Dune: 1

When I was 16 years of age my city had some excellent bookshops that didn't focus on top twenty and other commercial publications as is so often the case today. As a result, I would scour the shelves and buy several books a week (paperback prices in those days were unbelievably low). The paperback version of Dune appeared on the shelves and, knowing nothing at all about the book other than the blurb on the back, I bought it and hurried home to enter a literary world that was totally captivating. And, yes, I had bought my first copy of Dune as soon as it was released and I find it hard to believe that was over 50 years ago! The story, the underlying philosophy, the culture of Dune has lived with me through the years but I only ever read the entire novel once - A levels, university, life, all took over - but I have read the opening pages numerous times down the years and still find them totally engaging, among the best openings of a novel I have ever read. Dune has again become headline news with the release of yet another attempt to tranform it to a big screen version - I have watched them all, including the latest which I will not be watching again nor the sequels! Anyway, down the years the sci-fi genre has become big business and whilst Dune is presently in the public eye again, it has to be remembered that this book appeared before Star Wars! Not only is the first publication date so far back in time, it is as fresh and alive and educative today as it was all those years ago. Indeed, a careful reading will show that even in the 1960s Herbert was touching upon the subjects of land-conservation, ecological preservation, societal breakdown and rebuilding... the philosophy of Dune can easily be read as an advance warning of what could come. However, leaving a deeper reading of the text aside, taken as a work of fiction this remains outstanding. It is a hefty volume, densely printed, but there is no wasted phrase, no unnecessary waffle, every sentence chosen with precision. Since I read this when it was first released and am now re-reading it fully and deliberately slowly over 50 years later, I can attest to the fact Dune has not only stood the test of time, it stands head and shoulders above so many attemps to write quality fiction, not just books with a science fiction base. There is no need to be a sci-fi lover to enjoy this novel with its intrigues, its murders, its futuristic religious and philosophical beliefs, it's nods to past human civilisations that came close to destroying the race, the love stories, the danger, the bravery... Dune encompasses all of this in a vast landscape spreading over several planets and a huge and diverse cast of characters. In fact, I now feel it to be a real shame to classify this book as science fiction, there are other more contemporary genres that suit this work far better but, above all, it remains a work of fiction that commands attention and deserves respect. I fell in love with Dune in the Sixties, and I read most of the sequels. Now, with an older head on these shoulders, I can see just why I found the book so important and why I can see its influence during the course of my life. Not just a worthwhile read, this is a novel that should always be on the top 100 books to read before you die lists.

This is a review of the Gollancz hardback Collectors edition, in the purple dust jacket. Inspired by seeing Denis Villeneuve’s excellent film, I returned to the book after several decades since first reading it. The book on my shelf was a paperback edition, issued to tie in with David Lynch’s Hot Mess of a film adaptation in the 1980s. It was such a truly horrible edition to read, that I treated myself to this rather lovely hardback edition. The book itself is superb and turned out to be every bit as brilliant as I had remembered it. I would say that even if (especially if) you enjoyed Villeneuve’s two-movie version, you ought to read the original. It is richer, more enigmatic and far-ranging than was possible for the films. Several key scenes that are critical to a deeper understanding of the character of Paul, make a great impact and the World-building is rich, sophisticated and powerful. This Hardback edition is good quality, with the main text in a large, clear and easy to read serif font. There are dramatic scenic endpapers, the original appendices (these are not here just as a gimic and really add to the enjoyment of the book) and Dorothy deFontaine's original map of Arrakis. Although the paper used seems good, the binding is only so-so and is not made in the sewn signatures that would allow the book to lie open comfortably. It has a nice silk book ribbon to mark your place. It's a long book, so physically quite large to hold in this format. For the highest quality of production, you would probably need to shell out the eye-watering sum required for the recent Folio edition. I have had a good look at this one. Magnificent, certainly, but I find the accompanying art-work throws up some aesthetic horrors of its own. So, I warmly recommend both the book itself and this particular edition. There is a companion volume in the same Collectors edition for the powerful sequel, Dune Messiah, which I also bought. This is unquestionably worth reading, but is a very different book from the first. To come up with such a brilliant and original sequel to a masterpiece is quite some achievement and shows Herbert's extraordinary genius in creating both books.

