The book is brilliant. Delightfully difficult in every sense: from the thoughtful to the smallest details of the Arrakis world order, sophisticated political intrigues, complex interpersonal relationships, to the delightful message with spice.

Melange, which has such a diverse spectrum of action (a vital component of interstellar travel, a stimulant that allows you to drive ships through collapsed space), greatly slows down aging, a light drug without abstinence is finally the only place in the universe where they are mined, and there is no way to synthesize, even with the highest level of technology there, which means a monopoly. And whoever owns the Dune owns the world.At least she can dictate terms to him. At the same time, to call this planet the ass of the world would be to flatter her greatly.

It's just a scorched desert with nothing but sand, birds like crows, and jumping muaddib mice. Oh, and the worms that started it all. Creatures the size of a car or a house, which live under the sand, but react sensitively to any rhythmic movement on its surface, and when surfaced, they are able to swallow a destroyer in one fell swoop. And the fremen. I listened to the book and all the time I perceived the self-designation of these people as "freemen", free, but Vika says that it is necessary to use the "e", even so, although they are, in fact, free and quite wild. Like the Tuareg of Earth.

Everything in the book is cool. A teenager who is destined to survive in difficult trials and become a ruler. But without the usual fabulous "honest feast, yes for the wedding," "they lived happily ever after," "I was there, I drank honey and beer, but I only wet my mustache." A prisoner of prophetic visions provoked by spice (such
a specific influence), he knows from the very beginning that his purpose is not to rule the world or, there, to establish an empire, but to stop jihad. And you will have to put your life on it.

That his fate will be inextricably linked with the fate of his mother, whose filial devotion comes into the most severe contradiction with the rebellion of a strong freedom-loving nature against literally cutting according to the patterns prescribed by the Gesserit Order, to which Lady Jessica belongs from infancy. The novel, which was published in the sixty-fifth year of the last century, is an unthinkable Klondike of foresight and insights. Not in terms of fantastic technology, but in political technologies, social trends (what is an order if not the quintessence of feminist ideas?)

Эпическая сила
- И как там?
- Жарко. А воздух наполнен специями.
Джейн Остен "Разум и чувства"
"Дюна" была моей страшилкой последние семь лет. С того времени, как поняла, что обидно, думая о прочитанных книгах "в себя", терять со временем львиную долю мыслей, впечатлений, воспоминаний. Завела аккаунты на Либе и в ЖЖ, понемногу стала обрастать знакомствами среди неравнодушных к чтению, и сильно удивилась, когда в одном обсуждении прозвучало spice, на которое не отреагировала узнаванием, что дало собеседнику повод отметить: "Фантастики вы не любите и не знаете, надо полагать?"

- Как это? - возмутилась, - Да фантастика мое все с семи лет.
- Но "Дюну" не читали.
- Это где червяки ползали? ("Они называли тебя червяком, Каа, Большим земляным червяком") И не собираюсь, мерзость какая. - Так сказала, а читательская гордость осталась ущемленной, какой ты, на фиг, танкист, если не можешь одолеть идиосинкразии, да и прочесть уже. Неважно, что фильм, где из песка выныривали эти громадные твари, не могла досмотреть ни одного разу из тех, что натыкалась на него по ТВ. Соберись уже, тряпка, и сделай это! - каждый раз приказывала себе, вспоминая роман Фрэнка Герберта. Благо, случалось нечасто. До последнего времени.

Но в ожидании экранизации от Дени Вильнёва, упоминания о романе скоро станут звучать из каждого утюга, а значит, пришло время. Не надо ждать,не надо звать, а нужно взять, и прочитать. И таки да, книга гениальна. Восхитительно непростая во всех смыслах: от продуманного до мельчайших деталей мироустройства Арракиса, изощренных политических интриг, сложных межличностных отношений, до восхитительного посыла со спайсом.

Меланж обладающий таким многообразным спектром действия (жизненно необходимый компонент межзвездных путешествий, стимулятор, позволяющий вести корабли сквозь свернутое пространство), сильно замедляет старение, легкий наркотик без абстиненции - наконец Единственное место во Вселенной, где добывают, и никакой возможности синтезировать, даже при высочайшем уровне тамошних технологий, а значит, монополия. И владеющий Дюной, владеет миром.По крайней мере, может диктовать ему условия. Вместе с тем, назвать эту планету жопой мира, значило бы сильно польстить ей.

Просто выж��енная пустыня, в которой ничего, кроме песка, птиц вроде ворон, да прыгающих мышей муаддибов. Ах,ну еще черви, с которых все начиналось. Твари, размером когда с легковой автомобиль, когда с дом, которые живут под песком,но чутко реагируют на любое ритмическое движение на его поверхности, а вынырнув, способны одним махом проглотить эсминец. И еще фремены. Книгу слушала и все время воспринимала самоназвание этого народа, как "freemen", свободные, но Вика говорит, что надо через "е",пусть так, хотя они, в самом деле, свободные и довольно дикие. Как земные туареги.

В книге классно все. Подросток, которому судьба выжить в непростых испытаниях и стать повелителем. Но без привычного сказочного "честным пирком, да за свадебку", "жили они долго и счастливо", "я там был, мед-пиво пил, да усы лишь обмочил". Пленник пророческих видений, которые провоцирует специя (такое
специфическое влияние), он с самого начала знает, что его предназначение не править миром или, там, основать империю, но остановить джихад. И на это придется положить жизнь.

Что судьба его будет неразрывно связана с судьбой матери, сыновняя преданность которой вступает в жесточайшее противоречие с бунтом сильной свободолюбивой натуры против буквально обтесывания по лекалам, предписанным орденом Гессерит, которому с младенчества принадлежит леди Джессика. Роман, увидевший свет в шестьдесят пятом году прошлого века, немыслимый Клондайк предвидений и озарений. Не в части фантастической техники, но в политтехнологиях, социальных тенденциях (что есть орден, как не квинтэссенция феминистических идей?)

Да, эта книга очень на котурнах, эпос, хотя ни разу ни пеплум. Совершенно продуманная, точная, четкая модель мироустройства и совсем живые герои, вызывающие искренний отклик. "Дюна" не мой роман, импринтинга, как с симмонсовым "Гиперионом" с ней не случилось. Но вещь гениальная, таки да.

“Dune” is probably my husband’s favorite book, and he was so happy that I decided to re-read it so that we could talk about it. We had just watched the absolutely stunning Denis Villeneuve movie (thoughts about that at the end of the review) and we were both geeking out pretty hard about it. It was a pleasure to re-immerse myself in Herbert’s world, and while my previous criticism of the book still holds, I found myself enjoying it so much more this time. Perhaps it is because books like “Dune”, which are so complex and layered, really benefit for re-reading, as you notice things you might have glossed over before, and reconnect with interesting ideas and concepts you had enjoyed the first time around… I’m very excited to add “Dune Messiah” and “Children of Dune” to my short term reading list, as I can’t wait to go back to Arrakis!

--

Original review:



My mother is a bonafide, vintage geek girl. I grew up watching “Star Trek” with her and she used to read me Tolkein as bed-time stories. She had piles of Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke books all over the place. These days, she obsesses over “Game of Thrones”… As you can guess, she also loves “Dune”, and she was so excited when the 2000 series finally aired on the Space channel. That was my first exposure to Frank Herbert’s work and it took me a very long time to get around to reading the actual book.

At this point, I think everyone know this is a messianic story, with a pretty classic layout. A prophecy foretold the arrival of a warrior-leader on the desert planet of Arrakis, who would free it’s people and turn the planet into a paradise where no one would ever want for water again. In parallel, the Emperor gives control of the planet to House Atreide: it’s the most valuable planet in the universe, as it is the only source of the precious spice, necessary to space travel: but it is also a white elephant, as it is hostile and House Harkonnen, the devious former rulers, will stop at nothing to get it back. You can already see how that will unfold. The strength of this book is not in the element of surprise, it is in the mind-blowing world-building and characterization. The details of the social structure, history, customs, religion and politics in “Dune” make it feel incredibly real as your turn the pages. Having seen the series before reading the book, I pictured everyone dressed in elaborate, geometrical costumes and headdresses; I saw monumental architecture with bright colours.

But what I loved the most about “Dune” is that it is the deconstruction of a messiah. How does it feel to be the person legend has predicted for generations, anxiously anticipated by the oppressed, who will blindly follow you anywhere because they fanatically believe that you will save them? Knowing many will die to fulfil the prophecies and that this blood will ultimately be on your hand, seeing small events and knowing they will one day be told as grandiose moments that had very little to do with what actually happened. That can’t be a comfortable hat to wear and I felt for Paul. I also felt for Jessica, who watched her son transform into something she could have hardly imagined when she decided to disobey the orders of the Bene Gesserit and provide her lover with a son and heir instead of a daughter.

This brings me to how fascinated I was with the amount of control the Bene Gesserit held over the various legends and folk tales, with their Missionaria Protectiva and their breeding program. I wanted to know all about it, read their histories and plans! I think it a very successful world-building when I wish I could live in it and go to the local library to read about it!

That being said, the dryness of the writing was a bit of a turn-off. I was so annoyed every time Hebert felt the need to write “Aahh” or “Hum” mid-dialogue, to show me the person speaking was hesitating. I feel like he could have been more evocative without resorting to this weird addition to conversation. I could have also used more lush descriptions, to cement his world in my brain and make it even more alive. But these are really minor qualms: I really enjoyed this book, and I will be reading the sequels.

--

Thoughts about the 2021 movie:



I am a huge fan of Denis Villeneuve, and I was so excited when the news that he’d be directing a new adaptation of “Dune” came out – and he did not disappoint. The other versions are cool in their own rights, but they have a certain tackiness to their looks that made it hard for me to really buy into the illusion of the movies. This time, the absolute beauty of the photography, the masterful music and the gorgeous costumes and sets blew me away, and I must have muttered “This is so fucking cool!” a dozen time. The casting is perfect, and I say that as someone who detests Chalamet – I still kinda want to punch him, but the skinny bastard is so good… I’m so glad that the second movie is going to happen, because I want this to become the gold standard for sci-fi films.

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 or context. It literally feels like I was just dropped into the middle of a book, and everything had already been explained elsewhere.

But it gets better, right? Well, only somewhat. A narrative does take shape, but the writing style remains confusing and obscure. It manages to be both long-winded and not clear enough, if you can believe that. Certain obvious points are harped on again and again, but other crucial ones are merely glossed over. Then, when you inevitably miss those important points, they create this cascading effect that keeps you mired in confusion.

The writing is also pretentious, with regular or nonsensical things consistently being presented in a profound way. There are plenty of extraneous paragraphs that sound good until you try to discern their meaning, at which point you'd be stumped. This sort of writing really confused me because I couldn't figure out which paragraphs mattered and needed to be dissected carefully to suss out their hidden meaning, and which ones are just adornment.

As for the story itself, it was a complete mismatch with my interests. I like science fiction with lots of real science. Instead, this is a space opera (a.k.a. a soap opera that takes place in space) with no actual science. It's all political intrigue, melodrama, doublespeak, and who has power over who, which I have zero interest in. I also couldn't care less about how fawningly amazing Paul is and how he is destined to be the chosen one.

This was such a frustrating reading experience because it could've been an amazing story. And there were moments in the beginning when I thought it was going in those creative directions. I was riveted during that infamous test in the first scene, only to realize that it was completely irrelevant to the rest of the story. Or to see where the book could take the scientific aspects of a desert planet and a population with so little water, which it didn't other than a bit of lip service.

But the book stubbornly chose to disregard these more interesting avenues, and instead took the most straightforward, boring route of making this into a story about power struggle. Well, we could've saved ourselves the bother and just stayed on Earth for that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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 prescience, and its rarity makes it a form of currency in the interstellar empire.

Melange allows the Spacing Guild's Navigators to safely route faster-than-light travel between planets, and helps the Reverend Mothers of the matriarchal Bene Gesserit to access their Other Memory, the ego and experiences of their female ancestors.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و چهارم ماه نوامبر سال 2018میلادی

عنوان: تلماسه؛ نویسنده: فرانک هربرت؛ مترجم: مهیار فروتن فر؛ تهران، کتابسرای تندیس؛ 1397؛ در 847ص؛ فروست شاهکارهای علمی تخیلی؛ شابک 9786001822834؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده مریکا - سده 20م

داستان «تل‌ماسه» در آینده‌ ای دور می‌گذرد، و در جامعه‌ ای ملوک الطوایفی، کتاب با الهام از جوامع «اعراب» بدوی، نگاشته شده‌ است؛ سه عامل اثرگذار در جامعه ای فراسی��ره‌ ای: پادشاه امپراتور و خاندان‌های حکومتی، اتحادیه ی فضایی (صاحب انحصار حمل و نقل فضایی)، و گروه «بنی جزریت»، هستند؛ در جهانی سوار بر همان سه‌ پایه‌ ی: «سلطه‌ جویی»، «سیاست‌بازی» و «سوداگری»، و گردنده بر چرخِ آدم‌کشانِ رایانه‌ سان، ساحرانِ نژادپرور، و ناوبرانِ زمان‌ نورد، «پُل»، دوک‌ زاده‌ ی جوان خاندان «آتریدیز» است، که خود را گرفتار در طوفانی عالم‌ آشوب می‌یابد؛ نزاعی کیهانی بر سر کیمیای زمانه است، در آوردگاهی یگانه، سرچشمه‌ ی کیمیا در سرتاسر کائنات: «تلماسه» است، کره‌ ای از شن سوزان، که دغدغه‌ ی بومیانش نه «ملغما (کیمیای زمانه)»، که بقاست؛

