257 books
—
115 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1)” as Want to Read:
Dune
(Dune #1)
by
Welcome to Dune.
An awesome world where gods and adventurers clash.
Where mile-long sandworms rule the desert.
Where the ancient dream of immortality comes true.
This is the magnificent setting for the bestselling science fiction novel of all time, a mind-jolting story of power politics and strange adventure.
An awesome world where gods and adventurers clash.
Where mile-long sandworms rule the desert.
Where the ancient dream of immortality comes true.
This is the magnificent setting for the bestselling science fiction novel of all time, a mind-jolting story of power politics and strange adventure.
Paperback, Second Edition, 605 pages
Published
October 1984
by New English Library
(first published June 1965)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1)

In my head, the purpose of this review is very clear. It is to convince YOU to read this book. Yes, you! Waste time no more. Go grab a copy.
Machiavellian intrigue, mythology, religion, politics, imperialism, environmentalism, the nature of power. All this set in a mind-boggling, frighteningly original world which Herbert ominously terms as an "effort at prediction". Dune had me hooked!
First impression
The very first stirring I felt upon opening the yellowed pages of Dune was that of stumbling upo ...more
Machiavellian intrigue, mythology, religion, politics, imperialism, environmentalism, the nature of power. All this set in a mind-boggling, frighteningly original world which Herbert ominously terms as an "effort at prediction". Dune had me hooked!
First impression
The very first stirring I felt upon opening the yellowed pages of Dune was that of stumbling upo ...more

Omg! I found a Folio Society Edition a bit cheaper and brand new! You can see all of the art online but look at this cover! Now I have this and Little Women I actually got from their site. I need to get more as I can 😬

✅Reread 2022 to try to complete series! (I need to get the awesome audio too) 4.5 Stars
LOOK DAMN IT! OMG!






Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
••••••••••••••••

I was so worried that I wouldn't understand a thing in this book. I will admit there are some things that went over my head but for the most part I figu ...more

✅Reread 2022 to try to complete series! (I need to get the awesome audio too) 4.5 Stars
LOOK DAMN IT! OMG!






Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
••••••••••••••••

I was so worried that I wouldn't understand a thing in this book. I will admit there are some things that went over my head but for the most part I figu ...more

Let me start by first apologizing to everyone who loves this classic. I don't doubt Dune was something special when it first came out in the 1960s. But reading it for the first time today, it feels horribly outdated to me and at times almost incomprehensible.
I was warned going into this story that the beginning is extremely hard to understand, but that is an understatement. I could barely follow its scene after scene of dialogue referencing people and places and events, all with no explanation o ...more
I was warned going into this story that the beginning is extremely hard to understand, but that is an understatement. I could barely follow its scene after scene of dialogue referencing people and places and events, all with no explanation o ...more

There's a characteristically witty essay by Borges about a man who rewrites Don Quixote, many centuries after Cervantes. He publishes a novel with the same title, containing the same words in the same order. But, as Borges shows you, the different cultural context means it's a completely new book! What was once trite and commonplace is now daring and new, and vice versa. It just happens to look like Cervantes's masterpiece.
Similarly, imagine the man who was brave or stupid enough to rewrite Dune ...more
Similarly, imagine the man who was brave or stupid enough to rewrite Dune ...more

Jun 24, 2007
John Wiswell
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Science fiction readers, fantasy readers, speculative fiction readers
No one should argue the importance Dune. It laid the foundations for a great deal of the themes and constructs in modern science fiction. Frank Herbert was as important to the genre as Isaac Asimov and Arthur Clarke. Unfortunately, just like them, he's quite dated, and his books can be a labor to read. One thing he maintained from old science fiction was prim and scientific dialogue that no one would ever actually speak. I've known many scientists, and they don't talk like this. You're not going
...more

Jun 03, 2019
Emily (Books with Emily Fox)
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2-star-y-am-i-doing-this-to-myself,
audiobooks
Nope. Sorry I don't get it.
I was able to finish it by listening to the audiobook but I was bored throughout the whole 21h.
So many descriptions... anyone else found the way Paul's mom describing him kinda weird?
And let's not even mention how many times I laughed at the main female character being called Jessica.
I'm sure I'll get plenty of comments telling me it's a classic and it brought so much to the genre... At the end of the day, my rating is always based on my enjoyment. ...more
I was able to finish it by listening to the audiobook but I was bored throughout the whole 21h.
So many descriptions... anyone else found the way Paul's mom describing him kinda weird?
And let's not even mention how many times I laughed at the main female character being called Jessica.
I'm sure I'll get plenty of comments telling me it's a classic and it brought so much to the genre... At the end of the day, my rating is always based on my enjoyment. ...more

