The Spice Must Flow

The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies

By: Ryan Britt

Narrated by: Ryan Britt

Geek-culture expert Ryan Britt takes us behind the pages and scenes of the science-fiction phenomenon Dune, charting the series' life from cult sci-fi novels to some of the most visionary movies of all time.

Using original, deep-access reporting, extensive research, and insightful commentary, The Spice Must Flow brings the true popularity of Dune out into the light for the very first time. With original interviews with the beloved actors and directors behind the films—including Timothée Chalamet, Kyle Maclachlan, Denis Villeneuve, Patrick Stewart, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Newman, and many more—The Spice Must Flow also examines the far-reaching influence of Dune on art, music, politics, and, most notably, its status as the first ecological science-fiction story specifically concerned with climate change.

Britt skillfully and entertainingly guides listeners through the history of how the Dune universe has unfolded, including the novel’s unlikely evolution from a failed piece of journalism about Oregon sand dunes into an epic science-fiction story, the way Herbert’s work inspired George Lucas, untold stories from the 1984 David Lynch film, the knife-edge balance between blockbuster hit and indie film Timothée Chalamet brings to the 2021 movie, and the exciting future of the franchise. Through a blend of narrative, oral history elements, and fascinating trivia, The Spice Must Flow is the new essential guide to the behind-the-scenes story of Dune.

The fiction of Dune is deadly serious, but the real-life story of how it came into existence is full of wonder, surprises, and spice.

©2023 Ryan Britt (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Lively and entertaining… Britt’s book should appeal to “Dune” aficionados and newbies alike.” —Associated Press

"A gripping guide to the past, present, and future of Frank Herbert’s science fiction epic. Britt traces Dune’s journey to ubiquitousness, from its humble beginnings with an automotive repair manual publisher to its flurry of adaptations by the likes of David Lynch and Denis Villeneuve. The Spice Must Flow also interrogates why Dune endures, with Britt advancing a compelling argument that Herbert laid the groundwork for strains of feminist and ecological science fiction yet to come. Exhaustively researched and entertainingly told." —Esquire

“This is quite simply a remarkable book…there may be a more comprehensive book about the Dune novels and films, but for right now, this book ranks number one.” —Booklist (STARRED REVIEW)

How this flowed

I thought all the information was great I just felt there could have been so much more content.

Amazing History

I really loved reading the history of Dune, and Ryan does a great job of narrating. This book also also educates us on how educational and entertaining the story of Dune is. Much of the background information we learn about Frank Herbert and how he came up with the idea of Dune is also helpful to understand the book.

A Deep Dive Into the Sands of Dune

I have read Dune many times, and it gets better every time. Although I’ve only read the first three of the Dune books, I still consider myself a huge Dune fan. Getting to see how the books were created, and the foundation of the ideas behind them was extremely entertaining. I highly recommend this audiobook for anyone who considers themselves a fan of the movies or the books. Happy listening, everyone.

Played it Twice!

I bought this book along with three others to listen to on a trip between southern Oklahoma and Hollywood California. I abandoned one of my books to play this one a second time. I read Dune in 1980 while a sophomore in high school and even then I thought it was very unusual in the way it was written and the kind of content it embraced. This book shed even more light on the groundbreaking book that was Dune. It's hard for us to imagine when this kind of science fiction didn't exist at all. The dessert world with giant sandworms, the valuable spice that brought people to this hostile environment, and the power struggles were all completely new. This book reminded me of all the things about this series, and the movies, both made and unmade, that will now be with us forever. If you're a fan of Dune, you'll be a fan of this book

I like learning the history of dune

after reading all 6 original dune books I was interested on how the story came to be luckily this came out as I was finishing chapterhouse and I very much enjoyed it. not the best narration but it gets the job done.

Listen to this if you’re a lifelong Dune fan, or just got into it bc of the 2021 movie.

It revealed a lot of details around the Dune world that I wasn’t aware of, even though I first read it over 40 years ago. The reader occasionally mispronounces words but it’s not a big deal

Wish the author had left out his personal politics

I knew that I was in trouble of having a favorable opinion of this book, due to within the first few minutes of the prologue, there were already several cringey, WOKE, tasteless and ultimately out of place references to “white” males and far right republicans. -Why??? I can certainly appreciate the effort the author put forth in compiling all of the information and in the writing of the book, however it seemed like every other paragraph was saturated with the author’s own personal liberal, progressive, anti-conservative viewpoint. It would have been fantastic if he had remained unbiased and focused solely on the topic of DUNE and left out ALL of his obvious leftist political leanings. It certainly would’ve made for a much more enjoyable product. As it stands, this is sadly a VERY hard pass!