Der Herr des Wüstenplaneten (Children of Dune): Belgium 2001

Who can forget the first time they read Wüstenplanet-Zyklus 2. Der Herr des Wüstenplaneten? If you're Belgian, you may not be able to forget it, and as a citizen of the United States, I can't even pronounce it! Heck, reading Children of Dune was challenging enough in English.

It continues to intrigue me how different the covers for the Dune novels are when released oversees. Maybe it has something to do with what Amercians subconsciously look for in their Science Fiction-- something dark, subversive and shadowy. I somehow have impression that most books in the Science Fiction genre utlizing very dark hues in their cover art.

If there is indeed a relationship between the two, it would appear as though European countries have a much brighter or optimistic view of the future. Given the inherent messaged implied in the images that are use to sell the Science Fiction genre their communtiy is so bright they'll need to wear shades. Calming, more grounded earth-tones which create a brighter, more "sun shiney" in nature cover images seem to be the norm for covers prepared for the release of such books to the European marketplaces.

Challenge: "Have you seen The Preacher?"
Response: "I have seen a sandworm."
Challenge: "What about that sandworm?"
Response: "It gives us the air we breathe."
Challenge: "Then why do we destroy its land?"
Response: "Because Shai-Hulud [sandworm deified] orders it."
--Riddles of Arrakis by Harq al-Ada