A rolling ball… but gathering foam. This is how Jean-Michel Berthiaume, doctor in semiology and specialist in popular culture, himself a fan of the work since adolescence, would describe the horde of fans of Dune.
As in other communities grouped around sagas, followers exchange new interpretations and hypotheses, dig into history or enrich it. But for Mr. Berthiaume, that of lovers of Dune stands out for its continuous training in superimposed layers. “The first major readership was that which adhered to the concerns raised in the work, the books appearing at the beginning of environmental activism, presenting an anti-colonial subtext, the idea of preserving the ecosystem, the cost of extraction of natural resources, etc. “, explains the academic. “Subsequently, a second layer grew with fans of science fiction and fantasy anthologies, people who discovered Herbert in their youth, but also Asimov. »
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Jean-Michel Berthiaume, semiologist specializing in popular culture
These fans are joined by those of genre or experimental cinema, with the adaptation of Lynch and the work of Jodorowsky. It’s becoming a connoisseur’s thing, more and more people are arriving there by different paths.
Jean-Michel Berthiaume
Finally, the latest layer was crystallized by the Quebec filmmaker. “There are fans of large-scale cinema, who want a rich experience and who have supported Villeneuve’s proposal. »
Enough to generate intergenerational dissension? Not really, the squeaky voices of the pioneers being swept away by the healthy exchanges. “We are reaching almost two generations of transmission, I rather see an encouragement to love sharing. It’s always fascinating to interact with scholars who have been reading it in depth for 20 years, just as I like to talk to my students who only know Villeneuve’s film,” says the popular culture specialist.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Art books and special editions will spark interest.
Back to basics
At the Saga bookstore, specializing in science fiction, we also notice that the early fans have been joined by a larger audience, rejuvenated, charmed by the latest films to date. Beyond the discovery of the density of Dunethe work even becomes for some a gateway to the genre, testifies Mathieu Lauzon-Dicso, owner of Saga.
The latter also sees fans returning home, after years of science fiction withdrawal.
We have some who have read Dune when they were teenagers, moved on, then came back to it thanks to the film. They rediscover the novel, but also all the science fiction that has been created in the meantime.
Mathieu Lauzon-Dicso, owner of Saga
The size of the worshiping community Dune Does it compete with those of other franchises in the same vein? For Mr. Lauzon-Dicso, that would be the case, with fans numbering in the millions, although they find themselves less in the spotlight – until now. “It’s comparable. [La communauté] is just as immense, but perhaps less readable, not occupying the same space as for Star Wars or Star Trek. We were hearing about it, but there was no injection of this fanbase into mainstream media yet,” he says.
A less protruding claw
And it’s not Sara Teinturier, member of this circle and researcher who has already dissected Dune, which will contradict him. She points to immediate success in bookstores, having very quickly attracted a large number of admirers. “As much as there are a lot of fans in this community, it doesn’t seem as structured or visible to me as others of the same genre,” she notes. As proof, it is rather rare to come across them during costume activities (cosplay), like those of Comiccon. It’s all over the web, especially in forums and on Reddit.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Sara Teinturier, in front of the poster signed Marie Bergeron
Why this low profile? Mme Dyer sees it as a rule of three. First, less identifiable or striking visual components, such as a lightsaber or a Darth Vader mask. Then, the reputation of a serious, intellectual work, streaked with political reflections. “We are in a science fiction universe where we don’t always find the usual codes of the genre, like spaceship battles,” she adds. Finally, the absence of a unifying film adaptation around which fans could come together (that of Lynch having been lynched) would not have structured the community as solidly as elsewhere. “But things should change or have started to do so with Villeneuve’s films,” she notes. The light is finally shining on the fans of Dune : the sleepers have awakened.
PHOTO FROM MCFARLANE TOYS WEBSITE
Figure lovers are served!
In a fan’s room
Figurines, toys, models? They exist, but enthusiasts of Dune seem especially attracted by products that are more literary than the usual commercial junk: art books, comics, special editions or anthologies (All about Dune), lists the owner of the Saga bookstore – who however successfully organized a recent competition where figurines from the film were up for grabs. “Books, like new translations into French, with new illustrations, visuals are indeed of interest to fans,” confirms Sara Teinturier, whose living room is decorated with a poster signed by a Quebec illustrator. Attention gourmets, the spice is in the cup: the Brouhaha brewery has already created an “Arrakis” beer, while the Thésaurus Thérrarium tea house has developed four blends inspired by Dune.