sardaukar
And goodnight gom jabbar
Goodnight suk doctor
And goodnight ornithopter
I love it.
posted by Songdog at 4:36 PM on March 1, 2011
That worked better than I thought it would. KULL WAHAD
posted by everichon at 4:39 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by everichon at 4:39 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
ThinkGeek does not yet stock a little plush Guild Navigator. Of all the things I never knew I needed...
posted by JohnFredra at 4:39 PM on March 1, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by JohnFredra at 4:39 PM on March 1, 2011 [4 favorites]
Somewhere in my pile of stuff I have the original movie tie-in children's book of Dune with the 45 vinyl disc, where the narrator reads the story and you turn the page on cue. A curiosity.
posted by ovvl at 4:40 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ovvl at 4:40 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
i love the floating Baron
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:42 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:42 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Plush guild navigator? I need a plush bunny in a House Atreides dress uniform. When my alarm goes off in the morning, I can say to it, "THE SLEEPER HAS AWAKENED!"
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 4:43 PM on March 1, 2011 [14 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 4:43 PM on March 1, 2011 [14 favorites]
This is absolutely wonderful.
posted by synaesthetichaze at 4:44 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by synaesthetichaze at 4:44 PM on March 1, 2011
Now someone do Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Shai-Hulud"
posted by Gorgik at 4:48 PM on March 1, 2011 [18 favorites]
posted by Gorgik at 4:48 PM on March 1, 2011 [18 favorites]
The consistent misspelling of muad'dib kills me, but this this totally adorable.
posted by restless_nomad at 4:51 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by restless_nomad at 4:51 PM on March 1, 2011
>> "The Very Hungry Shai-Hulud"
On Wednesday, He ate through three spice harvesters. But He was still hungry.
posted by JohnFredra at 4:56 PM on March 1, 2011 [29 favorites]
On Wednesday, He ate through three spice harvesters. But He was still hungry.
posted by JohnFredra at 4:56 PM on March 1, 2011 [29 favorites]
Nicely done, KG, nicely done.
posted by garnetgirl at 4:58 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by garnetgirl at 4:58 PM on March 1, 2011
Oh man, I would slaughter untold millions for little plush guild navigator.
posted by elizardbits at 4:58 PM on March 1, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by elizardbits at 4:58 PM on March 1, 2011 [3 favorites]
How about A Light in the Sietch? Where the Golden Path Ends?
posted by Ghidorah at 5:13 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by Ghidorah at 5:13 PM on March 1, 2011
Isn't it a no chamber or no ship? Not to be confused with a nullentropy bin. I guess a chamber is a room...
posted by Ad hominem at 5:37 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by Ad hominem at 5:37 PM on March 1, 2011
Is that a Feyd-Rautha doll on the bookshelf?
posted by needled at 6:38 PM on March 1, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by needled at 6:38 PM on March 1, 2011 [3 favorites]
One does not think of the gom jabbar as cute, but one would be wrong.
posted by immlass at 7:09 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by immlass at 7:09 PM on March 1, 2011
The tooth! Remember to brush THE TOOTH!
You can't handle the tooth.
posted by Sebmojo at 7:12 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
You can't handle the tooth.
posted by Sebmojo at 7:12 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
needled: "Is that a Feyd-Rautha doll on the bookshelf?"
Oh my god it totally is. This just keeps on giving.
posted by Songdog at 7:23 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh my god it totally is. This just keeps on giving.
posted by Songdog at 7:23 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
*is torn to death by fandom*
I approve of this.
posted by nzero at 8:01 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
I approve of this.
posted by nzero at 8:01 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's Muad'Dib, not Maud'Dib.
posted by lumensimus at 8:02 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by lumensimus at 8:02 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Eponysterical.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 8:22 PM on March 1, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 8:22 PM on March 1, 2011 [5 favorites]
Very nice but... The no room wasn't introduced until book 4, God Emperor of Dune. It is out of place mixed with the rest of the items which are all very much Dune based.
I dunno... Isn't that a Laza Tiger skin rug under Muad'Dib's bed? That would be from Children of Dune, at least.
posted by Palquito at 8:34 PM on March 1, 2011
I dunno... Isn't that a Laza Tiger skin rug under Muad'Dib's bed? That would be from Children of Dune, at least.
posted by Palquito at 8:34 PM on March 1, 2011
In the "suk doctor" image there is no mouse. I am astonished at the oversight. The mouse must appear in every color image in the book. My son loves to find the mouse and point to it.