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A very good hardcase version of dune. Together with Dune: Messiah of the same publisher really good. Just fair warning there is no children of dune in this version

Una obra maestra que se disfruta mas tras ver las nuevas películas. No es apto para todos los públicos dado que no es fácil de seguir, pero no deja de ser una joya.

This book is often considered to be the best science fiction novel ever written and for good reason. _Dune_ is a 1960s-era science fiction novel, published on the cusp of the Golden Age and the New Wave. Science Fiction of the time was in a transitional period influenced by the periodical _Galaxy_. SF at the time emphasized what some would call soft science fiction, a genre dealing with psychology, sociology, and sociopolitical commentary, with the bonus of one or more unique original ideas and a Sense of Wonder. Within these domains, _Dune_ hits every note a book of its genre could possibly hit and does so brilliantly. This is not anything like what passes for science fiction today, as the genre has been heavily-influenced by the Modernist movement and is now characterized by meandering fiction with long atmospheric narrative descriptions and no idea content other than politically-correct gender diversity, as is often found in a Gardner Dozois Year's Best anthology. This novel seems more nuanced and cogent to me today as an adult than it did when I first read it as a teen. The explorations of preternatural consciousness, mind control, economics, religion, and political intrigue are fascinating. But _Dune_ was also revolutionary in its use of what was then called Ecology (now called Environmental Science) as a hard science. This book is a high mark in the achievement of hard-science worldbuilding. After all these years it is still the most well-thought out and well-fleshed out worldview in the entire SF canon. Its complex, logical worldbuilding is presented in what was the then-prominent Science Fiction protocol of revealing the world little by little through contextual clues rather than inserting infodumps of description. As such it takes more work to read than a more modern book with infodumps. Readers who find the book boring aren't reading it with Science Fiction reading protocols and apparently most of them are too callow to resonate with some the book's political, economic, and sociocultural commentary. The genre was about ideas, not literary modernism, so you will not find the book filled with metaphors and literary allusions such as one might find in a Creative Writing MFA's workshopped short story, although Paul's story is clearly the Hero's Journey and he is obviously a Messiah figure as well as a military/political leader. The characters may not be as well-rounded as in a Dostoevsky novel but in case you missed it, the main character isn't really Paul. The main character is the planet Arrakis. Read this book with that in mind and you'll be amazed. For those expecting a Hollywood superhero comic-book style movie with action scenes and high-definition special effects, there is some of that in here too, but that is not the main point. This is a Frank Herbert novel of ideas, not a David Lynch film of striking visuals.

Frank Herbert's "Dune" is a fascinating, layered, and deep book. I read the book continuously until I reached the last page. Even though I knew that this book was the first of a series of six books (more, if you include the 'Dune' books his son wrote), from the ending, it was clear that the story was incomplete. The tale follows the fortunes of the young Paul Atreides's transformation from a young adolescent to a powerful man. Frank Herbert set the story in the distant future, where ruling houses control entire planets. The planetary fiefdoms are a far cry from the world we live in and will make a discerning reader wonder if we are heading in that direction. Kingdoms rise and fall, and when Paul's father is assassinated, he and his mother, the witch, Lady Jessica, find themselves lost on the desert planet, Arrakis, which is also the only source of mélange, or 'spice,' the valuable drug that enhances mental abilities and is the required for space travel. The book explores numerous themes – the rise and fall of empires, the coming of age, the exploitation and struggle for resources, love and politics, and the intersection of religion and politics – which demand careful consideration. Through the tale, he keeps you engrossed, but the book demands patient reading. He divided the story into three sections, each corresponding to a different phase in Paul's life. A few themes fascinated me. One is the value of water on a desert planet, where people regard even a teardrop as a precious source of water. The way they treat the dead before burying them should make us shiver and ask if this is our future. The second theme that intrigued me is the importance of mental power and magic. Even in the distant future, he envisioned, mental prowess is critical for survival. However, would he believe the same in these days of computer super-intelligence? Last, there is a strong connection between religion, mysticism, and political power. Love is always sacrificed at the altar of political power, even in the distant future Frank Herbert envisioned. The book is fascinating, and when you finish the story, you will want to read the next installment.