نقل از متن (کتاب اول: تلماسه: سرآغاز هر کار زمان حصول اطمینان از درستی میزانها و معیارهاست؛ حتی مبتدی ترین شاگردان مکتب «بنه جسریت» هم این نکته را میدانند؛ پس فراموش نکنید که در شروع مطالعه ی زندگانی مودِّب او را در زمان حیاتش که از پنجاه و هفتمین سال سلطنت امپراتورْ پاشا شدامِ چهارم آغاز شد و در محل زندگی اش یعنی سیاره ی آراکیس در نظر آورید؛ اجازه ندهید این حقیقت که زادگاه او کالادان بوده و پانزده سال آغازین عمرش را در آنجا گذرانده گمراهتان کند؛ آراکیس، سیاره ای که آن را به نام تلماسه میشناسند، جایگاه او بوده و تا ابد خواهد بود؛ ـ برگرفته از کتاب راهنمای مودِب، نوشته ی شاهدخت «آیرولان») یک هفته پیش از مهاجرت خاندان «آتریدیز» به «آراکیس»، در میان دوندگیهای لحظه ی آخر که دیگر داشت به جنونی افسار گسیخته و تحمل ناپذیر بدل میشد، عجوزه ای به دیدار مادرِ پُل آمد

کاخ «کالادان» شب نسبتاً گرمی را میگذراند و مانند تمام اوقات پیش از بارندگی، روی تخته سنگهای برهم چیده ی کهنسالی که برای بیست و شش نسل از خاندان «آتریدیز» حکم خانه را داشتند، نم سردی نشسته بود

عجوزه از درِ جانبی وارد عمارت شد، و با عبور از راهرویی طاقدار به اتاق پل رسید؛ در آنجا لحظه ای درنگ کرد، و به داخل سرک کشید تا نگاهی به «پل» بیندازد که در تختخوابش آرمیده بود

پسرک که حالا بیدار شده بود، در کورسوی چراغ معلقی که نزدیک به زمین شناور بود، پیکر تنومند زنی را میدید که در درگاه اتاقش، یک قدم جلوتر از مادرش ایستاده بود؛ چهره ی سایه وش پیرزن به جادوگران میمانست: موهای درهم تنیده اش به تارعنکبوت ماننده بود، و چشمانش، در تاریکی باشلقی که بر سر کشیده بود، به دو تکه جواهر براق

پیرزن گفت: «سنش کمتر از چیزی که هست به نظر میآید، نه جسیکا؟» صدایش تودماغی بود و مانند بالیستِ کوک نشده وزوز میکرد؛ مادرِ «پل» با صدایی ملایم و بم پاسخ داد: «در خاندان آتریدیز رشد دیررس معمول است، حضرت والا.»؛

پیرزن وزوزکنان گ��ت: «بله شنیده ام، شنیده ام. با این حال...؛ جداً پانزده سالش شده؟»؛ «بله، حضرت والا.»؛

پیرزن گفت: «بیدار است؛ دارد به حرفهایمان گوش میدهد»؛ نیشخندی زد و ادامه داد: «شیطانک مکار! البته بد نیست...؛ کمی مکر و حیله برای اشرافزادگان واجب است...؛ و اگر او واقعاً کویساتز هدراخ باشد...؛ خوب...»؛

پل چشمانش را در پناه سایه های تختخواب به اندازه ی دو شیار باریک باز کرد و به نظرش آمد که چشمان بیضی شکل براق و پرنده سانِ پیرزن نیز در پاسخْ بازتر و درخشانتر شد)؛ پایان نقل

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 23/09/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 11/06/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

n  n

I know everyone is so SHOCKED, but I loved Dune. Actually, jokes aside, I loved it so much more than I thought I would. I've been putting off reading it for years - I was afraid that it was going to be too dated, too long, too dense, etc. I think I was also afraid I was not going to love it as much as I other people loved it, and if you've ever been underwhelmed by a cult favorite or a classic - you KNOW how much that just doesn't feel good. But even though my expectations were very high going into it, Dune ended up surpassing them.

See, I actually finished the book three days ago, and I simply didn't want to mark it "read" because I was just letting it sit with me. You might say "Marianna, if you loved it so much, why did you take 2 months to read it?" This may sound silly, but this was the first book in a very long time I just didn't want to burn through. I wanted to enjoy the world, the characters, and the writing. I wanted to let myself stay in this universe instead of rushing through it. Yes, I know it's a whole series and there is more to it, but that's the feeling I had reading this novel.

It's absolutely a book I can see myself reading again, and getting a lot more out of it. It's also a book I can see myself trying to force on other people. There are things within it that resonated with me more than I ever expected. There are ideas and quotes that really stuck with me. But let's also not forget that this is an amazing story and setting - a beautiful mix of sci-fi and fantasy that I so rarely see done well, and a spin on the emergence of a hero. Initially, I didn't have plans to immediately continue the series, but now I'm thinking it will happen a lot sooner than I anticipated ))

P.S. As if I could have looked forward to the movie adaptation done by my favorite director more... But yea, now I REALLY can't wait to watch the film! Sadly, I doubt it will be released this year at all, considering everything that's going on. Thanks, 2020...

***

2021 REREAD

I still love it. Obviously.
Even more fun after watching the movie, somehow!

***

2024 REREAD

I love it more and more every time I read it, which is crazy because I 5/5 loved it the first time I read it. Truly a sci-fi masterpiece that has something new to teach me with every read-through. Forever addicted to this spice.

Just as good as the first time I experienced this novel. I definitely picked up on things that I didn't in my first read and all of the major plot points and events were equally fantastic this time around. This book is simply incredible and I'm excited to continue the series this time around.

Manipulate the booktokers by telling them this book has ALL THE SPICE!!!!!

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 complexity and depth of the creation is staggering and I am continually astounded at the discipline with which Herbert must have focused his imagination.

This is the book upon which Herbert would base his greatest series and one that would outlive him as his son has continued to expand and add detail to the vast, immaculate tapestry woven by a true master of the genre. Encapsulating political, economic, sociological, biological, cultural and dynastic themes, Frank Herbert has set a high standard for later practitioners.

Brilliant.

***2015 reread - Read years later, this has lost none of its narrative power, if anything I can better appreciate the virtuoso attention to detail Herbert exhibited in his epic creation. From the perspective of having read his later 5 Dune sequels, I am astounded at the rich tapestry he has woven. Most impressive was his close omnipresence, analyzing the thoughts and minute actions and subtle nuances of his complicated dynamic interplay of characters. The exhaustive training of the Bene Gesserit and the intricate relations of the Houses and the Guild would stand as a monumental benchmark for speculative fiction ever since.

This time around I found myself looking more closely at the Harkonnens and will likely read some of Brian Herbert's additions to his fathers great work.

***2019 reread - I'm even more in love with this book and am again in awe of Herbert's narrative skill. This time around I noticed that all of the quotes that begin chapters are from Princess Irulan and I paid close attention to how Herbert crafted these interludes.

I also was drawn to the religious undertones that really began very early in the book and how Paul realized his gifts and was preparing for his role in the beginning chapters - all demonstrating Herbert's great narrative skill.

Finally, I became more aware of what a great character was Gurney Halleck. While the ghola of Duncan Idaho dominated the later books, Herbert's creation of Halleck was an enjoyable and thought provoking addition to this masterpiece.

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 upon an English translation of an ancient Arabic manuscript of undeniable power and potence which had an epic story to narrate. The tone was umistakably sombre and I realized Herbert was not here to merely entertain me, he was here to make me part of the legend of Muad'Dib. It was intriguing and challenging and heck, since I live for challenges I decided to take this one up too, gladly. The challenge was the complexity and depth of the plot, which left me perplexed, in the beginning. I knew there were dialogues which meant much more than their superficial meaning and was unable to grasp at it. I felt a yawning chasm between Herbert's vision and my limited understanding of it. However, of course, I plodded on and could feel the gap closing in with every page much to my joy and relief.

The Foreword

"To the people whose labours go beyond ideas into the realm of 'real materials'- to the dry-land ecologists, wherever they may be, in whatever time they work, this effort at prediction is dedicated in humility and admiration."

The foreword makes it pretty clear that Frank Herbert isn't kidding around. This is a serious effort at predicting how our world is going to look two thousand years from now and by God, it's a bloody good and detailed prediction. However, the real merit in this effort lies in the commentary on our lives in the present.

Why Frank Herbert is a genius

The setting of the book is arid futuristic. the plot is driven by political mind games reminiscent of The Game of Thrones. The issues he tackles are as modern as the colour television. Herbert's genius manifests itself in his ability to combine the past, the present and the future in one sweeping elegant move called Dune.

