An old crone, a space witch, and a boy-child walk into a gom jabbar…
This article was originally posted on my newsletter. Subscribe here for a free Bulari Saga novella. Stop me if you've heard this one before... "In the week before their departure to Arrakis, when all the final scurrying about had reached a nearly unbearable frenzy, an old crone came to visit the mother of the boy, Paul." I first read those words in high school, when my drama teacher, Mr. Lemieux, handed me a worn paperback and said, "I think you'll like this one." Frank Herbert's Dune opens with mystery and promise as young Paul Atreides overhears a conversation between his…