While the cultural impact of this book is indisputable, I couldn't help feeling incredibly underwhelmed when reading it. Even the plot couldn't save Dune, since it's spoiled at every juncture by 'Princess Irulan' and her epigraphs before each chapter. Did no-one tell her about spoiler alerts?
From the very first pages, this book plunges you in at the deep-end with an absurd amount of overly complex world-building, which just makes the book laborious to work through. It wasn't for me, and the post ...more
From the very first pages, this book plunges you in at the deep-end with an absurd amount of overly complex world-building, which just makes the book laborious to work through. It wasn't for me, and the post ...more

60 pages in and then i DNFed. world building is literally shit in this book.
i wanted to read this book just in case i accidentally bumped into Timothée or Zendaya but i really tried being ✨that bitch✨ but ✨that bitch✨ was not trying to be me. horrible, unreadable, and should be illegal
but think about it, if this book was written by a woman i just know i’d be able to actually read it cover to cover. never again
i wanted to read this book just in case i accidentally bumped into Timothée or Zendaya but i really tried being ✨that bitch✨ but ✨that bitch✨ was not trying to be me. horrible, unreadable, and should be illegal
but think about it, if this book was written by a woman i just know i’d be able to actually read it cover to cover. never again

just when you thought 2021 couldn't get any weirder.
...more

Jul 18, 2011
Lyn
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
all-time-most-favorite-books
Dune.
No other single syllable means as much to the science fiction genre, a single word that conjures images of sandworms, spice wars, great battles between rival dynastic families and a massively detailed and intricately crafted universe. No wonder this is widely regarded as not just a Science Fiction masterpiece, but a literary achievement as well.
Like a study of Shakespeare, the reader finds that this is an archetype upon which many influences and imitators have based their works. The comple ...more
No other single syllable means as much to the science fiction genre, a single word that conjures images of sandworms, spice wars, great battles between rival dynastic families and a massively detailed and intricately crafted universe. No wonder this is widely regarded as not just a Science Fiction masterpiece, but a literary achievement as well.
Like a study of Shakespeare, the reader finds that this is an archetype upon which many influences and imitators have based their works. The comple ...more

Mar 25, 2013
Bradley
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Update 9/15/21
Re-read. Number 14.
I cannot get over how beautiful this book is. Still my favorite after all these years. It only gets better with every re-read.
Update 8/28/17
Re-read. Number 13. :) I cry when Paul meets Gurney. I shiver when Jessica consoles Chani. I'm awestruck by the peaks and troughs of time, free-will, and the weakness in Paul even as he heroically strives against the evil that is about to be unleashed upon the universe.
*sigh*
Perfection. Easily the number one book I've ever ...more
Re-read. Number 14.
I cannot get over how beautiful this book is. Still my favorite after all these years. It only gets better with every re-read.
Update 8/28/17
Re-read. Number 13. :) I cry when Paul meets Gurney. I shiver when Jessica consoles Chani. I'm awestruck by the peaks and troughs of time, free-will, and the weakness in Paul even as he heroically strives against the evil that is about to be unleashed upon the universe.
*sigh*
Perfection. Easily the number one book I've ever ...more

May 02, 2015
Sean Barrs
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
5-star-reads,
sci-fi
2021 Reread - 5*
I was totally blown away by the recent movie version of this, that much so I decided to revisit and revaluate my opinion of this extraordinary book.
So, I read it again six years on and this is something I said I would never do because I found it so difficult to read the first time. It wasn’t the complexity of the world and politics, but the narration style which totally perplexed and frustrated me. Though I think that was more to do with my immaturity as a reader at the time th ...more
I was totally blown away by the recent movie version of this, that much so I decided to revisit and revaluate my opinion of this extraordinary book.
So, I read it again six years on and this is something I said I would never do because I found it so difficult to read the first time. It wasn’t the complexity of the world and politics, but the narration style which totally perplexed and frustrated me. Though I think that was more to do with my immaturity as a reader at the time th ...more

People often forget that this series is what innovated our modern concept of science fiction (up until Neuromancer and The Martix, at least). Dune took the Space Opera and asked if it might be more than spandex, dildo-shaped rockets, and scantily-clad green women. Herbert created a vast and complex system of ancient spatial politics and peoples, then set them at one another's throats over land, money, and drugs.
Dune is often said to relate to Sci Fi in the same way that Tolkien relates to Fantas ...more
Dune is often said to relate to Sci Fi in the same way that Tolkien relates to Fantas ...more


If you are having a hard time reading Dune:
https://youtu.be/UMTRoZNN4E0
My YouTube Review (admittedly totally Fangirling):
https://youtu.be/JilubCWr9Kk
This was one of the best books that I have ever read which I was not expecting at all. First, the book is incredibly put together and really well thought out. Often, the author wrote the book in such a way as you can hear the character's thoughts which was a really interesting perspective and provided a more immersive experience.
The book touches on ...more

Ok, my only reference for Dune was the 1984 movie with Kyle MacLachlan. And, honestly, it was the main reason I've always wanted to read this book.