Plot and Setting

Dune is set in a futuristic technologically advanced world which after the Butlerian Jihad (the bloody war between Man and Machines) has eliminated all computers and passed a decree declaring "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a man's mind". Since there are no computers, the essential working of the galaxy is still medieval and feudal with heavy reliance on men and their dallying around. Lots of thriller potential right there. Men with superhuman analytical abilities called Mentats have taken the place of Computers. On the other hand, we have the Bene Gesserit, an ancient school of mental and physical training for female students (it gives them superhuman intuitive powers) who follow a selective breeding program which makes them feared and mistrusted through the Imperium. Their desired end product of this breeding program is the Kwisatz Haderach, a superman who’ll be able to glimpse into the future. How he’ll be able to do this is rooted in Herbert’s idea of determinism: given that one can observe everything and analyze everything, one can effectively glimpse the future in probabilistic terms. Quantum physics anyone? The Kwisatz Haderach is the proposed solution to the male-female dichotomy, between the analytical and intuitive.

The plot of Dune is almost wholly set on the desert planet of Arrakis (also referred to as Dune), an arid wasteland where water is so scarce that men have to wear stillsuits which recycle human moisture for further consumption. The source of the galaxy’s interest in the planet is Melange, a spice which bestows upon one longevity and prescient powers. Everything on the planet is permeated with the spice, the air, the sand, the food. Everybody on the planet is hopelessly addicted to the spice, their only hope for survival being their continued intake of the spice. The Spacing Guild, the economic and trading monopolistic arm of the Galaxy badly needs the spice for interstellar transport. This is because their frigates travel faster than the speed of light and hence travel backward in time. The spice is the only way they can look into the future and see their way ahead. How cool is that! All the powers on the Galaxy are out to mine the spice, braving the sandworms, their name merely an euphemism, for they are gigantic 200 metre long creatures which always come digging through the sand whenever spice mining is undertook. Always. There’s also another little glitch. There exist on the planet, the kickass native desert tribal Fremen, whom the foreign powers look down with suspicion and disdain. The Fremen ethos is one of survival and scarcity, driven by tribalism and egalitarianism. Okay, I’ll stop right there. No more spoilers about this. Except that they value water to the extent that spitting on a person is the highest honour they can bestow upon him.

Our protagonists are the Atreides family, consisting of the Duke, his Bene Gesserit concubine Jessica and their son Paul, who have been entrusted the stewardship of Arrakis. We discover the alien planet of Arrakis along with them, firstly with fear, suspicion and wonder and ultimately, love and respect. Paul Muad’Dib, however is no ordinary prince. There’s a teeny weeny chance he might be the Kwisatz Haderach, something which troubles him constantly and gives us our conflicted hero. The poor chap trips balls over the spice and has visions of black hordes pillaging and murdering around town bearing his flag and sees his dead body multiple times.

My favourite character, however has to be the Baron Vladmir Harkonnen, the most evil character I’ve ever come across in my literary excursions. He is ruddy ruthlessness, he is virile villainy, he is truculent treachery. He executes the inept chess players in his employ which says oodles about his badassery and his fondness for cold-blooded logic. He sees everything in simplistic chess terms. What is my best move? What is my opponent’s best move? Is there anything I can do to completely squash his move? Is there a tactic which leads to mate in three?

Themes

In this setting, Herbert does so much, it’s unbelievable. Religion, politics, the dynamic nature of power, the effects of colonialism, our blatant destruction of our environment are themes which run parallel to the intensely exciting and labyrinthine plot. He shows the paramount importance of myth making and religion for power to sustain over long periods of time. Man, as a political animal is laid completely bare.

Real life

Now these are my thoughts about what Herbert could have meant to be Arrakis-



It makes perfect sense. Herbert draws heavy inspiration for the religious ideology of Muad’Dib from Islam. He says “When religion and politics ride in the same cart and that cart is driven by a living Holy man, nothing can stand in the path of such a people.” which is the philosphy of the politics of Islam. Islamism in a nutshell.

The spice, much desired by everyone, is the oil. Baron Vladmir Harkonnen is symblomatic of the wily Russians. The Desert foxes Fremen are representative of the native Saudi desert-dwelling Bedouin tribe who have a strongly tribe-oriented culture and undoubtedly value water in equal measure. And the ultimate loser is the environment.

Why do good books get over?

