Monday, October 4, 2010

Ten of the best vendettas in literature

At the Guardian, John Mullan named a list of ten of the best vendettas in literature.

One entry on the list:
Atreides vs Harkonnen

The names sound like a mix of Greek tragedy and Icelandic saga, but this is the sci-fi world of Frank Herbert's Dune (and its many sequels). A feud has raged between these families for thousands of years on the desert planet Arakis, only source of the priceless spice mélange. The politics of this murderous struggle are byzantine, and only for the devoted reader.
Read about the other vendettas on the list.

Dune is also on John Mullan's list of ten of the best deserts in literature and among the best and worst childbirth scenes in sci-fi & fantasy.

--Marshal Zeringue