Extra Sci Fi

Mythic worldbuilding and intentionality just weren't staples of science fiction until the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and Frank Herbert were published. We'll be doing an analysis of The Lord of the Rings and Dune, respectively--works that still stand out today because they are meticulously crafted.

J. R. R. Tolkien wasn't *just* a fantasy author--he was a mythology master. As a result, he ended up inventing some of the most popular genre tropes that science fiction heavily draws upon. Fellowship of the Ring introduces the theme of the "lessening of the world" and the decay of humanity.

Tolkien's writing was majorly influenced by the world he lived in--the concerns of World War II and the aftermath thereof were reflected in the themes of industrialization, more highly nuanced good-and-evil, and "questing" that The Two Towers emphasizes.

Tolkien lived in a dark time in history, but he believed not only in having hope, but in sacrifice as a means to redemption, which is why we get such a satisfyingly bittersweet ending in the Lord of the Rings.

Frank Herbert's epic novel Dune began as a photograph of the Oregon coastline--literally, the dunes themselves. From there it grew into a poem, then three books, then a serial in John W. Campbell's Analog magazines, and then at last... a car repair manual publisher?

On the surface, Dune appears to be a peak demonstration of "the competent man" trope so popular in Golden Age science fiction, but Herbert deconstructs this by carefully demonstrating how all of the characters make bad assumptions on faulty premises...

Dune is an ecological novel. Nature isn't just the background setting, but firmly integrated into the science and systems of the world. Frank Herbert explores big ideas around environmental conservation, through the spice that must flow.

Charismatic leadership can conceal corruption, and Frank Herbert saw how dangerous this was in the political events he lived through. Leto Atreides, Valdimir Harkonnen, and Paul Atreides (Muad'dib) each represent different types of charismatic but very faulty leadership practices.