Otherwise well done, except the non-rhyming of the Bene Gesserit stanza bugged me.
posted by caution live frogs at 8:50 PM on March 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
Otherwise well done, except the non-rhyming of the Bene Gesserit stanza bugged me.
posted by caution live frogs at 8:50 PM on March 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
Okay, wait. What's on the table underneath the glowglobe?
posted by elizardbits at 8:58 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by elizardbits at 8:58 PM on March 1, 2011
Is the little blond doll on the bookshelf next to the navigator supposed to be Irulan, do you think? The hair looks right.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 9:22 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 9:22 PM on March 1, 2011
Also of note: I'm pretty sure the title of the book on the Paul-bunny's nightstand is "Arrakis for Dummies."
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 9:29 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 9:29 PM on March 1, 2011
For Christmas two years ago, my parents bought me Goodnight Moon as well as Goodnight Bush, the latter a so-so parody that's already dated by now. My young son has taken a liking to Goodnight Moon to the point that I read it every single night and have done so for the last year.
*deep breath, sigh*
Anyway, just had to get that out. This is pretty funny, thanks.
posted by zardoz at 9:29 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
*deep breath, sigh*
Anyway, just had to get that out. This is pretty funny, thanks.
posted by zardoz at 9:29 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Maybe a few spoilers below.
I think the biggest surprise I had with Dune is not the trenchant political bits but the once-over on the fundamentals of ecology I found in the appendix. I learned about emergence as a property of systems and about ecological thinking there, and I always wondered about it, because it stands in stark contrast to the rest of the killing-and-fighting-and-thinking-about-politics of the rest of the book, which is why it got into the appendix after all.
I recall a certain English professor, forget his screename, on SomethingAwful's ask/tell board talking about Dune as his gateway drug for literature because it copied Hamlet in the major plot details. And then I ask myself — but where's the brilliant introduction to the absolute fundamental principles of ecology in Hamlet?
So anyways, I think there should definitely be a part with Pardot Kynes or Liet-Kynes teaching Fremen children about ecology in that book, or anything like it. It's a sign of civilization in a more hopeful light than the decadence portrayed in most of the rest of the book. The decadence you can gloss over, but that ecological thinking, that sign of civilization as caretaker for a natural world, gleams like something brilliant straight through the refactoring of Hamlet. And it's a brilliant goal for civilization. Let us make this desert a place flowing with water, so that any body can dip into a qanat and drink. No matter it takes 300 years; no matter if we must pay the bribes to the Guild; no matter if we must hide the whole damn thing from the Harkonnens for hundreds of years, we'll do it. That's something I would see in a children's book: the little Fremen who could.
posted by curuinor at 9:35 PM on March 1, 2011 [10 favorites]
I think the biggest surprise I had with Dune is not the trenchant political bits but the once-over on the fundamentals of ecology I found in the appendix. I learned about emergence as a property of systems and about ecological thinking there, and I always wondered about it, because it stands in stark contrast to the rest of the killing-and-fighting-and-thinking-about-politics of the rest of the book, which is why it got into the appendix after all.
I recall a certain English professor, forget his screename, on SomethingAwful's ask/tell board talking about Dune as his gateway drug for literature because it copied Hamlet in the major plot details. And then I ask myself — but where's the brilliant introduction to the absolute fundamental principles of ecology in Hamlet?
So anyways, I think there should definitely be a part with Pardot Kynes or Liet-Kynes teaching Fremen children about ecology in that book, or anything like it. It's a sign of civilization in a more hopeful light than the decadence portrayed in most of the rest of the book. The decadence you can gloss over, but that ecological thinking, that sign of civilization as caretaker for a natural world, gleams like something brilliant straight through the refactoring of Hamlet. And it's a brilliant goal for civilization. Let us make this desert a place flowing with water, so that any body can dip into a qanat and drink. No matter it takes 300 years; no matter if we must pay the bribes to the Guild; no matter if we must hide the whole damn thing from the Harkonnens for hundreds of years, we'll do it. That's something I would see in a children's book: the little Fremen who could.
posted by curuinor at 9:35 PM on March 1, 2011 [10 favorites]
Well that takes care of the gift-giving for every future baby shower I ever have to attend. Thanks Julia Yu and KG.
posted by jng at 9:43 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by jng at 9:43 PM on March 1, 2011
Okay, so when I was in 9th grade my English teacher ruined Dune for us all by making us read it and giving us quizzes on it that required us to remember useless, tiny details like the colors of flags and stuff like that. We didn't really do any work, as far as I remember, on the larger themes involved. I think it might've been a bit above my reading level at the time; I was consuming books like crazy but the most "adult" ones I'd read and enjoyed were Ender's Game/Shadow; I had to force myself through Lord of the Rings.
