SciFi.com. 2000. SciFi Chat transcript

Moderators: SandRider, D Pope

Post Reply
D Pope
Archivist
Posts: 476
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:16 pm

SciFi.com. 2000. SciFi Chat transcript

Post by D Pope »

http://web.archive.org/web/200711050734 ... erson.html

Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson
Moderator: Can you type, Brian and/or Kevin???
Brian-and-Kevin: Yes!

Moderator: Great!

Moderator: A word — our guests are using one typist

Moderator: BUT you can ask them questions individually and you'll know who's who by the initial in front of their replies to your questions.

Moderator: Hi everyone, thanks for joining us here. I'm Patrizia DiLucchio for SCIFI. Frank Herbert's Dune is coming to the SCI FI Channel on Sunday, December 3, at 9PM ET/PT! To celebrate, joining us tonight we're pleased to welcome writers Brian Herbert (son of Dune-iverse creator Frank Herbert) and Kevin J. Anderson, authors of Dune: House Harkonnen.

Moderator: In their ambitious volume, Brian and Kevin flesh out the background of the intricate, richly-nuanced, and just plain sandy world of Arrakis. This latest book charts the antagonistic relationship between the Harkonnen and Atreides families which ultimately leads to the events chronicled in the original novel.

Moderator: Brief word about the drill - please send your questions for our guests to me, Moderator, as private messages. (To send a private message, either double-click on my name or type "/msg Moderator" on the command line - only without the quotes.)

Moderator: First question -- from me:

Moderator: Brian and Kevin, can you describe this book and its relationship to the events that have come before it in the Dune narrative?

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevein: House H is the second book in our prequel trilogy

Brian-and-Kevin: It deals with all the characters familiar to Dune Fans

Brian-and-Kevin: Duke Leo

Brian-and-Kevin: Jessica

Brian-and-Kevin: The Baron

Brian-and-Kevin: and the Emperoror Shaddam

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: <DuneMan> : many have disputed mohiam being jessica's mother. was this frank herbert's idea or did you both decide to make this so? by the way, i have an autographed copy of house harkonnen and wouldn't take anything for it

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian: Thanks for not selling the book at any price

Brian-and-Kevin: Mohiam as Jessica's mother came from Frank Herbert's original Dune series working notes

Brian-and-Kevin: We were thrilled to use it

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: <gator>: Do they find it difficult to carry on with the exact plans within plans within plans style of Frank Herbert< Personally I was estatic when found out the dune-iverse would carry on

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin: I have been reading Frank's novels since I was a kid

Brian-and-Kevin: From them I learned how to plot my own fiction

Brian-and-Kevin: Because I had such a great instructor I was well aware of the need for us

Brian-and-Kevin: to create intenselly complex schemes and plot line

Brian-and-Kevin: in order to carry on the legacy

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian:

Brian-and-Kevin: I've always found that the eveil characters that are tghe most interesting. And they are responsible for the plans within plans etc

Brian-and-Kevin: Both Kevin and I were inspired by my dad

Brian-and-Kevin: It's interesting that Kevin and I are able to come up with plots together that we couldn't do alone

Brian-and-Kevin: I llove playing in my father's sandbox

Brian-and-Kevin: My dad read Shakesspeare as a kid

Brian-and-Kevin: So he know about complex plots

Brian-and-Kevin: He started writing at eight years old after all

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: Sort of a related question -- but slightly different twist...

Moderator: <chexmix>: For both: are you deviled by the sort of "well, it's good but it's not Frank Herbert" sort of thing that must inevitably follow efforts to flesh out a pre-created world?

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian:

Brian-and-Kevin: We haven't heard anything exactly like that

Brian-and-Kevin: We've had reviews that called the books good, but not as good as the original Dune

Brian-and-Kevin: Not a big surprise

Brian-and-Kevin: Our books are authentic Dune books however

Brian-and-Kevin: We have a huge amount of original information to fall back on

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: Just a reminder..We're chatting with writers Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, authors of Dune: House Harkonnen. If you have a question for our guests, please send it to me, Moderator, as a private message. . (To send a private message, either double-click on my name or type "/msg Moderator" on the command line - only without the quotes.)

Moderator: <fruitcake>: Hey Brian and Kevin! This question is from a friend of mine: What was the WORST part of making (writing) this version of Dune?

