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.