Hey folks,
Time for a very long and very overdue update! I keep promising myself that I’ll set aside the time for a weekly blog post (New Year Resolution for 2022!), it always seems to be the thing that gets pushed into the corner for more pressing matters!
I finally got out to the cinema recently to see Dune, a movie that I’ve been waiting for with mixed feelings. I saw the David Lynch edition when I was a kid, and was one of those people who didn’t hate it. It was a movie that really captured my imagination, but I’m not really sure why! It was a long time before I got around to reading the book, which I did only a few years ago, but I really enjoyed it.
I’m not usually one for immersive world building, but there was something about Herbert’s vision of the distant future that I find really fascinating. I think the new Denis Villeneuve interpretation was utterly spectacular. It was science fiction on a truly epic scale, which is something you don’t really see that often anymore. It’s definitely a movie to see on the big screen if you can, as it was visually breathtaking.
As with every attempt to bring a large novel to the screen, there were nuances missing, and things for which I was glad I’d read the novel, so had that context to explain things, but overall I think Villeneuve did a really excellent job at bringing across the important elements, and giving a window on Herbert’s picture of future humanity.
It was a film that left me thinking about it for days afterward, and I have to admit I’ve now seen it twice! All in all it was a 5 star movie for me on every level, so I’d strongly recommend you check it out!
Now for some news about what I’m up to when I’m not idling away at the movies! The second book in the Blood of Kings trilogy is nearing completion, and I’m confident that I’ll hit my February target release date. The third book is already underway at first draft stage, and I’m hoping to get that out next Autumn.
On the sci-fi front, I’m hard at work on the second Alpha Protocol book, which I’m hoping to release toward the middle of next year. First draft is almost done, so things are progressing nicely on that front too!
I hope you’re all keeping well!
Duncan