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• Asher-Perrin, Emmet, (2019), “How to Handle the Baron Harkonnen in a Modern Dune Adaptation”, ReactorMag
• Austin, Nicola, (2021), “Dune and the Deconstruction of the Gendered Chosen One”, Girls on Tops
• Hall, Sophie, (2022), “Dune and the Trouble with Adapting Lady Jessica”, Videolibrarian
• Joe, Chloe, (2021), “Dune’s Bene Gesserit Kind of Suck. That’s a Good Thing”, Bustle
• Oliebos, Hannes, (2021), “The Deconstruction of the Masculine Norm and Structures of Patriarchy in Frank Herbert’s Dune Book Series”
• Soffer, Eyal, (2022), “The Dune Universe and Sexual Violence: An Ongoing Struggle”, Science Fiction Research Association
• Yuel, Bessie, (2023), “Frank Herbert’s Homophobia, Baron Harkonnen, and Queer Menace”, The Companion

Further Reading:

• Kennedy, Kara, Routledge, “Tracing Second-Wave Feminism Through Women in the Dune Series”, 2023

We close out our three-part series on the Dune universe by taking a critical look at the nature of power, feminism, gender, and sexual identity in Dune. From the Bene Gesserit to Baron Harkonnen, how does Herbert approach the nature of patriarchal society in a future scifi setting? And why do are there still questions about his treatment of the only openly queer character in the series?

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We talk factions, addictions, orgies, and decide which Imperial army we would play if we were forced into it.

Enjoy, and see you in 2024!

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1. We repeatedly say Dune was written in the 50s. It was published in 1965. Maybe Herbert was researching it in the 50s but we don't know that. We meant 60s.
2. Alex says Herbert grew up on the Eastern seaboard of the US. It was actually the Western seaboard -- he was born in Washington state.

We continue our Dune series by tackling an aspect of the world that was probably viewed very differently in the 60s compared to the modern era. Herbert heavily based the idea of the Fremen, their language, and their religion, on the Middle East and North Africa.

Did he do it to enlighten his readers through the lens of SciFi, or utilise a mysterious foreign people and religion to prop up the otherness of the peoples in his novels? Is Dune ingerently orientalist?

"The Muslimness of Dune" by Haris Durrani on Tor.com

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Our first episode highlights just how different Dune was when it was first published in 1965, how it flipped the relationship between science fiction and ecology, sociopolitics, and the role of religion and the individual.

Also featuring a guest appearance from Alex's cat.

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The episode Khalil and Alex talk about the recently-released Dungeons & Dragons movie. Was it a by-the-numbers popcorn flick designed to have a surface-level good time, or a huge missed opportunity to explore an enourmous setting with so many intricate places, peoples, and themes?

Another of our more casual chats, expect some proper analysis episodes soon!

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This is a shorter, bite-sized version of a mainline episode where we try to chat more casually.

Enjoy!

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This episode of the Lore Axe we're looking at Netflix's 2022 series Cyberpunk Edgerunners. A show designed to help sell a video game that turns out to be pretty damn good. We look at the setting, the themes, and (as usual) the inherant nature of capitalism embedded in this flashy anime-like show.

From hubris to sci-fi dystopia, from dual-weilding shotguns to comparing Khalil to the BBC, from smashing Adams to cockney girlfriends, this episode has it all.

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Based on the 1965 book by Sol Yurick and inspired by Xenophon's Anabasis, is this campy action movie a poorly acted send-up of violence and gang culture, or a centrepiece of late 70s cinema and a looking glass through which to view urban life in New York City?

We'll get into all that and more as we come out to play and try not to get wrecked. Who are the Warriors? Listen and find out.

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In a world without codified moralities, what direction will you choose?

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Additional music by Universefield on Pixabay

Audio clips from Dark Souls by FromSoftware.

Sources and inspiration for this episode:

• Carroll, Nilsen; The Existential Hero: Dark Souls through Kierkegaard, Camus, and Sartre, The Artifice, 2014
• Smith, Jordan; A beginner’s guide to Kierkegaard, via Dark Souls 2, Killscreen, 2014
• Kersting, Eric; From Nietzsche to Hegel: Perspectives on Humanity in ‘Dark Souls’, Pop Matters, 2014

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Conceptualised in 2010 and run from 2012 to 2014, Korra expanded on the universe of Last Airbender and moved the story forward by 70 years.

Someone who was 10 when Last Airender launched would be 17 when Korra aired, and the show ages up its protagonist to match.

We ask: how does the show deal with that growing up? And how does it do when trying to create more complex storyline featuring bigger topics like freedom, anarchism, authoritarianism, and religion?

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We also delve into the creative process of Avatar, the merits of a show celebrating Asian cultures being made by two white dudes, and the use of cultural consultants. Is Avatar a love letter to the Asian-American experience? Does it have one of the best portrayels of personal growth? Can Kinko and Alex refrain from talking about martial arts too much?

Find answers to all these questions!

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In a pre 9/11 world where audiences and writers began to look more critically at the results of booming capitalism, how did this relflect on your everyday Saturday morning show.

As it turns out, not every 90s morning cartoon was created equal. We investigate the themes, inspirations, and context in which these programmes were created.

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Our first standalone episode takes on the "Godfather" of Japanese animation, Hayao Miyazaki, and one of his most popular films: Castle in the Sky.

Where did Miyazaki take his inspiration for the film? How does the Welsh coal miner's strike fit into things? Did Castle in the Sky set a template for future animated films from Japan, and wider science fiction? We seek to answer these questions and more.

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This week on The Lore Axe we reach out Games Workshop finale. It's time to talk about the Big Bad of the 40k: Chaos.

The universe's whipping boy, the Great Enemy. In a galaxy full of scary threats they trump nearly all others. But is Chaos really all that bad? We take a look at some of the nuances.

This episode contains sexual references.

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This week on The Lore Axe we take on the voracious hive mind of the Tyranids and ask: how do you create the end of your setting without creating the end of your setting?

The viscious, hungry, insectoid-like Tyranids want nothing more than to strip 40k of all biomass. We'll discuss their origins, evolution, and how they're either a universe-ending threat or just a horde of monsters for the "good guys" to stomp out.

This episode was recorded in 2022, and some information may be out of date at the time of publishing.

This episode contains sexual references.

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This week on The Lore Axe we tackle two factions that arrived fairly late to the party in the 40,000 setting: Necrons and the Tau.

Launched to shake up the setting, they did just that and in more ways than one. Games Workshop weathered some criticism for making two factions deemed both overpowered and ... too nice?

What happens when you need to roll back on one of your factions to ensure that players don't feel bad about killing them? You get this.

This episode contains references to child abuse within a fictional universe.

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This week on the Lore Axe we continue our journey into the universe of Warhammer 40,000 and explore two of its oldest factions: the Eldar and the Orkz. Conceived as two enemies to the human Imperium, these races have undergone a fair amount of changes over the past decades.

As always, we'll pick apart the reasons for their creation, the evolution of their backstories, and talk about why Orkz are one of the few things keeping 40k fun.

This episode was recorded in 2022, and some information may be out of date at time of publishing.

This episode contains references to historical sexual violence within a fictional universe.

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In the grim darkness of the future there is only war. Yet while trying to portray a dystopian nightmare populated by fascists, demogogues, systemic cruelty, and outright cruelty, what happens when you need a "good guy" for your fan to root for (or buy merch for)?

The problem when you make a fascist dystopia seem like the good guys is that you will run up against people who really believe it.

This episode was recorded in 2022, and some information may be out of date at time of publishing.

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