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin: I'm trying to think of what was difficult

Moderator: Your fingers got sore from all that typing?

Brian-and-Kevin: Because these are Dune books they're an challange for even two writers

Brian-and-Kevin: The hardest part is living up to our own expectations

Brian-and-Kevin: and those of our fans

Brian-and-Kevin: We think that Dune was the greatest sf novel ever written

Brian-and-Kevin: It's an ihonor to work with the material

Brian-and-Kevin: These are the best books we've ever written

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian

Brian-and-Kevin: Dune House H focuses on Baron H

Brian-and-Kevin: In writing this book we've set up scebarios where bad things happen to good characters

Brian-and-Kevin: The heros are faced with overwhelming challanges

Brian-and-Kevin: But the good guys...or most of them do

Brian-and-Kevin: You'll have to read the book to see who doesn't

Brian-and-Kevin: It's an epic tragedy.

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: <Blasko>: Leto`s Mentat really dropped the the ball, unable to see murder plots against his father and himself, who`s idea was it to make him so fallable?

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian: He's fallable in the original Dune itself

Brian-and-Kevin: He's responsible for security

Brian-and-Kevin: But the secrety is breached and Leto is attacked

Brian-and-Kevin: Frank Herbert made him fallible. We're try to stay with that

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: Two related questions:

Moderator: <gator>: How many prequels are planned and do they plan on adding on to the final book of the series, or even spin offs of different sects/races?

Moderator: <Corrinoheir> : will you be writing some other Dune books after the prequel and what is the name of the next book?

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin:

Brian-and-Kevin: I'm polishing the final pages on last book in the prequel trilogy

Brian-and-Kevin: After that we'll be working on a Butlerian Jihad trilogy

Brian-and-Kevin: The great war that establishing the entire Dune Universe

Brian-and-Kevin: AND...We have the outline for the last Dune that Frank intended to write to finish the tale

Brian-and-Kevin: "Dune Seven"

Brian-and-Kevin: We intend to write the final book to wrap up the whole story, but we have not yet decided if we'll need to write books to set it up

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian:

Brian-and-Kevin: I was interviewed a few weeks ago and the radio interviewer said "What will you call Dune Seven"

Brian-and-Kevin: I said, " I dunno...Dune 15?"

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: <Hyppo>: what was the name of the first book in the prequel trilogy, and what time period did it cover?

Moderator: Just a reminder..We're chatting with writers Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, authors of Dune: House Harkonnen. If you have a question for our guests, please send it to me, Moderator, as a private message. . (To send a private message, either double-click on my name or type "/msg Moderator" on the command line - only without the quotes.)

Brian-and-Kevin: The First is Dune House Atriades' It cover the period 40 years before the original novel

Brian-and-Kevin: It intriduces Leto, the Baron, etc

Brian-and-Kevin: It's in paperback now

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: <Siona> to <Moderator>: Will there ever be anything like the "Dune Dictionaries" published, or any behind-the-scenes works published on the books?

Brian-and-Kevin: As I mentioned, we have all of the original notes, and we work from a Dune Concordence

Brian-and-Kevin: But aswe write, things change

Brian-and-Kevin: We'll probably publish source material at some point in the future

Brian-and-Kevin: We also think we may publish my father's notes and some of his rejection letters from when he tried to publish the book in the early 60s

Brian-and-Kevin: We hope to republish some of Frank Herbert's early stories too

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin: We'll keep you busy in reading material for a long time.

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: <Hyppo>: If your books were to make it to the big screen (or the little screen), what would you insist is kept exactly as it was written, and what would you be flexible about?

Brian-and-Kevin: Brianb:

Brian-and-Kevin: I think authors have to be flexible

Brian-and-Kevin: We would be careful to only sign an agreement with a producer who believed in the material

Brian-and-Kevin: But at a certain point you can only pray for the best

Brian-and-Kevin: We aren't the author/producer types

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin:

Brian-and-Kevin: A movie adaptation is a different art form than the written word

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian and I are authors

Brian-and-Kevin: We know what we're doing writing novels

Brian-and-Kevin: But we wouldn't tell Spielberg how to make a movie

Moderator: How about David Lynch? :-)

Brian-and-Kevin: Whether a film adaptation is good or bad, it still draws attention to the original work

