Dune

by Frank Herbert

English language

ISBN:: 978-0-575-10441-9

(50 reviews)

Dune is a 1965 epic science fiction novel by American author Frank Herbert, originally published as two separate serials in Analog magazine. It tied with Roger Zelazny's This Immortal for the Hugo Award in 1966 and it won the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel. It is the first installment of the Dune saga. In 2003, it was described as the world's best-selling science fiction novel. Dune is set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which various noble houses control planetary fiefs. It tells the story of young Paul Atreides, whose family accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis. While the planet is an inhospitable and sparsely populated desert wasteland, it is the only source of melange, or "spice", a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities. Melange is also necessary for space navigation, which requires a kind of multidimensional awareness and foresight that only the drug provides. As melange can only be produced on Arrakis, control of the planet is a coveted and dangerous undertaking. The story explores the multilayered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, as the factions of the empire confront each other in a struggle for the control of Arrakis and its spice. Herbert wrote five sequels: Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune. Following Herbert's death in 1986, his son Brian Herbert and author Kevin J. Anderson continued the series in over a dozen additional novels since 1999. Adaptations of the novel to cinema have been notoriously difficult and complicated. In the 1970s, cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky attempted to make a film based on the novel. After three years of development, the project was canceled due to a constantly growing budget. In 1984, a film adaptation directed by David Lynch was released to a mostly negative response from critics and failed at the box office. The book was also adapted into the 2000 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune and its 2003 sequel Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (which combines the events of Dune Messiah and Children of Dune). A second film adaptation directed by Denis Villeneuve was released on October 21, 2021, to generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $401 million worldwide. It also went on to win six Academy Awards. Villeneuve's film was essentially the first half of the original novel, and a sequel, which will cover the remaining story, has begun production and is set for release in 2023. The series has been used as the basis for several board, role-playing, and video games. Since 2009, the names of planets from the Dune novels have been adopted for the real-life nomenclature of plains and other features on Saturn's moon Titan.

41 editions

joelchrono reviewed Dune: Book one in the Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert (Dune (1))

Dune is Dune

4 stars

Since I watched the movies first, I was happy to have one of my main fears dissapear completely during the first couple chapters. Many of the plot twists present on both movies are actually things the reader just knows from the start. The betrayal and the plot against House Atreides, the people behind it and the reason for it can be inferred quickly enough.

Herbert’s confidence in the world he wrote can end up being too much to a lot of people. From the beginning of the novel, characters throw around a lot of made up terms that can be confusing, and in a setting where Dukes, Counts and Emperors, Great Houses and Cults are still a thing, alongside intergalactic travel and human calculators, the politics and relationships of it all are quite complex.

The book doesn’t hold your hand at all. There are references and intriguing events from long …

The book doesn’t hold your hand at all. There are references and intriguing events from long ago that came and went and help give you an idea of the state of affairs, such as the interesting computers, for example, but a lot is left for the reader to figure out and fill the gaps as they keep reading. I think the movies helped me get through this much quicker too.

The story begins after House Atreides is put in charge of Arrakis, a planet with the most valuable substance in the galaxy, the spice melange. A drug that is essential for space travel, can improve the user’s life-span, awareness and many other things.

The planet is a huge desert, making for a harsh environment nobody would bother to live on, where water is scarce and as valued as spice. Despite this, it is inhabited by the Fremen, people who have managed to tame the desert, and resist the heavy rule of the Harkonnens, who up until then had been the House harvesting the planet’s resources for the Empire.

Our protagonist, Paul Atreides is the son of Duke Leto and Lady Jessica; and he'll finds himself entangled in the middle of prophecies, visions and politics in a path that would lead him to do what he thinks is right, but at what cost?

The novel deals with many different topics, such as the fight over natural resources, the dangers of organized religion, capitalism and freedom and things.

Some people might not like the politics at the start, others will not enjoy the spirituality later on, and a few will find everything weird and confusing and with cringy prose. I kind of loved it, I can see why this novel is among the greats, and how it has served as the inspiration of tons of different works over the decades, and it will keep on giving for years to come.

Every character has their motivations, their perspectives and interactions. There is conflict even between allies, family and friends, and it is simply so intriguing and it all feels like a big disaster and a terrible tragedy, but that is still the best possible outcome of it all.

It was a cool read, I am considering reading the next books by Frank, but we’ll see, I kind of want to read a ton of different authors, which I’ve been doing since the year begun, so maybe next year will be the year of reading full book series for a change.

Arrakis teaches the attitude of the knife - chopping off what’s incomplete and saying: “Now, it’s complete because it’s ended here.” — from “Collected Sayings of Maud’Dib’’ by the Princess Irulan

René reviewed Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1) by Frank Herbert (Dune Chronicles, #1)

New favourite

4 stars

The book is so packed of action, emotion, mysticism and lots of character development. Loved it. Coming from reading most of the Foundation series, I wasn’t sure if I me being a fanboy, Iwas going to like it another big Sci-Fi saga but I did. Can’t wait to read the next books!

Erwin Rossen reviewed Dune by Frank Herbert (Dune, #1)

Review of 'Dune (Dune Chronicles #1)' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

The world building was great, but the story not so much. The synopsis has potential, the setting is original, but yet, after 21 hours of listening, I never had the feeling I was pulled into a story.

Marco197 reviewed Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1) by Frank Herbert (Dune Chronicles, #1)

Review of 'Dune (40Th Anniversary Edition).' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

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isabel reviewed Dune: Book one in the Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert (Dune (1))

expansive universe, exhausting writing style

4 stars

it took me ages to get through this. not because it's bad, probably mostly because i repaired my computer and had.. other things on my mind. but also partly because herbert's style reminds me of tolkien. like, a lot. at least in the sense that herbert really wants you to read his mediocre poetry too.

this isn't bad by any means, and i will surely read on in the future. probably around the time the second movie hits. the characters are fleshed-out and there's surprisingly little overt misogyny for a science fiction book that is, at this point, positively ancient. it's just the constant internal monologuing and then rushing through the actual happenings that gets exhausting after a while.

malglam reviewed Dune by Frank Herbert (Dune, #1)

Review of 'Dune (Dune Chronicles #1)' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This is the second time I read this book. I didn't remember anything from the first time, so it was a great rediscovering for me.
The book develops a society where the machines are forbidden and where Mentat are human calculator. The politics and the fight between the different factions make the book really interesting.

Paul reviewed Dune by Frank Herbert (Dune, #1)

Review of 'Dune' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Dune is as good as Lord of the Rings, which is nearly the highest praise I can give a book. Unlike a lot of sci-fi novels written decades ago, it still stands up well today, possibly because it isn't obviously set at any particular time and doesn't pretend to predict the future. I love the concept of the spice, the matriarchal shadow government, and the political intrigues between the houses.

As is often the case for the first book in a series, the ending feels a little flat and a lot of plot threads are hurriedly brought to a conclusion in the final chapter. The Emperor in particular is underwhelming when so much has been done to build up the threat of his character throughout the novel. Overall though, it's a great novel and I will definitely be reading the next in the series.