I almost forget this is a science fiction novel, it’s that real. It is also scary and prophetic. It is a reading experience that will leave you dreaming of the grave emptiness of Arrakis and make you wish you were there to brave it all in the privileged company of the noble Fremen. Frank Herbert achieves the pinnacle of what a sci-fi author aspires to rise to; authentic world building.

I bought the audio!!!! It has various narrators! I'm sooooo excited! This is a desert island read for me. I'm not kidding I was ready to press play to listen again as soon as it finished.

12/26/18 audio reread #266

3/28/19 audio reread I have no idea how many times I’ve read this book. The audio is one of my favorite go-tos. The full cast breathes life into the characters. I’d like to discuss the amazingly original plot, but it’s been years since I read the paper copy and can’t remember the spellings of most things. I think my favorite new vocabulary word is the one that means “the amount of time between wanting a thing and actually grabbing it”. I wholly understand that emotion. Those mere seconds feed my shopping addiction.

I am so glad I finally fulfilled my half of the bet.

This book was so dumb it was a chore to get through it--and I haven’t pushed past the pain period in years. People riding worms, killing their grandpas, weird names for knives, bullets and don’t forget, everyone is addicted to Cinnamon. I thought it was lame. It felt really juvenile. The author seemed to be trying really hard to make everything really mysterious and mythical, and all I could think was how lame it was: all-blue eyes, a worms called a "makers," suits where you drink your own body moisture (disgusting).

I'm also annoyed that this book was read in exchange for Pride and Prejudice. Compared with a timeless classic the book seems like a 1st grade primer. Austen is a master of plot and suspense. You may not like the subject matter, admittedly it is a little girlie, but the woman can write. Herbert? Not even close.

Update 6/27/23

Re-read, number 15.

This time, I read it with my daughter. Sure, it might be a bit too soon for her, but she DID insist because we'll be seeing Dune part 2 later this year. And she happens to know that I'm a rabid uberfan with no mercy or remorse.

PLUS, I was able to read from my gorgeous new hardcover copy gifted to me by my best friend and that really does make all the difference, no?


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 read. :)

I waver, sometimes, but right now, it is my absolute favorite. :)



Original Review:

This is a phenomenal classic of literature.

It's not just science fiction. It transcends science fiction, as a fascinating discussion of free-will versus inevitability. Can the Jihad be denied? Can Paul ever really avoid his own death, despite seeing every time-line play out with him as the butt of every cosmic joke? Can even cruelty or mercy even remain comprehensible after such knowledge?

Yes, I think this work outdoes Nietzsche. It certainly does a great job of making us care about the question.

Is this all? Is this just a work that pays great justice to philosophy of action and inaction?

Or is the novel merely a clever play at turning the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle into the physical embodiment of a man? It is that, of course. The Kwisatz Haderach can be many places at once, and he can be both alive and dead at the same time just like that certain cat.

Is the novel a coming of age tale, first set as a mirror against his father Leto, only then to mirror the whole universe that had just turned against him? Yes, of course. He was, after all, both the product of all his upbringing and his genes, embodying the question of nature versus nurture. He was taught within many schools of martial arts and assassins, as well as training the mind in both the schools of the Mentats with their pure logic and that of the mystics, the Bene Gesserit, that allows complete control over the body down to the cellular level. And if this training wasn't enough, he was deeply schooled in politics, leadership, and the meaning of loyalty. The boy was raised right. Of course, that is nothing without ninety generations of genetic bloodline tampering from the Bene Gesserit, right? To become the fulcrum between cellular memory, tapping the minds and lives of all your genetic ancestors as well as tapping the ability to fold time and space, to become the eye of a storm of time.

What a damn brilliant setup for one tiny character, no? His training links to the unlocking of his genes and to the life-extending and enveloping spice, Melange, to make him not merely aware of time in a theoretical sense, but eventually to be unable to discern what was in the past, the present, or the future. Here's a true Super-Man, well beyond Nietzsche.

And don't believe for one second that this serious discussion about what would make a superior man makes for dull reading. No. We've got PLOT that's probably some of the most exciting and visceral in all of literature, driving us right into the web of intrigue, vengeance, treachery, and galactic politics.

To quote the text, we've got "Plans within Plans," and it hardly stops there. We know the House Atreides is falling into a trap laid by the Emperor and House Harkonnen, and yet free-will and pride prevents any chance to avoid it. The setup is brilliant and extremely political, giving us character sketches of some of the most brilliant and memorable characters of all time.

Duke Leto, the Red Duke, the most honorable and beloved leader.
Duncan Idaho, the emotional and intuitive hero.
Gurney Halleck, archetypal loyalist and troubadour.
Lady Jessica, the woman who ought to have had all honor in life, but was unjustly reviled and set aside for political necessity. (Chani being both her mirror and her eventual glory.)

