When Frank Herbert Saw “Star Wars”
The author of “Dune” tried to decide if he’d been ripped off
On May 25, 1977, George Lucas’ “Star Wars” was released to worldwide acclaim, going on to become one of the most successful movies in history.
And soon after, Frank Herbert, the author of Dune, found his son Brian telling him on the phone: “You’d better see it. The similarities are unbelievable.”
Brian Herbert recalls the conversation years later in Dreamer of Dune, his biography of his father. He writes of Star Wars:“The film was shocking to me, for all the similarities between it and my father’s book.”
Were there similarities between Dune and Star Wars? In each, he notes, there were “an evil galactic empire, a desolate desert planet, hooded natives, strong religious elements, and a messianic hero with an aged mentor.”
The media soon noticed the connection
The Associated Press did a story on August 17, 1977, asking: ‘Does Star Wars copy Dune?’ Frank Herbert was interviewed, and notes he’s been told of similarities.
“The editor of The Village Voice has been calling me and asking me if I have seen Star Wars and if I’m…
