by Frank Herbert
Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for...When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.
reviewed Dune
Takes commitment but delivers something genuinely unlike anything else. The appendices and glossary at the back are your friends. The political intrigue is Shakespearean in scope. Start it when you have time to get properly lost.
reviewed Dune
Nothing else in science fiction feels quite like this. The Fremen culture, the spice economy, the Bene Gesserit breeding program — Herbert built a world with the specificity of history. The prose takes adjustment but the reward is total immersion.
reviewed Dune
The foundation of modern science fiction world-building. Herbert created not just a planet but an entire ecology, religion, political system, and philosophy. Paul's journey is compelling but the world is the real protagonist. Dense on first read but every page of effort is repaid.
Chris Van Allsburg
