This book would not have been possible without the support of my agents, Christopher Hermelin and Ryan Harbage, the Guild navigators who helped me see just far enough into the future to make this book happen.
For the second time, I’ve been very lucky to work with the brilliant Jill Schwartzman, an editor who is part Mentat and part Bene Gesserit: capable of instant and correct analysis, but also always playing the long game. Thank you, Jill, for your patience, insight, and humor.
Also, thanks to Charlotte Peters for providing suggestions for this book’s structure, which proved to be revelatory and transformative.
A big thanks to everyone I interviewed for this book. Many of you did not have to generously give your time, but you did, and I’m so grateful. So, huge thanks to Kyle MacLachlan, Timothée Chalamet, Alec Newman, Alicia Witt, Patrick Stewart, John Harrison, Alec Nevala-Lee, Kara Kennedy, Rebecca Ferguson, Denis Villeneuve, Hans Zimmer, Emmet Asher-Perrin, Haris Durrani, Frank Pavich, and Bill Ransom.
Special thanks here to Theresa Shackleford, who forever changed the way I thought about Frank Herbert and gave this book the heart it needed.
Important thanks to Mike Cecchini at Den of Geek, who asked me to write a cover story about Dune back in the summer of 2021, which led directly to my thinking about doing an entire book. Special thanks to Patrisia Prestinary for taking my phone call and tracking down the letters from the Fullerton Library that made the research for this book come alive.
Shout-outs to my regular collaborators and editors in my non-book writing, who all continue to support me professionally and make me a better writer in so many incalculable ways: Tyghe Trimble, Lizzy Francis, Matt Berical, Julia Holmes, Tyler Santora, Jake Kleinman, Hoai-Tran Bui, Mark Hill, and Adrienne Westenfeld.
While writing this book, I discussed or joked about it, or briefly blew off steam, with several wonderful writer friends. A writer needs creative friends, and I’m lucky to have some of the greatest on the planet. So, thanks to Lena Valencia, Ryan Spencer, Leigh Stein, Anthony Ha, Stefan Block, Phuc Tran, Colin Cheney, Sarah Braunstein, Lev Grossman, Chris Lough, Caseen Gaines, and Karen Russell. Special thanks to Brian Shuff for always being down to listen to me rant and always catching my Oasis references.
Huge thanks to my old friend Zach Pirtle, the smartest Dune aficionado on the planet. Your notes were essential to making this book better, and I don’t think I would have even written it if I had not met you way back when we were both pre-born abominations.
Thanks to the Dune fan community, who have been very supportive of this project, including Mark Bennett, Daniel Rohrbach, and the always wonderful Secrets of Dune.
Thanks to Justin Lemieux, Katy Lemieux, and the whole Lemieux clan for your friendship and support. I can’t wait to see this book on the shelves of Talking Animals.
Also, a huge thank-you to the local businesses who tolerate me as a fixture, hunched over my laptop in a spice trance: Thaddeus St. John, Doug Watts and the crew at 93 Main, and James LaPlante at SoPoCo Works.
Special thanks to Marie Plouffe and everyone at the South Portland Public Library.
Big high fives to my local bookstores in Portland, Maine, specifically Beth at Nonesuch Books, the whole crew at Print, the good folks at Longfellow Books, the cool kids at Bull Moose, and everyone at Sherman’s. And of course, this book could not exist and would not exist without Michelle Souliere at Green Hand Bookshop. Michelle, I hope you love this book as much as I love your shop, though that may not be possible.
Huge love to Kellie, C.J., Charlie, and Harper. And thanks a million to Simon Navarro for making me the person I am today.
Finally, thanks to my daughter, Randell, for reminding me to live in the moment. I love you so much and am so proud of you every single day.
And to Mary. My wife. My best friend. The only person I trust with eternity. I love you now and forever. History will remember you as the best mother, wife, poet, and artist on the planet.