Frank Herbert was obviously a genius. He created such an original, expansive universe for us all to enjoy. Much has been written and said about the ecology of Dune and how brilliantly it was detailed. It so clearly paints the picture for us of Arrakis, a desert planet, the land of spice, home to the Fremen, and of course, sandworms.
If there’s one critique I have for Herbert, it’s that for all his grand expositions, he didn’t delve as far into the sandworms as I’d have liked. And that’s where my fanfiction comes in. I would love for you to read it, but I would be remiss if I did not offer a trigger warning: If you’re not into, you know, “worm stuff,” this may not be your cup of tea.
I’ll be honest, I’m no Frank Herbert, hell I’m no Brian Herbert. But storytelling 101 dictates that when you invent creatures as majestic and glorious as the sandworms, you need to answer some basic questions about if and how they fuck. Call it Chekhov’s fuck-worm.
Sandworms are up to 450 meters long, in comparison, blue whales back here on Earth are about 33 meters long. You’re telling me it’s not worth explaining how these massive, thick, scaled creatures have coitus? I cannot and will not abide.
My magnum opus is called “Wormriding,” and I get INTO it. Again, it’s not for the faint of heart. “Wormriding” fully and singularly explores how sandworms rhythmically vibrate with one another if you catch my drift. And in case you don’t, I’m referring to the fact that they vibrate on one another to stimulate their massive sexual organs.
That warning aside, I recommend it for all fans of the original Dune, anyone with an interest in non-arthropod invertebrate animals, but mostly for people like me who’ve spent countless nights with no light in their life except the comforting glow of a screen illuminating Wattpad.com.
The universe of Dune won’t be the only thing expanding when you read Wormriding, I guarantee it.