Ohmygod look what that fake-looking piece of plastic shit is doing to poor MacLachlan's nose? How was he even able to act with that thing pushing his nostrils to the side of his face? I can't stop looking at it!
Anyway.
I remember loving that movie when I was young. Ahhhh. I honestly didn't remember much about it other than it was sorta weird, there wer ...more

Ohmygod look what that fake-looking piece of plastic shit is doing to poor MacLachlan's nose? How was he even able to act with that thing pushing his nostrils to the side of his face? I can't stop looking at it!
Anyway.
I remember loving that movie when I was young. Ahhhh. I honestly didn't remember much about it other than it was sorta weird, there wer ...more

Mar 03, 2018
Mario the lone bookwolf
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
herbert-frank
Seems as if they might be duned to be addicted to spice, all good old barbarians on magic mushrooms style.
Quite dusty, especially regarding how to put the different parts of this behemoth series in the big picture of sci-fi because each part (of the 3 I´ve read so far and very probably won´t restart trying to read the 4th and 5th part) presents something different. Essentially, only this, the first one, is a real science fantasy epos, while the others are mostly circulating around the characters ...more
Quite dusty, especially regarding how to put the different parts of this behemoth series in the big picture of sci-fi because each part (of the 3 I´ve read so far and very probably won´t restart trying to read the 4th and 5th part) presents something different. Essentially, only this, the first one, is a real science fantasy epos, while the others are mostly circulating around the characters ...more

Jun 02, 2020
Nataliya
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2020-reads,
hugo-nebula-nominees-and-winners
“I have seen a friend become a worshiper, he thought.”I don’t think I actually *enjoyed* this book. But I certainly respected the hell out of it. For a bit I thought I had it all figured out, pegged it as your bog-standard Chosen One story, and then it went where I didn’t think it’d go and neatly subverted my expectations. It tackled stuff that is uncomfortable and therefore is generally handwaved over in the usual SF epics. And for that I seriously respected this dense complex tome.
We peop ...more

Oct 03, 2015
carol.
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
sci-fi fans
I blame the movie.
I was an avid but novice fantasy and sci-fi reader in 1984 when David Lynch’s Dune rolled out as a big-budget adaptation of the 1965 classic book. It was an artistic and box-office failure with Roger Ebert calling it “a real mess, an incomprehensible, ugly, unstructured, pointless excursion.” Numerous references were made to its excessive length, particularly a tv edition that was over 3 hours long. I never did pick up the classic sci-fi book, assuming the commentary heard abou ...more
I was an avid but novice fantasy and sci-fi reader in 1984 when David Lynch’s Dune rolled out as a big-budget adaptation of the 1965 classic book. It was an artistic and box-office failure with Roger Ebert calling it “a real mess, an incomprehensible, ugly, unstructured, pointless excursion.” Numerous references were made to its excessive length, particularly a tv edition that was over 3 hours long. I never did pick up the classic sci-fi book, assuming the commentary heard abou ...more

Dune is often considered a masterpiece of 20th-century American science fiction. In part, the book owes its reputation to the film adaptation David Lynch directed in the early 1980s (although this movie was, and still is, not considered one of his best). Frank Herbert wrote a novel of epic proportions, in other words, a space opera, with its intergalactic feudal society, its decadent (if not evil) empire and its band of rebels: the book was published some ten years before the first instalment of
...more

Oct 22, 2017
Michael Finocchiaro
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
sci-fi,
made-into-movie,
series,
hugo-awards-winner,
novels,
american-20th-c,
classics
[UPDATED]
I reread Dune for the first time in several decades and immensely enjoyed it. I also went back to watch the original cult feature film by David Lynch and had quite mixed feelings - while it was close to the overall aesthetic that Frank Herbert describes with the gorgeous desert sets and the terrifying worms, the parts of the story that were necessarily culled out was disturbing (that and the woeful special effects at the time trying (and IMHO failing) to visualize the personal shields t ...more
I reread Dune for the first time in several decades and immensely enjoyed it. I also went back to watch the original cult feature film by David Lynch and had quite mixed feelings - while it was close to the overall aesthetic that Frank Herbert describes with the gorgeous desert sets and the terrifying worms, the parts of the story that were necessarily culled out was disturbing (that and the woeful special effects at the time trying (and IMHO failing) to visualize the personal shields t ...more

