George R.R. Martin discusses the request from Dune fans that irritated Frank Herbert. The Dune novel, which was adapted into two movies in recent years by Denis Villeneuve, is Herbert’s best-known work. However, Herbert wrote numerous Dune books, along with other works of literature, throughout his career. As another prolific author writing science fiction and fantasy stories, Martin, best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, attended some of the same conventions as Herbert.

While speaking with Collider, Martin shared how Herbert seemed annoyed by fans constantly requesting that he write more Dune stories. Martin mentioned how Herbert wrote other books outside the Dune universe, including Under Pressure and The Santaroga Barrier, and that these stories deserved more recognition. While explaining that authors “want our other children to get some attention, too,” Martin also mentioned that he did not know Herbert well, but this was the impression he got from their time together at conventions. Check out Martin’s comments below:

Frank made Dune, which was one of the great, great books in the history of science fiction. But I know him a little, not a lot, just over conventions, and I think he was a little bothered that all they wanted was Dune. “Give us another Dune. Give us another Dune. Give us another Dune.” He wrote other good books. He wrote Under Pressure, a deep-sea novel about exploration. He wrote The Santaroga Barrier. That’s all of us writers. We want our other children to get some attention, too.

What This Means For Frank Herbert & George R.R. Martin

They Experienced The Double-Edged Sword Of Their Success

Like most authors, Herbert and Martin have written many stories, but they are primarily ᴀssociated with Dune and A Song of Ice and Fire. Given how extensively Dune shaped the science fiction genre, and how much A Song of Ice and Fire redefined the fantasy genre, the impact of these books is far-reaching, and will be felt for many years to come. With Martin, there is the additional element of the phenomenon of HBO’s Game of Thrones adaptation, which reshaped and forever the television landscape.

Despite these achievements, Dune and A Song of Ice and Fire are only a portion of Herbert and Martin’s impressive writing collections. Martin mentions two of Herbert’s standalone novels, of which there are more, but Herbert also wrote the ConSentiency and WorShip series. Meanwhile, Martin’s other books range from the vampire novel Fevre Dream to the children’s novelette The Ice Dragon. Despite being written by famous authors, these other stories do not have the kind of recognition or enthusiasm that surround Dune and A Song of Ice and Fire.

Our Take On George R.R. Martin’s Comments

Herbert And Martin’s Other Stories Deserve To Be Read As Well

The Dune books and A Song of Ice and Fire are uniquely enduring, but one drawback is that many readers will only want more from those universes. It is frustrating for Herbert and Martin to feel as though their other stories have been discarded. The best way to amend this is to read beyond an author’s most popular book or series. Fans of Dune and A Song of Ice and Fire should go beyond these universes and read the other fascinating stories that Herbert and Martin have written.

Source: Collider

Dune

Created by

Frank Herbert

First Film

Dune

Cast

Kyle MacLachlan, Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista