Goodreads | Adam's review

Adam's review

Dune (Dune Chronicles #1)
by Frank Herbert

[close]

blog this review

Copy/paste the text below into your blog.

<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234225.Dune?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Dune (Dune Chronicles #1)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172968533m/234225.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234225.Dune?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Dune</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/58.Frank_Herbert">Frank Herbert</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6974116?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 5 of 5 stars I've read and reread this novel across the years, and I'll continue to do so.
 
 Dune was Frank Herbert's imagination breathed into the pages of a single book. He wrote numerous others to follow it, all of which continue to explore and flesh out the world he introduced us to in this, the first of his Dune series. The world in its pages is so vast and so rife with potential that his son, Brian, has continued in his father's footsteps, writing further explorations of the history that led up to this book. 
 
 Dune introduces its readers to a planet called Arrakis, a desert world populated only by the occasional smuggler, swarthy profiteer, and a mysterious, scattered, and ferocious race of humans known as the Fremen. Arrakis is known and recognized in the universe only due to its primary and sole export: a highly addictive, mind and reality-altering drug called the Spice. Spice has made the relative backwater planet of Arrakis a point of universal focus, with collection and supply of the drug of utmost importance to millions. This collection, however, is hampered by Arrakis' only large (and I do mean "large") native life-form, massive, eyeless, impervious creatures referred to (in awe, loathing, and terror) as "worms". Spice production is an incredibly dangerous business, as worms are drawn to any sound upon the sand. They "hear" the vibration of anything that moves across the sand-washed surface of the planet, responding quickly and with deadly ferocity, tearing apart and/or swallowing whole entire ships, large machinery, or, if you're stupid or unlucky enough to be stuck out there solo on the sand, the occasional human being.
 
 The elite of the universe, whom Herbert has crafted within a highly detailed, incredibly complex social structure and political strata, view Spice both as a luxury and a necessity, craving its affects both because they love it and because they must have it once they become addicted. Travel between planets is restricted to ships staffed and propelled by the Guild, ruthless interstellar businessmen who have taken Spice-addiction to a high unlike that ever experienced by others: they use Spice to literally bend space and time, moving spaceships, goods, and anything else that is paid for from here to there in the blink of an eye. They too rely on Spice for everything they stand for.
 
 Throw into this mix an interstellar order of monastic witches called the Bene Gesserit (who through gene manipulation across thousands of years have sought to fulfill an age-old prophecy of a girl-child who would become one who could change and control the universe), and things get even more interesting. 
 
 This book is thick with treason, passion, wickedly intense political and familial warfare, complex social and spiritual explorations, and profound mystery. Herbert doesn't just create his own world with the Dune series: he creates a singular universe, an existence within which his own faiths and religions profoundly affect and shape his version of what humans will one day become. It's an amazing book, and I encourage you to read the others that follow, as well. They get more and more bizarre and utterly unique as they progress, but all are satisfying experiences.
 
 Before I read this book, I saw the 1980's movie adaption, featuring the likes of Kyle MacLachlan, Sting, Patrick Stewart, Sean Young, and even an uncredited minor appearance by David Lynch. As a result, reading this book afterward was filtered through the visual and representational understandings/interpretations offered to me by the film. This was both a good and bad thing. The movie leaves out and simplifies a ridiculous amount of the subtle, many-layered wonders of Herbert's world, and does disservice at times to the characters Herbert created. As a sci-fi escape from reality, however, I didn't mind the movie at all. 
 
 Read the book, and then watch the film if you can find it.
 Primarily, however, read the book.
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/368858?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Adam's review
rating:

I've read and reread this novel across the years, and I'll continue to do so.

Dune was Frank Herbert's imagination breathed into the pages of a single book. He wrote numerous others to follow it, all of which continue to explore and flesh out the world he introduced us to in this, the first of his Dune series. The world in its pages is so vast and so rife with potential that his son, Brian, has continued in his father's footsteps, writing further explorations of the history that led up to this book.

Dune introduces its readers to a planet called Arrakis, a desert world populated only by the occasional smuggler, swarthy profiteer, and a mysterious, scattered, and ferocious race of humans known as the Fremen. Arrakis is known and recognized in the universe only due to its primary and sole export: a highly addictive, mind and reality-altering drug called the Spice. Spice has made the relative backwater planet of Arrakis a point of universal focus, with collection and supply of ...more I've read and reread this novel across the years, and I'll continue to do so.

Dune was Frank Herbert's imagination breathed into the pages of a single book. He wrote numerous others to follow it, all of which continue to explore and flesh out the world he introduced us to in this, the first of his Dune series. The world in its pages is so vast and so rife with potential that his son, Brian, has continued in his father's footsteps, writing further explorations of the history that led up to this book.

Dune introduces its readers to a planet called Arrakis, a desert world populated only by the occasional smuggler, swarthy profiteer, and a mysterious, scattered, and ferocious race of humans known as the Fremen. Arrakis is known and recognized in the universe only due to its primary and sole export: a highly addictive, mind and reality-altering drug called the Spice. Spice has made the relative backwater planet of Arrakis a point of universal focus, with collection and supply of the drug of utmost importance to millions. This collection, however, is hampered by Arrakis' only large (and I do mean "large") native life-form, massive, eyeless, impervious creatures referred to (in awe, loathing, and terror) as "worms". Spice production is an incredibly dangerous business, as worms are drawn to any sound upon the sand. They "hear" the vibration of anything that moves across the sand-washed surface of the planet, responding quickly and with deadly ferocity, tearing apart and/or swallowing whole entire ships, large machinery, or, if you're stupid or unlucky enough to be stuck out there solo on the sand, the occasional human being.

The elite of the universe, whom Herbert has crafted within a highly detailed, incredibly complex social structure and political strata, view Spice both as a luxury and a necessity, craving its affects both because they love it and because they must have it once they become addicted. Travel between planets is restricted to ships staffed and propelled by the Guild, ruthless interstellar businessmen who have taken Spice-addiction to a high unlike that ever experienced by others: they use Spice to literally bend space and time, moving spaceships, goods, and anything else that is paid for from here to there in the blink of an eye. They too rely on Spice for everything they stand for.

Throw into this mix an interstellar order of monastic witches called the Bene Gesserit (who through gene manipulation across thousands of years have sought to fulfill an age-old prophecy of a girl-child who would become one who could change and control the universe), and things get even more interesting.

This book is thick with treason, passion, wickedly intense political and familial warfare, complex social and spiritual explorations, and profound mystery. Herbert doesn't just create his own world with the Dune series: he creates a singular universe, an existence within which his own faiths and religions profoundly affect and shape his version of what humans will one day become. It's an amazing book, and I encourage you to read the others that follow, as well. They get more and more bizarre and utterly unique as they progress, but all are satisfying experiences.

Before I read this book, I saw the 1980's movie adaption, featuring the likes of Kyle MacLachlan, Sting, Patrick Stewart, Sean Young, and even an uncredited minor appearance by David Lynch. As a result, reading this book afterward was filtered through the visual and representational understandings/interpretations offered to me by the film. This was both a good and bad thing. The movie leaves out and simplifies a ridiculous amount of the subtle, many-layered wonders of Herbert's world, and does disservice at times to the characters Herbert created. As a sci-fi escape from reality, however, I didn't mind the movie at all.

Read the book, and then watch the film if you can find it.
Primarily, however, read the book....less

Like this review? yes (7 people liked it) flag

comments (showing 1-2 of 2)

newest »

date

message 1: by Marge

08/06/2008 03:07PM

Great review. I love Dune and still enjoy the seemingly endless sequels by his son. I also love the 80's film and watch it over and over!