Why did I love this book?
Dune was the first science fiction book that I read cover to cover in my teens. Its story and character development fascinated me. The book concentrated on a teenage boy, Paul Atreides. He was born at the end of a centuries-long genetic breeding program which was designed to develop a super being. Paul and his family move to the world of Dune where the Spice is harvested. The Spice is a natural compound that extends life and causes humans to develop additional physical and mental powers. The Spice begins to change Paul sending him into an unknown future. This book captured my imagination and the characters possessed my mind. The novel caused me to envision my own characters and stories both on Dune and worlds that I created within my imagination. This led me to write my first short story.
61 authors picked Dune as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
Before The Matrix, before Star Wars, before Ender's Game and Neuromancer, there was Dune: winner of the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, and widely considered one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written.
Melange, or 'spice', is the most valuable - and rarest - element in the universe; a drug that does everything from increasing a person's lifespan to making interstellar travel possible. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world of Arrakis.
Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe.
When the Emperor transfers stewardship of…