Frank Herbert
Dune (1965)
Author: Frank Herbert
Genre: Science Fiction (Philosophical)
Plot Summary:
The desert world of Arrakis is barren, brutal, and home to the Imperium's greatest wealth: the narcotic, life-lengthening melange simply called spice. The opportunity to rule over Arrakis and its wealth is too great an opportunity for Duke Leto Atreides to decline, though he knows it's a trap laid by Baron Harkonnen, his most cunning and vicious rival. The expected ambush is compounded by deep betrayal, however, and his lady Jessica and young son Paul are forced to flee into the desert wastes. Trained in the supreme mental and physical control of the Bene Gesserit, Jessica and Paul join ranks with the natives of Arrakis, the Fremen, where the generations-old machinations of the Bene Gesserit has prepared the way for their integration into Fremen legend. The Fremen's adoration and near-deification of Paul (now known as "Maud'Dib", or teacher-of-men), their deep-seated hatred of the Harkonnens, and the brutal training ground of their homeworld combine to make the Fremen the perfect weapon for regaining Paul's birthright - possibly even the Imperial throne. Yet Paul is also a product of the Bene Gesserit breeding program, and the precognitive abilities that are quickened by the spice show him the bloody, endless jihad that seems to end all possible paths. Though destiny and thousands of years of planning seem to push Paul-Muad'Dib inevitably into conflict, he must somehow avert the coming genocide.
Geographical Setting: Imaginary planet, desert
Time Period: Unspecified (future)
Series: first of the Dune books
Appeal Characteristics:
The importance of setting in this story cannot be overemphasized; the characters and action are defined and catalyzed by the desert, and much of the story is occupied with description of the world and what it takes to survive. Inner ponderings also take up a sizable amount of the narrative, creating well-developed characters and much ethical and philosophical discussion at a leisurely pace. Political intrigue is combined with tales of desert survival and discovery of new cultures and histories, a feat of world-building has critics labeling Herbert as "the Tolkien of SF." Fans of Greek mythology may also be tickled by the subtle parallels to the curse of the Atreides line.
Read-alikes: Next in this series is Dune Messiah, which continues the story of Paul-Maud’Dib and his son. For those that enjoyed the deliberation of theological and moral quandaries in the midst of war, Empire's Horizon (1989) by John Brizzolara follows another off-worlder gets who embroiled in a religious conflict on a distant planet. Political intrigue and resistance are two main themes in Golden Witchbreed (1983) by Mary Gentle, where a human ambassador negotiates with a species that is only superficially simple - and holds long-held grudges against the Earth Alliance. Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Lathe of Heaven (1971) is another philosopical classic that might appeal to readers interested in psychic powers and the futile effort at manipulating destiny. A reader looking for a book where the setting defines the conflict might be interested in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, written by Robert Heinlein. Heinlein delves into the philosophy of government and revolution as the Lunars struggle to survive a harsh environment and the machinations of a more powerful merchant class from Earth.
Red Flags: Mild violence, (fictional) drug use, references to sex and pedophilia
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