I've consumed a lot of Dune-related stuff through cultural osmosis, both through geek culture and (weirdly) through an anthropology course on water where it came up sometimes, but I'm wondering if it's worth it to pick it up again. Should I?
posted by NoraReed at 10:00 PM on March 1, 2011
I've consumed a lot of Dune-related stuff through cultural osmosis, both through geek culture and (weirdly) through an anthropology course on water where it came up sometimes, but I'm wondering if it's worth it to pick it up again. Should I?
posted by NoraReed at 10:00 PM on March 1, 2011
Isn't it a no chamber or no ship? Not to be confused with a nullentropy bin. I guess a chamber is a room...
spoilers
They start out as no-rooms in God Emperor. I'm pretty sure that no-chambers and no-ships don't turn up until Heretics. I know this because I just finished a marathon of the entire Frank Herbert series, inspired partly by the recent crop of Dune posts on MeFi. I say "marathon" because it was just like how I imagine running an actual marathon to be: initial elation and enjoyment, a long stretch of boredom in the middle, then a painful, dragging grind towards the finish line before you finally collapse and spend days in a coma, never finding out who won in the end.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 12:20 AM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
spoilers
They start out as no-rooms in God Emperor. I'm pretty sure that no-chambers and no-ships don't turn up until Heretics. I know this because I just finished a marathon of the entire Frank Herbert series, inspired partly by the recent crop of Dune posts on MeFi. I say "marathon" because it was just like how I imagine running an actual marathon to be: initial elation and enjoyment, a long stretch of boredom in the middle, then a painful, dragging grind towards the finish line before you finally collapse and spend days in a coma, never finding out who won in the end.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 12:20 AM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
elizardbits, pretty sure it's a box of spice and a device to scan food to make sure it's not poisoned.
posted by snwod at 12:57 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by snwod at 12:57 AM on March 2, 2011
On Wednesday, He ate through three spice harvesters. But He was still hungry.
It should really be the Very Hungry Little Maker.
Who then turned into a beautiful Shai-Hulud!
posted by rodgerd at 1:21 AM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
It should really be the Very Hungry Little Maker.
Who then turned into a beautiful Shai-Hulud!
posted by rodgerd at 1:21 AM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've consumed a lot of Dune-related stuff through cultural osmosis, both through geek culture and (weirdly) through an anthropology course on water where it came up sometimes, but I'm wondering if it's worth it to pick it up again. Should I?
Yes, at least the first book
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 5:06 AM on March 2, 2011
caution live frogs has pointed out a major flaw. If you can't find the mouse, you can't turn the page. Thus, you can't finish the book and you can't go to sleep. Things could get ugly around here.
posted by rtimmel at 11:36 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by rtimmel at 11:36 AM on March 2, 2011
I need this to be something I can buy so bad.
posted by Bonky Moon at 12:00 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by Bonky Moon at 12:00 PM on March 2, 2011
Yes, at least the first book
I concur. It's also pretty well accepted that each book is worse than the prior, so quit when you get to your personal meh. If this never happens you'll be reading the prequels, which I am told are boldly keeping up the tradition of increasing suckage.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:00 PM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
I concur. It's also pretty well accepted that each book is worse than the prior, so quit when you get to your personal meh. If this never happens you'll be reading the prequels, which I am told are boldly keeping up the tradition of increasing suckage.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:00 PM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
a device to scan food to make sure it's not poisoned
AHA the poison-snooper! Alas, I don't remember it from the film, and in the book it's a weird spidery-looking thing iirc.
posted by elizardbits at 8:41 PM on March 2, 2011
AHA the poison-snooper! Alas, I don't remember it from the film, and in the book it's a weird spidery-looking thing iirc.
posted by elizardbits at 8:41 PM on March 2, 2011
Maybe "Goodnight nobody" goes with the no-room.
On a related note, Coilhouse posted about this Dune children's book today.
posted by doctornemo at 9:04 AM on March 3, 2011
On a related note, Coilhouse posted about this Dune children's book today.
posted by doctornemo at 9:04 AM on March 3, 2011
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posted by snuffleupagus at 3:40 PM on March 1, 2011