An Analysis of Frank Herbert's Dune and the Anthropocene in Literature Lauren Walsburg College

Fiction has created the opportunity for humanity to explore concepts in an experimental and safe arena. The Anthropocene has seen the adverse consequences of the human species experimentation, which is why it is essential for literature to be allowed the parameters for experimentation. This essay will establish Frank Herbert’s Dune (2010) as a key text in literature about the Anthropocene. It explores our world by building a similar, yet dissimilar, world, which allows us experimentation and discussion on issues pertaining to the survival of our species and our world. This essay will establish the idea of the Anthropocene and discuss this idea in a literary context. This essay will use Dune (2010) as an example of how the Anthropocene is discussed in literature. The Anthropocene will be discussed in terms of ecology, geology, politics, economics, and evolution. This essay will argue that Dune (2010) creates a discourse on the human impact on the environment. It will be argued that human intervention initially created greater opportunities for the human species; however, through substantial environmental changes caused by humanity, conditions have become increasingly worse for the majority of peoples.

The Anthropocene refers to...