Talk:List of sandworms in fictional works

References and new material
I have split this list out from the main article Sandworm (Dune), as it is trivial and non-notable in context of that article as a whole.

Though Herbert seems to have invented the concept of the sandworm in 1965's Dune, reliable and verifiable sources other than a Wikipedia editor's opinion are needed in this list to assert the similarities between other worms and Herbert's. In other words, a book, article or reliable website (not a blog or forum) has to basically say "The worms in this game are inspired by the sandworms of Dune." In the absence of such a source, it may be appropriate to describe the "derivative" worm and its nature ("the worm burrows in the sand and has a circular mouth of sharp teeth"), but it is original research (and therefore inappropriate) to draw conclusions like "it looks like a sandworm of Arrakis." The fact that Dune was published in 1965 and a particular video game featuring desert worms was created decades later will suggest Herbert's influence on the game to the reader, without having to spell it out with OR and diverging from a neutral point of view.

Items on this list also push the boundaries of notability; it seems like every use or mention of a large worm anywhere finds its way here one way or the other. The fact that a band named itself Shai Hulud or that a song's lyrics includes the word "worm," are trivial and not notable here (though the Dune connection may be notable within the articles for the band or song themselves). Please do not add such minutae unless you can assert notability; excess trivia negatively impacts the value of the list as a whole. Assuming it has any. &mdash; TAnthonyTalk 01:45, 1 March 2008 (UTC)