One of the things that made Dune special for me the first time I read it was the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter.
They felt like a glimpse behind the curtain, provided additional context and world-building, and managed to introduce the Princess Irulan well before we ever got to meet her.
“Muad‘Dib we call ’instructor-of-boys.’” - Stilgar
I loved Irulan’s epigraph the most, and my favorite of her in-universe books was (of course) the Collected Sayings of Muad’Dib.
Do you know anyone who likes to nerd out about Dune?
Because they’re called “sayings” I’m still not sure whether these are things Paul repeated a lot? Were they just “wise pronouncements” he delivered to rapt audiences? Or was it just stuff he muttered while Irulan happened to be within earshot with a notepad handy?
Either way, these quotes form a pattern when viewed as a collection, showing a man grappling with power, prescience, and the uncomfortable weight of his growing legend.
🔒 In the full article:
The Villain’s Self-Awareness through the Hero’s Journey
The Tension of Opposites and how they rely on each other
The Desert’s Lessons and how they shaped the Golden Path
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