And of course, my favorite character of all time, Paul Muad'dib Atreides, the one that would prevent the greater evils he foresaw, and went to enormous lengths and sacrifice to achieve, but who eventually failed in his task because even a god cannot overcome destiny. (Or the will of so many minds set as one.)

So damn brilliant.

Frank Herbert spent five years writing this treasure, working and reworking it until he published it at age 25. None of his other works come close to this masterpiece, and there's little wonder. It was birthed, fully-formed, like Athena from Zeus's head, with enormous forethought and care.

The worldbuilding was just as carefully formed, from the ecology of Arrakis and the life-cycles of the sandworms, to the history and the creation of the Fremen from their mild beginnings as Zensunni Wanderers, adherents to the Orange Catholic Bible, to their history of oppression so like those of those who are Jewish, to their settling and hardening of their bodies and souls in the wastes of Arrakis, also just like the Jewish who carved out a place for themselves in Israel. (Current politics aside, this was a very potent idea before 1965 when Herbert wrote this, and indeed, the core is still just as powerful when you turn it back to Muslims.)

The Galactic culture is rich and detailed. The CHOAM economic consortium, with their monopoly on space travel and their need for the Spice to allow them to see a short period into the future to plot a safe course before folding space. The Empire is caught on a knife's edge between a single power and every other House who sit in the possibility of putting aside all their squabbles for the sole purpose of checking the Emperor, if they so desired. (And Duke Atreides was such a possible popular leader among all the Great Houses, which was the primary reason the Emperor wanted him dead.)

And of course, we have our Villains.

The Baron Harkonnen has always been a crowd pleaser. Brilliant in his own right, devious and able to corrupt anyone with just the right sorts of pressure, including a certain absolutely trustworthy doctor we might mention.

"The Tooth! The Tooth!" -- You can't handle the Tooth!

Feyd Rautha Harkonnen is especially interesting for the question of nature versus nurture.

The Bene Gesserit had intended him to mate with Paul, who should have been Leto and Jessica's daughter, and that offspring should have been the cumulation of ninety years of a breeding experiment to recreate the Kwisatz Haderach which had come about almost by accident during the Butlerian Jihad in the deep past, to overthrow the AI overlords.

He was practically Paul's genetic twin, or at least, his potential to be the "One who can be many places at once" was on par with Paul. But instead of fulfilling the kind of destiny that we get with Paul, we see him grow up under the auspices of his Uncle the Baron, becoming as cruel and devious as he was deadly. He was the argument of nurture in the conversation, of course, and having so very little of it eventually cost him his life.

I often wonder about the directions that Dune could have taken, all those little paths in time and circumstance that could have been. What if Feyd had been brought to Arrakis earlier and overwhelmed with Spice the way that Paul had? Sure, he wouldn't have been able to convert the unconscious changes into conscious manipulation, but he might have had enough glimpses of the future, the way that the Fremen did, to have given him the edge he would have needed to kill Paul.

And then there's a relatively minor character, Hasimir Fenring, the Emperor's personal assassin, who was nearly the Kwisatz Haderach, himself. Unable to breed true, he was still potent enough to be completely hidden to Paul's time-sight in the same way that Paul was hidden from the Spacing Guild's weaker time-sight. His training as a skilled killer was also superior to Paul. He was, by all the hints and tricks in the tale, Paul's perfect downfall. It always gives me shivers to think about, and it was only in a single instant of both recognition and pity from Paul that stayed Fenring from killing our hero. It was just a moment of whim.

The setup was gorgeous. Paul's pity, had it been missing at his moment of greatest triumph over the Emperor, would have meant Paul's assured death. I still wonder, to this day, what stayed Frank Herbert's hand from killing his most wonderful darling. We knew the pressure of religion and politics was going to have its way upon all the oppressed peoples of Dune. The return of a monstrous religious Jihad was going to happen one way or another, sweeping across the galaxy and toppling the Empire, regardless of Paul's frantic plans and desires. Paul's own death would only mean a higher level of fanaticism, and Frank Herbert's warning against unreasoning devotion would have been made even clearer with Paul's death.

Perhaps it was pity that stayed his hand. Who are we to say who lives and who dies?

If you really think this review is overlong, then I apologize, but please understand that I could absolutely go on and on much longer than this. It is a symptom of my devotion to this most brilliant of all tales.

And yes, it still holds up very, very well after twelve reads. I am quite shocked and amazed.