Brian-and-Kevin: If a movie were ever made of our books

Brian-and-Kevin: we would hope it would introduce more fans to the universe of DUne

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator:

Moderator: <gator>: Do you endorse the current onscreen adaptation of Frank's DUNE

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian: We haven't seen it yet

Brian-and-Kevin: But we certainly endorse it whole heartedly

Brian-and-Kevin: Both Kevin and I have worked on the screenplay,

Brian-and-Kevin: we found it to be excellent. A wonderful adaptation of my father's novel

Brian-and-Kevin: I have three VCRs in my house ready to make copies of the series when it is completed

Brian-and-Kevin: So we're all excited and we can't wait for the showing

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin:

Brian-and-Kevin: John Harrison is a great Dune fan. It'll be good

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: <DuneMan>: will the fate of Margot Fenring's daughter by Feyd ever be revealed or will that remain a mystery?

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin:

Brian-and-Kevin: That's one possible story we have in mind

Brian-and-Kevin: but it won't be for several books yet

Brian-and-Kevin: That would deal with events of Paul's jihad that take place between Dune and Dune Messiah

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: Just a reminder..We're chatting with writers Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, authors of Dune: House Harkonnen. If you have a question for our guests, please send it to me, Moderator, as a private message. . (To send a private message, either double-click on my name or type "/msg Moderator" on the command line - only without the quotes.)

Moderator: <Siona>: Do you think you will develop the Imperial Daughters more in House Corrino? I always wondered more of what they were like.

Moderator: Brian? Kevin?

Moderator: Did you see the question?

Brian-and-Kevin: Just a second...

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian:

Brian-and-Kevin: In a word

Brian-and-Kevin: YES

Brian-and-Kevin: We have developed Irulin in House Corrino

Brian-and-Kevin: She's a talented aspiring writer who has a friendhip with Jessica

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin:

Brian-and-Kevin: During the time of House Corrino

Brian-and-Kevin: most of the daughters are quite young.

Brian-and-Kevin: ...And we already have 7000 characters!

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: <Blasko>: Do you two write different chapters or work together on each chapter?

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian: We agree on a detailed outline, then we assign chapters depending on our strengths

Brian-and-Kevin: Since I loive in WA and Kevin lives in CO we mail disks back and forth and edit each other's work

Brian-and-Kevin: We generally don't send hard copy all marked up with red pens

Brian-and-Kevin: But we do rewrite each other's work, so the end result is seamless

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin:

Brian-and-Kevin: House Corrino is currently on its tenth draft

Brian-and-Kevin: And we hope final

Brian-and-Kevin: That means we've each gone over the draft...all 800 pages...five complete times

Brian-and-Kevin: We've each worked on every chapter

Brian-and-Kevin: It's taken us about a year to do the book

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: <Hyppo>: Do you two ever seriously disagree on major points when you collaborate? If so, how do you settle it?

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian: It's amasing how similar our views are of the Duine universe

Brian-and-Kevin: We've never seriously disagreed on anything

Brian-and-Kevin: It helps that Kevin and I like each other and respect each other's abilities

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin and 5 both collaborated with other writers before we tried Dune,

Brian-and-Kevin: so we know what it takes to work together

Brian-and-Kevin: We think we're better writers together than we are indiidually

Brian-and-Kevin: And when we're together in publis we're nicer people

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin:

Brian-and-Kevin: We're written 2500 finished pages together and we've never really disagreed

Brian-and-Kevin: We both want the best possible book, so we leave our egos at the door

Brian-and-Kevin: Any plot holes we brainstorm together -- neither of us dicatates the answer

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: <Darktalon>: With two authors does it take less/more time to complete a novel, compared to just one author ?

