Slush and the comforts of Dune
By: Joel Troutman
March 6, 2024
March 6, 2024
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As we’re working through the final hundred submissions from this reading period, we face the crunch of our own, self-imposed deadlines. The pressure of sorting through 30 submissions a day, while also working full-time jobs, squeezes our brains like the tail of a baby sandworm wrapping around us. Our only solace these past few days has come from Dune.
This weekend, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two released in theaters. Elyse and I have spent the last two years itching to return to Arrakis. And now it’s here! She’s seen the movie twice already. We both agree it’s a masterpiece, and we’ll die on that hill, book changes be damned. The cinematography blew us away, the tension in the action had us holding our breath, and the worms! Oh my word, the worms! I'd die a happy man if I got swallowed by the toothy maw of Shai-Hulud. The movie delivered all the style, tone, and scale of the first part with even more of a spice-fueled kick than before. I may not be sold on the direction of Paul and Chani’s relationship right now, but with Villeneuve’s track record, I’ll trust the man’s vision. I could go on and on, gushing about Hans Zimmer’s score, the acting, and the costume design, but I’ll cut things here. Just know that we’re big fans. Outside of Dune’s theatrical release, I also picked up a June 1966 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact from the Cozy Corner Bookstore, just a few blocks from home. I bought this particular issue because I liked the pinwheel galaxy on its cover and because it featured a story called “Escape Felicity” by none other than Frank Herbert himself. In the middle of a slush-reading session, I took a break to read the story. Weird choice, I know: taking a break from reading short stories to read another short story, but listen, reading for work carries a totally different vibe than reading for pleasure. And Herbert delivered a reprieve. “Escape Felicity” has some efficient world building and a healthy dose of Herbert’s mechanical attention-to-detail that brings Dune to life, not to mention a smart plot and easy to read but ever-evolving characters. It’s a good read, and the break was much-needed. Above all else, as our brain matter deteriorates into sludge within our skulls, we find ourselves crying out our favorite vocal motif from the Dune soundtrack: the explosive banshee calls that propel the score. It erupts from dormant mouths like fireballs blasting out from within shimmering shields. Our screeching renditions are near-prefect– especially the ones that morph into the opening “Nants ingonyama bagithi baba” from the Lion King’s “Circle of Life.” I’d pay money to hear Loire Colter herself (the vocalist for Dune’s iconic motif) give that mash-up a legit shot. If you want to, check out this Spotify playlist we’ve carefully curated to feature our favorite tracks from both Dune and Dune: Part Two. These songs are what keeps our souls from slipping out of our ears. But really though, having so many submissions to work through has been a great problem to have! It’s been an absolute pleasure seeing what our writers have to share with us, and we’re excited to put them out in the world for our readers to enjoy as well! Stay tuned for another update once we’ve finished sorting through all of our submissions! We’ve got *data* that I’m excited to share. On that note, the spreadsheet beckons, and the spice must flow.
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~ Joel Troutman ~
Joel Troutman is a writer and editor from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who likes frogs, cowboys, and romanticized road trips. He has a degree in fiction writing and English literature from the University of Pittsburgh as well as a couple publishing credits and a few years' work as a freelance beta reader. He pays the bills by stocking shelves at a grocery store.
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