Update! Just wanted to say how much I loved the movie. Go see it. It was probably good that there was a gap between the time I read this and the movie.
Read 2015
Amazing! A masterpiece of SF with which I will probably compare all SF books that I’ll read in the future. It goes in my favorites shelf.
This is my 3rd attempt to read Dune and I am really grateful that I did not succeed the first two times I tried as I was too young to understand all the subtleties. I would have probably enjoyed it as ...more
Read 2015
Amazing! A masterpiece of SF with which I will probably compare all SF books that I’ll read in the future. It goes in my favorites shelf.
This is my 3rd attempt to read Dune and I am really grateful that I did not succeed the first two times I tried as I was too young to understand all the subtleties. I would have probably enjoyed it as ...more

Why You Should Read Dune (video): https://youtu.be/oOomSvGXfaM
Asking me to describe why Dune is so important to me is like asking a child to explain nuclear fusion. I do my best in the video linked above, but just know it probably isn't for the reasons you think.
My journey to Dune becoming my absolute favorite book of all time goes all the way back to the mid-1990's upon finding it in my high school library and deciding to give it a try because I remembered my dad and brother watching the movie ...more
Asking me to describe why Dune is so important to me is like asking a child to explain nuclear fusion. I do my best in the video linked above, but just know it probably isn't for the reasons you think.
My journey to Dune becoming my absolute favorite book of all time goes all the way back to the mid-1990's upon finding it in my high school library and deciding to give it a try because I remembered my dad and brother watching the movie ...more

3.5/5 Stars
Dune oh Dune, seems like I need to raise my Shield Wall for this review.
Dune is one of the most important pieces of literature for the Sci-Fi genre. I’ve been raking my brain for hours on how to properly explain the importance of Dune in the sci-fi literature but you know what? I dune (hehehe) think it’s necessary for me to do so. If you truly wanna know why, you can search it on whatever search engine you use and you'll find hundreds of articles or reviews on why this book is that im ...more
Dune oh Dune, seems like I need to raise my Shield Wall for this review.
Dune is one of the most important pieces of literature for the Sci-Fi genre. I’ve been raking my brain for hours on how to properly explain the importance of Dune in the sci-fi literature but you know what? I dune (hehehe) think it’s necessary for me to do so. If you truly wanna know why, you can search it on whatever search engine you use and you'll find hundreds of articles or reviews on why this book is that im ...more

I have to write this review without rhythm so that it won’t attract a worm.
In the distant future Arrakis is a hellhole desert planet where anyone who doesn’t die of thirst will probably be eaten by one of the giant sandworms. It’s also the only place where the precious spice melange can be found so it’s incredibly valuable, and the honorable Duke Leto Atreides has been ordered by the Padishah Emperor to take over control of Arrakis from his mortal enemies, the House Harkonnen. While this seems l ...more
In the distant future Arrakis is a hellhole desert planet where anyone who doesn’t die of thirst will probably be eaten by one of the giant sandworms. It’s also the only place where the precious spice melange can be found so it’s incredibly valuable, and the honorable Duke Leto Atreides has been ordered by the Padishah Emperor to take over control of Arrakis from his mortal enemies, the House Harkonnen. While this seems l ...more

‘Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.’
The sheer scope and magnitude of this 1965 sci-fi drama is staggering, populated with an extensive cast of characters and a rich universe full of well-rounded lore, intricate politics where every actions is revealed as ‘plans within plans within plans,’ and dynamic cultures all set on a collision course of plot that rightfully earned it a wide readers ...more
The sheer scope and magnitude of this 1965 sci-fi drama is staggering, populated with an extensive cast of characters and a rich universe full of well-rounded lore, intricate politics where every actions is revealed as ‘plans within plans within plans,’ and dynamic cultures all set on a collision course of plot that rightfully earned it a wide readers ...more

Dune (Dune Chronicles #1), Frank Herbert
Dune is a 1965 science fiction novel by American author Frank Herbert.
In the far future, humanity has eschewed advanced computers due to a religious prohibition, in favor of adapting their minds to be capable of extremely complex tasks.
Much of this is enabled by the spice melange, which is found only on Arrakis, a desert planet with giant sand-worms as its most notable native life-form.
Melange improves general health, extends life and can bestow limited ...more
Dune is a 1965 science fiction novel by American author Frank Herbert.
In the far future, humanity has eschewed advanced computers due to a religious prohibition, in favor of adapting their minds to be capable of extremely complex tasks.
Much of this is enabled by the spice melange, which is found only on Arrakis, a desert planet with giant sand-worms as its most notable native life-form.
Melange improves general health, extends life and can bestow limited ...more