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian: In the case of a Dune book it's difficult to compare,

Brian-and-Kevin: It's taking me longer to collaborate than it ever did to write a solo novel

Brian-and-Kevin: Butr that's because of the detail required in a Dune book

Brian-and-Kevin: And we're stiving hard to live up to Frank's work

Brian-and-Kevin: We're working very hard

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin:

Brian-and-Kevin: You don't collaborate toi save work

Brian-and-Kevin: You do it because the sum total is better than the whole of its parts

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: <Corrinoheir>: what ideas do you have for the jhiad series .is the whole governing body of the landsraad and the emperor like the government of America

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin: We've just finished a 180 page outline for the Butlerian Jihad

Brian-and-Kevin: It'll require another 2500 pages to tell the whole story

Brian-and-Kevin: Since this is 10000 years before the events in Dune, we'll be establishing the seeds for the Empire and the landsraad, but these governments will beb the result of events that occur in the trilogy

Brian-and-Kevin: Wait to read the books --starting in 2 years

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian: We are also setting the foundation for the Guild, the Sisterhood, the Suk Doctors, the Wanders, etc that carry forward into the Dune novels that fans of Frank Herbert are so familiar with

Brian-and-Kevin: We have some very interesting surprsies in store for fans

Brian-and-Kevin: We think when they're revealed fans will say "Yes. That makes sense."

Brian-and-Kevin: It's like plantinf seeds for a mystery

Brian-and-Kevin: The secrets of the Jihad need to be the correct answers to the mysteries

Brian-and-Kevin: This ties in to the mystery my dad left when he didn't finish Dune Seven

Brian-and-Kevin: But then Planet Arakis is a mystery itself

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: <Blasko> : I`m glad to hear your doing more pre-Dune books, will we find out what the original Abulurd Harkonnen did to start the Atreides_Harkonnen feud?

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin: Of course. That'll be in Book Three of the Butlerian Jihad Trilogy...!

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian: Abulurd Harkonnen is a name that lives in infamy

Brian-and-Kevin: He is branded a coward vfor 10000 years

Brian-and-Kevin: He must have done something REALLY bad

Brian-and-Kevin: GA

Moderator: Final question for the evening:

Moderator: <DuneMan>: many of us on the miniseries discussion board have ideas about what is driving the lost ones back to the empire...i personally like the idea of rebellious face dancers using forbidden technology. Any hint as to the plot of the seventh book?

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin: No hint whats so ever

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian:

Brian-and-Kevin: When Kevin and I firsted started working with Dune that was one of the top questions we wanted to figure out

Brian-and-Kevin: In May of '97 we found a safety deposit box where my dad left notes

Brian-and-Kevin: We've been tortured, but we haven't revealed his secret!

Brian-and-Kevin: Brian: We want to thank everybody for coming tonight. We look forward to hearing form you in the future

Moderator: Thanks Brian & Kevin for joining us here tonight. Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert are the authors of Dune: House Harkonnen and they joined us this evening to warm us up for the special SCI FI presentation of "Frank Herbert's Dune," coming to the SCI FI channel on Sunday, 12/3 at 9pET/PT.

Moderator: Don't forget to watch!

Moderator: Thanks to everyone in the audience for your great questions and your smiling faces...

Brian-and-Kevin: Kevin: If Brian and I hold up our part of the bargain, Dune fans will have a new book every fall for many years

Brian-and-Kevin: Good night!
When a brand knew urinal puck showed up in the bathroom of my studio, I knew what I had to do.
-AToE
User avatar
SandChigger
Archivist
Posts: 4577
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:11 pm
Location: Sietch Tigr, near Arrakeen
Contact:

Re: SciFi.com. 2000. SciFi Chat transcript

Post by SandChigger »

Moderator: Can you type, Brian and/or Kevin???
Brian-and-Kevin: Yes!

Moderator: Great!
:doh:
User avatar
Sev
Posts: 60
Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 1:22 pm
Location: Peterborough, U.K.

Re: SciFi.com. 2000. SciFi Chat transcript

Post by Sev »

Spanky 'n' Bobo wrote:After that we'll be working on a Butlerian Jihad trilogy... We intend to write the final book to wrap up the whole story, but we have not yet decided if we'll need to write books to set it up.
I thought their story went that the BJ trilogy 'was' the set-up for Dune 7 :?
"It was early 1974 before I made any attempt to read Dune. After forty pages I gave up. I couldn't get into the book. It seemed convoluted, opaque and full of strange language." - Brian "Bobo" Herbert
D Pope
Archivist
Posts: 476
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:16 pm

Re: SciFi.com. 2000. SciFi Chat transcript

Post by D Pope »

Lies within lies...
In 2000 they had yet to discover the need for a vague official doctrine to stick to.
When a brand knew urinal puck showed up in the bathroom of my studio, I knew what I had to do.
-AToE
Post Reply

Return to “Brian Herbert”