Ryan Britt and The Spice Must Flow

Join the Georgia Center for the Book for an evening with Ryan Britt, author of The Spice Must Flow, The Story of DUNE from cult novels to visionary sci-fi movies, which is about what makes Dune’s story so unique in pop culture history and why it continues to endure. Registration requested, not required.

This event will take place on the Fourth Floor of Decatur Library. Enter through the first floor of the library and follow signs to the Fourth Floor. We'll open the elevator on the right, which is the only elevator that goes to the Fourth Floor, at 6:30 for the event. There is a two-level free parking deck behind the library, as well as other parking options throughout Decatur.

About the Book:

Inverse and Den of Geek writer Ryan Britt charts Dune’s evolution from a sprawling nonfiction article about shifting sand dunes in Oregon, to a serial in the science fiction magazine Analog, to 180,000 word novel published by a car repair manual company that spawned 24 more books, three movies and two made-for-tv miniseries. Britt knows his way around the science fiction world and is a natural guide for diehard fans and newcomers alike, drawing on comprehensive research, exclusive interviews, his signature down-to-earth perspective, and a little bit of spice to tell Dune’s unbelievable story. The Spice Must Flow is an ambitious chronicle of a science fiction powerhouse, enriched by original interviews with people who knew and loved Frank Herbert well, as well as the 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 explores Dune’s enduring impact in the realms of art, music, and politics—and how the novel came to be the first ecological science-fiction story to seriously discuss climate change. Ironically, despite Dune’s far-reaching popularity, it’s often considered unapproachable. Britt seeks to challenge this perception, finally bring the novel’s origin story to light, and demonstrate that Dune was in fact, and has always been, for everyone.

About the Author:

Ryan Britt is the author of Phasers on Stun! and Luke Skywalker Can’t Read. Lev Grossman has said about him, “Ryan Britt is one of nerd culture’s most brilliant and most essential commentators.” His writing has appeared in Esquire, Vulture, VICE, SyFy Wire, Den of Geek!, Inverse, The New York Times, and Fatherly, where he is a senior editor.