Book Description
The purpose of this dissertation is to compare how the mythopoeic fiction of J.R.R Tolkien and science fiction author Frank Herbert portray the environment. It explores the premise that the environments depicted in The Lord of the Rings (1954-55) and the Dune saga (1965-85) are not only for the purpose of world-building; rather, these imagined worlds' environments are as fundamental to understanding these authors' mythic and perhaps even moral visions as the novels' characters, plots, and themes. While there is an ever-growing body of academic criticism surrounding both Tolkien and Herbert, most comparisons between the two authors' works have been general rather than specific, and none have examined the eco-critical issues in both bodies of fiction at once. By putting these texts in conversation with one another, I hope to bridge this "gap." As an analytical framework, this dissertation applies Tolkien's three functions of fantasy (recovery, escape, and consolation) to show how both authors' works are intrinsically connected to the author's eco-critical message; it also defines ecocriticism as a literary theory and eco-critical activities, as well as how the authors present natural spaces as numinous, inherently spiritual places. Descriptions of the natural landscapes in these texts are scrutinized, as well as the relationships characters have with their landscapes and the various environmental models they offer readers. Further, this dissertation examines how the authors' linguistic choices reinforce their mythopoeic fantasies' environmental themes. Finally, Tolkien's and Herbert's religious beliefs and biographical, historical, and cultural influences are explored as further evidence of nature's significance in their lives and their literary outputs. Overall, these texts offer a consequential interpretation for all readers: that a healthy, satisfying existence is only possible with a profound and selfless appreciation and preservation of nature. The dissertation emphasizes this message of environmental value and stewardship, and its resonance for Tolkien's and Herbert's readers.