Dune
The First Dune Novel
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4.5 • 500 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The Duke of Atreides has been manoeuvred by his arch-enemy, Baron Harkonnen, into administering the desert planet of Dune. Although it is almost completely without water, Dune is a planet of fabulous wealth, for it is the only source of a drug prized throughout the Galactic Empire. The Duke and his son, Paul, are expecting treachery, and it duly comes - but from a shockingly unexpected place.
Then Paul succeeds his father, and he becomes a catalyst for the native people of Dune, whose knowledge of the ecology of the planet gives them vast power. They have been waiting for a leader like Paul Atreides, a leader who can harness that force ...
DUNE: one of the most brilliant science fiction novels ever written, as engrossing and heart-rending today as it was when it was first published half a century ago.
Joint winner of the HUGO AWARD for best novel, 1966
Winner of the NEBULA AWARD for best novel, 1965
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Without Frank Herbert’s fantastical and foreboding masterpiece, there might never have been A Game of Thrones. His epic went beyond the whiz-bang space operatics of robots and rocket ships to present a cast of compelling, fully realised characters at each other’s throats over wealth, territory and drugs. Set on the parched planet of Arrakis, Dune mixes Machiavellian intrigue, complex systems of religion, politics and power, and an ecological message that still resonates today. The saga of Paul Atreides—a young, exiled prince destined to become a messianic leader—expanded readers’ notions of what science fiction could deliver and inspired writers and filmmakers to match Herbert’s enthralling vision of the future.
Customer Reviews
Great book
Not sure why I waited so long to read it.
There is some odd paragraphing in this iBooks version.
Sci-Fi Pride&Prej meets StarWars Episode 1
Deserving of its literary status, Dune seems to tick every box in my 'requirements for a good book' list. Intrigue, concepts, writing style, cleverness, complexity, interesting characters, action, visionary, not outdated. It's good. And I recommend it to those that want to get a perfect example of a what a Science Fiction book is all about. As a writer myself, this book contained important lessons for me. For this reason mainly I am glad I read it. Frank Herbert knows his craft.
But what it lacks is delicate treatment of character emotions, character building - flat, time jumps - why why? The meter of the book is jittery, and can be frustrating. I found myself unable to be absorbed completely in the book. It seemed to start and end both unexpectedly. Probably a good thing there are sequels. But can they improve?
Dune is like Star Wars but with less action, and more politics and religion. Relationships between characters remind me of pride and prejudice. The protagonist is like Matrix's Neo meets young Saddam Hussein.
If you want 21st century non-stop Hollywood action - it's not here. But if you want to see what good Science Fiction is, or see how a small child can grow into a ruthless, psychic, world conquering, political hero teenager then this is for you.
As is - 3.5. Better character development might have seen - 4-4.5 maybe the sequels will improve.
Hats off to you Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert set out to write a looking glass for the then and future world and succeeded on an eery scale. Desert world? Resource essential for transportation? Brutal control by foreign interests and puppet regimes? My arabic speaking sources are impressed by the attention to detail in the Dune vocabulary to make it clear just what he was aiming at. Where he goes the extra yard ,apart from making it a very readable story is the accuracy of the backlash from the persecuted Fremen. Not the formulaic western tropes about liberty and freedom, but the incomprehensible( to western eyes ) of a mystic and profoundly religious reaction ,a Jihad, divinely blessed and above any consideration of personal gain and disdaining ,if necessary ,personal survival.There is a prophet in the book but a more impressive one at the typewriter. This thing was published in 1965. Hats off to you Frank Herbert