{"id":141073,"date":"2022-05-05T16:37:48","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T14:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=141073"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:18","slug":"enjoy-a-cinematic-experience-in-the-lecture-science-fiction-and-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/05\/05\/enjoy-a-cinematic-experience-in-the-lecture-science-fiction-and-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Enjoy a cinematic experience in the lecture Science Fiction and Media"},"content":{"rendered":"

Although the lecture on Science Fiction and Media<\/em> by lecturer Etienne Aug\u00e9 lasts three hours, students never get bored, not even for a moment. With excerpts from films and interviews, they get to explore the ideas behind the fascinating stories on the future. “The world of science fiction is impressive.”<\/p>\n

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While most students probably hit snooze on their alarm at quarter to nine on Wednesday morning, lecturer Etienne Aug\u00e9 is already standing fit as a fiddle in the lecture hall in the Theil building. The screen behind him shows an illustration of the film Dune<\/em>, the subject of today\u2019s lecture.<\/p>\n\t

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Lecture course<\/strong>: Science Fiction and Media (Wednesday morning 9am in C2-2 Theil building)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lecturer:<\/strong> Etienne Aug\u00e9, practically a PP-er (Popular professor, ed.)<\/p>\n

Subject:<\/strong> Soft science fiction and diversity in science fiction<\/p>\n

Audience:<\/strong> According to the lecturer, this lecture is attended by bachelor students who are either sincerely interested or need five credits and think that this course is an easy fix. Twelve students are in the room, quite an accomplishment for a hybrid lecture given early in the morning.<\/p>\n

Reason to follow it:<\/strong> 1) You are going to learn a lot -really an awful lot -about science fiction and its relevance to the world. 2) You will receive plenty of film recommendations. 3) You get a cinematic experience by watching lots of film clips; the only thing missing in the lecture hall is popcorn.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

The lecture is being broadcast live and recorded. \u201cSo, if ten students turn up, it\u2019s quite a treat,\u201d says the lecturer somewhat sarcastically. \u201cYou can quote me, of course. I\u2019d be happy if you did,\u201d he adds. \u201cHybrid education doesn\u2019t work at all.\u201d Students trickle in over the next ten minutes. Eventually, there are twelve students in the room. The party can begin.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPauline Wiersema<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Soft Sci-Fi<\/h2>

The curtains of the lecture hall are drawn and the lights dimmed. \u201cLet\u2019s go to Seattle,\u201d says the lecturer. \u201cWho has been there?\u201d On his Google slideshow is a picture of the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, a building that looks like a crumpled piece of paper. Inside this museum is the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame<\/em>. A whole host of famous science fiction creators are listed there, from Terry Pratchett, Leonard Nimoy, George Orwell to C.S. Lewis. But Frank Herbert as well, the author of Dune.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPauline Wiersema<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

\u201cNow I would like to talk about Dune a bit more in depth,\u201d says the lecturer. \u201cBecause it is a perfect example of our theme for today: soft science fiction.\u201d In soft science fiction, the science part is less important to the story than the humanities. \u201cAnother reason I want to talk about Dune is because it is one of the best works in science fiction,\u201d the lecturer states. \u201cDune is made up of 26 books, so if you have just started reading science fiction, I wouldn\u2019t recommend that you start with Dune.\u201d<\/p>\n

Complex<\/h2>

The lecturer explains the complexity of Dune, from multiple storylines of diverse Houses inhabiting their own planets, to the various themes found in the books. Unlike most science fiction, technology barely plays a role in Dune. Some notable themes include ecology, strong female characters, and the Middle East. \u201d Because in Dune, Arabic words such as \u2018jihad\u2019, are used,\u201d the lecturer explains. \u201cHowever, the word \u2018jihad\u2019 has been left out in the latest film version, because people immediately associate it with 9\/11. They\u2019ve replaced it with \u2018crusade\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPauline Wiersema<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The lecturer plays a clip from the first film adaptation of Dune made in 1984. It is an introduction to the beginning of the film by the character Princess Irulan. Aug\u00e9 then talks about the many attempts to film Dune. After the book was published in 1965, director Alenjandro Jodorowski wanted to bring the story to the big screen in 1974. None other than Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger and Orson Welles were to play a role in it. Unfortunately, the film was never released owing to financial problems. In 1984, an adaptation was released by director David Lynch. With a budget of $40 million, Dune only managed to make $30 million at the box office and was a flop from a financial point of view.<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018Dune is a complex work. Many critics believe that Dune is unfilmable because the extent of the story is too far-reaching\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

\u201cWho has seen the latest Dune?\u201d the lecturer asks. The most recent film adaptation, starring Zendaya and Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, was released in 2021. A number of hands go up. \u201cWhat did you all think of it?\u201d A student replies: \u201cI didn\u2019t get it. I mean, it\u2019s a beautiful film with stunning visuals and music and everything, but I don\u2019t understand the story.\u201d The teacher nods with a smile. \u201cExactly! As I mentioned, Dune is a complex work. Many critics believe that Dune is unfilmable because the extent of the story is too far-reaching.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Another fun lecture!<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t