Dune DLE

https://www.eastonpress.com/deluxe-editions/frank-herberts-dune-3644.html

Easton Press is (as of late August 2024) preselling a DLE of Frank Herbert's Dune, shipping in March 2025.

- 1,200 numbered copies
- $495 OR 5 installments of $99
- 10 full-page illustrations by artist John Picacio (also signed by)
- Includes a custom-crafted slipcase.
- Item #:3644

Although dimensions are not currently listed, I expect this will be the standard DLE size of 9" x 11"

I know I'm not in the target demographic for Easton Press's DLEs, and I'm sure this will sell well enough, but to me the market is already saturated with high-quality, high-cost printings of Dune, even given the box office hype of the latest movies.

Is anyone planning to purchase a copy? Has Easton Press presold DLEs previously?

I first read Dune in high school some 20-odd years ago. I enjoyed it. I love David Lynch's movie. Etc... But I can hardly fathom forking over $500 for "an oversized edition." I really wonder about the economics of producing these DLEs instead of (to me) more interesting collections like
- https://www.librarything.com/topic/342342
- https://www.librarything.com/topic/326096
The sales reports must justify it.

I purchased the memorial edition of Dune from EP back in the 80s when it was part of the original Masterpieces of Sci Fi. That edition, in addition to the remembrances of a number of authors, included some great paintings by John Schoenherr so I don’t think I’ll be picking up this edition. For me, the definitive edition of Dune is the one published by Folio. Those illustrations are outstanding.

https://www.foliosociety.com/usa/dune.html

>1 Tohno:
Something seems wrong here. EP, to my knowledge, has never pre-sold an item by more than 2 or 3 weeks, and I don’t find a listing on their website when I search under either “Dune” or “Frank Herbert.” The link you provided doesn’t show a ship date.

>4 jroger1: That's interesting. Maybe you and I are segmented differently for split tests, marketing, or other purposes. I have dug under the hood of their site countless times, so I know they can split test or segment a great deal.

This screenshot shows what I see, do you see a different presentation?
https://share.cleanshot.com/gNDN0RX9

>5 Tohno:
They look identical except for this line: “OUT OF STOCK Now accepting orders. This product will ship null.”

>3 Neil_Luvs_Books: That Folio edition does initially appear far more compelling. The art *is* exceptional, and they are already releasing the third book, so I can collect a set. (I find a set of books more compelling than a single volume that may or may not be continued. However, I will concede EP did follow the Inferno DLE with Purgatorio, so there is precedence...)

For what it's worth, it looks like Tohno's screenshot when I view that page. I agree with >2 Tohno:, though: my interest is more with series, less so with DLEs. I have a standard EP copy of Dune and enjoyed it thoroughly years ago. Besides, DLEs and LEs come and go so fast anymore, what's the point of buying these things just to build a more expensive version of my TBR pile?

The one illustrations they've got on their website looks really interesting, but at 500$ I would like to see more before committing. The artists's colour images of other work on his website look completely different from this one. That being said: I prefer normal-sized books for reading, not oversized, and already have several editions. Still, this is tempting based on the one illustration.

By the way, this looks like the artist went for the look of the actor currently playing Paul Atreides in the films, Timothée Chalamet. It's probably not the worst way to attract an audience for this edition.

>9 SF-72: I agree, the single image on the EP website is promising.

>5 Tohno:
The link you posted in >1 Tohno: now gives me a shipping date of March 2025 instead of “null,” but that is still different from your August 2025. I’m not sure what kind of stunt EP is pulling, but I still wouldn’t believe any of it. Surely, they are not stooping to the practice of so many smaller “fine press” publishers who take customer money and then don’t deliver. I’ve been burned twice that way.

Is it a browser difference? I had used Firefox before.

>12 treereader:
I used Safari both times and got different shipping dates each time.

I just used Safari on my iPhone and got a shipping date of March 20.

Safari on an iPad shows “OUT OF STOCK Now accepting orders. This product will ship Mar 20.”

>15 treereader:
That is what my iPhone shows now. My concerns are the inconsistent shipping dates, the fact that EP never makes announcements or takes orders so far in advance, and even the uncanny resemblance of the illustration to Timothy Chalamet. Could someone be playing an AI trick on us?

>16 jroger1:
I suppose that’s always a possibility but for that to be true, EP’s own website would’ve needed to be hacked… by a DLEvil doer.

>17 treereader: "a DLEvil doer"

Ha! Love it!

Seems we've uncovered a real sinister scheme by EP standards.

I don’t collect and don’t have EP books but have to tell you they need to hire professional to overhaul their entire site and books description. From this Dune link “ Rigorous inspection at every stage ensures adherence to our exacting standards.” This is laughable “adherence to our exacting standards”. Sounds like someone’s resume or personal Linkedin account lol

>19 curiousbooks:

It follows from two related points: EP is owned by MBI, which is only in this for the money, not the bookmaking, and EP outsources the bookmaking to places like Bindtech in TN, so EP does have to focus on QA. EP has its quirks but by and large they make a pretty good product.

Have there been any more images of the illustrations other than the one on the article page? It's rather an expensive book to buy the cat in the bag like this.

Did anyone actually get this edition and could share some photos of the illustrations? It's currently shown as sold out / zero copies in stock, but while I would regret missing out of the illustrations are good, I really wasn't willing to pay this price basically sight unseen.

>22 SF-72: I pre-ordered it a while ago when it was first announced, but it hasn't been released yet. The page now states, "Now accepting orders. This product will ship Nov 2025."

>23 noodle242:

Thank you for that information. I really wish they'd add more images so one can get an idea of what the illustrations are like. I already have the editions by Folio Society and Centipede Press, so I'd only buy another one if the illustrations really pulled me in.

Has this actually shipped and if so, what's it like?