Reimagining Colonialism: Dune Within Postcolonial Science-Fiction

Abstract

This research paper will examine the science-fiction novel Dune as a postcolonial work. Colonial history and literature that have been the central focus of postcolonial studies influenced the structure of many science-fiction novels. One of these was Herbert’s Dune (1965), which carries a colonial formula into a new fictionalized setting. However, very few postcolonial studies cross into the science-fiction novel, and fewer still consider the science-fictional element that sets it apart as a genre. Thus, this article attempts to provide a new perspective on Dune as a postcolonial novel that sets a new premise for our understanding of postcolonialism. In employing the early anticolonial thoughts of Amilcar Cabral and his notion of resistance, this study will trace these anticolonial notions throughout the novel. In addition, it will consider the novel’s science-fictional element of spice and how it proves detrimental in perceiving the novel as a new form of postcolonial narrative.