4 ⭐
A word of warning as you venture out to peruse the veritable smorgasbord of delectable reviews for this Sci-Fi/Fantasy Classic!
Be sure to do your Du(n)e diligence. Be wary of key phrases such as “I don’t usually read Fantasy/Sci-Fi”, “Too many made-up words” or “I’m just reading before the movie comes out”. These individuals have come down with a bad case of bandwagonitis and any self-respecting Sci-Fier-er cannot count on their reviews being in any way accurate or beneficial!
As I’m firmly pl ...more
A word of warning as you venture out to peruse the veritable smorgasbord of delectable reviews for this Sci-Fi/Fantasy Classic!
Be sure to do your Du(n)e diligence. Be wary of key phrases such as “I don’t usually read Fantasy/Sci-Fi”, “Too many made-up words” or “I’m just reading before the movie comes out”. These individuals have come down with a bad case of bandwagonitis and any self-respecting Sci-Fier-er cannot count on their reviews being in any way accurate or beneficial!
As I’m firmly pl ...more

Upon reread... still 3.5 stars. I loved it in concept and discussion, but the writing style just kills it for me. I have such mixed feelings about this book. Video review https://youtu.be/tqvIwpjumkM
3.5 stars
I'm really bummed that this wasn't a book I enjoyed more. I think the story itself was brilliant. The entire concept and and plot were incredible and I had such an odd experience of appreciating the story - yet not actually enjoying reading it. The narration was just so unengaging to me that ...more
3.5 stars
I'm really bummed that this wasn't a book I enjoyed more. I think the story itself was brilliant. The entire concept and and plot were incredible and I had such an odd experience of appreciating the story - yet not actually enjoying reading it. The narration was just so unengaging to me that ...more

15-9-2021: saw the movie tonight and loved it’s esthetics and how it conveys the gravitas of the story
Like medieval (but the Islamic enlightenment version of it) times, a caste system and the oil industry imposed upon space opera, with mystical elements permeating the whole and simultaneously telling the rise of a Napoleon like hero. Dune sounds like a book that shouldn’t work, but does, in an unique, complex and compelling manner.
The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the ...more
Like medieval (but the Islamic enlightenment version of it) times, a caste system and the oil industry imposed upon space opera, with mystical elements permeating the whole and simultaneously telling the rise of a Napoleon like hero. Dune sounds like a book that shouldn’t work, but does, in an unique, complex and compelling manner.
The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the ...more

TW: pedophilia and rape off page
Although this is discussed as a highly influential work in scifi, now having read it, I do think we have evolved past the need for this to be part of the canon. This book was a bit of a mess with the characters, world, and plot all feeling a bit disjointed and half baked. The world, while interesting and obviously very detailed, is barely explained to the reader and relies heavily on the appendix without actually providing context in the story (with the exception ...more
Although this is discussed as a highly influential work in scifi, now having read it, I do think we have evolved past the need for this to be part of the canon. This book was a bit of a mess with the characters, world, and plot all feeling a bit disjointed and half baked. The world, while interesting and obviously very detailed, is barely explained to the reader and relies heavily on the appendix without actually providing context in the story (with the exception ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Turn of a Page: Dune by Frank Herbert | 13 | 20 | May 22, 2022 03:17PM | |
What God is Not: Dune | 2 | 8 | May 10, 2022 07:48PM |
16,815 users
9,774 users
6,382 users
5,094 users
1,536 users
943 users
700 users
663 users
623 users
575 users
Frank Herbert was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author.
He is best known for the novel Dune and its five sequels. The Dune saga, set in the distant future and taking place over millennia, dealt with themes such as human survival and evolution, ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, and power, and is widely considered to be among the classi ...more
He is best known for the novel Dune and its five sequels. The Dune saga, set in the distant future and taking place over millennia, dealt with themes such as human survival and evolution, ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, and power, and is widely considered to be among the classi ...more
Other books in the series
Dune
(10 books)
Articles featuring this book
This is a fun one: For the collection below, we decided to take a long-arc overview and try to identify the most popular books published over...
260 likes · 66 comments
119 trivia questions
13 quizzes
More quizzes & trivia...
13 quizzes
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
—
13082 likes
“The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.”
—
1731 likes
More quotes…