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!
SciFi.com. 2000. SciFi Chat transcript
SciFi.com. 2000. SciFi Chat transcript
When a brand knew urinal puck showed up in the bathroom of my studio, I knew what I had to do.
-AToE
-AToE
- SandChigger
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Re: SciFi.com. 2000. SciFi Chat transcript
Moderator: Can you type, Brian and/or Kevin???
Brian-and-Kevin: Yes!
Moderator: Great!
Re: SciFi.com. 2000. SciFi Chat transcript
I thought their story went that the BJ trilogy 'was' the set-up for Dune 7Spanky '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.
"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
Re: SciFi.com. 2000. SciFi Chat transcript
Lies within lies...
In 2000 they had yet to discover the need for a vague official doctrine to stick to.
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
-AToE