The Cover for Hunters of Dune

One of the advantages of doing a blog is to show DUNE fans how the process of writing and publishing a DUNE book happens -- in real time. So today: the cover for HUNTERS OF DUNE.

This afternoon I got a call from Stephen Youll, the US cover artist for all the new DUNE novels. Time to brainstorm the main image for HUNTERS. Stephen and I often bounce around ideas about what to put on a book.

I've known him for more than ten years. Stephen painted the covers for my three STAR WARS anthologies -- TALES FROM THE MOS EISLEY CANTINA, TALES FROM JABBA'S PALACE, and TALES OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS. He did the cover for my solo novel BLINDFOLD, and I was delighted when he was chosen to be the artist for HOUSE ATREIDES. Stephen joined Brian and me at the 1999 DragonCon for the launch of the new DUNE prequels and he exhibited his original painting in the art show. When I began my new epic science fiction series for Warner Books, The Saga of Seven Suns, I suggested him for the covers, and he has since painted all five of those, too. (A sneak preview of his painting for Seven Suns #5 will be up on the wordfire.com web page in a few days.) Stephen even asked me to write the introduction to his coffee-table art book, PARADOX.

So, we all work fairly well together.

Stephen reads the outlines for the books to get a feel for scenes that might make a striking central image. I also have a background in graphic design from when I was a technical writer. When we talk on the phone, we've often zeroed in on the same ideas. Then it's time to bring Brian in on the process, and so far he has always agreed with the general choices. By this point, Brian and I usually have a draft of the manuscript written, and we share the appropriate chapter or scene with him. This gives Steve a more concrete grip on what he's illustrating. Often he has a brilliant flash of his own, and we can alter a bit of description to make the finished book match the cover painting. Then he'll fax or e-mail us a pencil sketch of the cover, and Brian and I can add our input or suggest changes.

Today, we're just at the brainstorming stage for the cover. As I mentioned in earlier postings, Brian and I have written the rough drafts of HUNTERS and SANDWORMS, and (as of 5:00 this afternoon, yay!) I finished my first major edit of HUNTERS. That's enough to know the details of the scenes, and enough to suggest some ideas to Stephen.

Two primary possibilities came to mind. (Sorry, for those of you salivating for spoilers or juicy information on the new book -- these are bits you could probably figure out yourselves if you've read CHAPTERHOUSE or HERETICS.) One great image was of Sheeana standing or dancing in the sand within the vast cargo hold of the no-ship, while the eight captive sandworms rise up before her. It would have a very DUNE-esque feel. The drawback, though is - well, we've already had so many covers with sandworms! And Sheeana dancing in front of a worm was what John Schoenherr had painted for HERETICS. Still, Stephen would do a different take, and I'm sure it would turn out spectacular.

The other idea, from chapter 4 of HUNTERS, is of Murbella -- now the ruler of both uneasy factions of Honored Matres and Bene Gesserit -- in the grand hall of the Chapterhouse Keep, receiving the impressive tank of a Guild Navigator, complete with Guild entourage. The Navigator has come to beg for spice from the stockpiles of the Sisterhood, since Rakis has been destroyed and the Tleilaxu Masters all killed. We were intrigued with this image, since the Guild Navigator would be a new and mysterious challenge for Stephen. It would be a dramatic scene that all DUNE fans would recognize, but we would do it very differently from the opening of the David Lynch film of DUNE.

I e-mailed Stephen the draft manuscript pages containing both scenes under consideration, and now we'll see what happens. He'll talk it over with Tor's art director, try a few sketches, run them past Brian and myself as well as the publisher. In some future blog entry, I'll let you know what happens.

And now, for the rest of the evening, Rebecca and I have to pack. We leave for Portland early in the morning for Orycon. I am bringing a stack of bound galleys from the various DUNE books, some British editions, all of which we will donate for the charity auction or give away to attendees at our readings and panels. Also carefully packed in the suitcase, some original props from the CHILDREN OF DUNE miniseries, which I will give to Brian.

--KJA

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