NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Chang Chen, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem.Frank Herbert’s classic masterpiece—a triumph of the imagination and one of the bestselling science fiction novels of all time.Set on … the bestselling science fiction novels of all time.
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.
A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.
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One of the original masterpieces made into a movie that brought SF to the foerfront
I can see why Dune is often talked about in literary circles. However despite it’s imaginative ideas, I found the story dry and predictable (no pun intended). It was an interesting piece to mull over for hit and miss sections as a reader and fan of sci-fi/fantasy blends.
Don’t read it because it’s a classic. Read it because you’re a storyteller who likes to think about craft and how even the smallest elements can shape your reader’s experience with your world.
Classic sci fi
This book is a bible, and many movies have subsequently been inspired by this amazing off world tale. Star Wars, ahem, ahem!
It’s not an easy read, the politics, the different characters and the different terms used can sometimes be confusing, but the story is realistic and so rich that one can’t help but marvel at the complexity. The world building alone is fascinating.
I listened to it on Audible and found that the narration was excellent, but could lead to confusion as to who was speaking, but otherwise what a treasure. I really recommend it on Audible.
This book didn’t really impress me. I didn’t identify with any of the characters and didn’t really understand a lot of the technology they were using. Better descriptions of the unfamiliar would have been welcome. I did find the premise of changing the planet’s climate through vegetation intriguing, but not enough to continue with the series.
One of the greatest classics in the science fiction genre!
My absolute all time favorite book. Frank Herbert created a fascinating wold with equally fascinating characters. Frank Herbert was borderline prophetic when he constructed this series.
My life could be separated into re-watching Star Wars and re-reading Harry Potter and Dune. I wonder if that’s because there’s a lesson in these works that I have failed to learn?
Come to think of it, I now relate more to Darth Vader, Voldemort and Baron Harkonnen than Luke, Harry and Paul.
Eeeeek. I’m a horrible student.
Good for some people
I have read this 5 times over the years.
Brilliant world building by Frank Herbert. Could not out it down and took in the whole series in a spring and summer.
I really enjoyed the quick wit with the twists and turns in the unpredictable display of the characters. Never boring, lots of action. I very highly recommend…..jim
Thought provoking. WHat sucked me in is the “prescient awarness”
Herbert gives us a very different world and coming of age story. He paints a revolution that comes to life and has you cheering
A classic.
Inspired by the upcoming release of the two-part Dune movie, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Sicario 2015), I picked up the Frank Herbert classic, again. When I initially read Dune as a young adult, I was blown away by the breadth of Herbert’s imagination and in his exploration of religion, politics and the environment. I can clearly see how why it’s been so influential to the genre. George Lucas, for one, utilized several of Herbert’s concepts in Star Wars. The Jedi mind trick was reminiscent of the Bene Gesserit’s ‘Voice.’ The sarlacc, that dwells in the great pit of Carkoon in Tatooine, shares similarities to Herbert’s giant sand worms, and there are so many more examples.
Dune is an amazing tale that explores themes of power and violence, unparalleled ambition and free will. The same omniscient viewpoint that makes Dune so special, is quite possibly the same reason why turning Dune into a movie has been so challenging. Much of the book is spent detailing the character’s inner thoughts, and it delves into myth and the Bene Gesserit belief system.
I would admit, reading Dune requires an open mind, vivid imagination and patience, but once you get past the detail—necessary for the scope of this story–
you can clearly see why it is to Science Fiction, what Tolkien was to Fantasy. I enjoyed the book better this second time around, and I am so looking forward to seeing how this version plays out on screen.
It’s Dune. Read the book.
I heard a lot about Dune before the announcement of the upcoming (and now not so upcoming) film adaptation. You can find it at the top of nearly every list when it comes to sci-fi and it did not disappoint. Frank Herbert has a marvelous way of intertwining the politics of colonization while still maintaining the science fiction aspect. If I were to guess, I would imagine that he wanted an approachable way to inform his readers about pioneering and utilized the setting of the final frontier.
The epic follows a young Paul Atreides as he observes his father’s acquisition of the desert planet, Arrakis. There is betrayal, suspicion, loyalty, and super fun fight scenes intertwined throughout the book, which add to the development of Paul Maud’Dib. Paul is the chosen one (we’ve heard this one before). But in this particular tale, he is also suspected of being dead, which allows those who exploit fractures in power to rise above, worming their way through the cracks. Get it, worming? Worms are a big deal in this book.
What I found most interesting about this book is Paul’s character development throughout. He starts as an observer and ends as an active participant in the politics of Arrakis. He makes hasty decisions despite his intense scrutiny of those in power. His mother is a Bene Gesserit witch and has taught him about the subtleties that expose the true intentions of those around you, and yet he fails to regard them towards the end of the novel. Finally, I was disappointed by the final decision Paul made in regards to Chani. Perhaps it is a representation of the real tragedy, despite how honest and revolutionary a politician may seem, the cycle will always continue. That’s pretty cynical to think that way, and maybe I’m missing the point, but this was the message that stood out to me.
Amongst the best of science fiction EVER. A classic!!!!
What a world he builds with great characters to fight over it.