Dune

Well, I suppose a few words have been devoted to Dune already, but I’m going to chime in!

I read Dune the first time as a teenager, and found some of it (Paul’s adventures, everything to do with Jessica) exciting and engrossing. On the other hand, some of it I couldn’t puzzle out—mostly politics. Now, that’s my favorite part! Honestly, I got my first and most vital lesson in world building from Dune, and it remains a huge influence on my writing.

What does it smell like, this new world? What happens if you get caught outside in a… show more.

I know, I know. You say it’s not for kids, and it’s not magic. But as for the first: I read it when I was fourteen, and I loved it.

It opened my eyes to the possibilities of science fiction as real, thoughtful world-building - creating an ecology for a world (though maybe I couldn’t have put that to words). It was meticulous in a way that fascinated and intrigued me. And as for the magic: Spice lets them see the future. The Voice lets you control other people’s minds. It’s magic.

And so is this book! There's a reason… show more.

This type of book is not usually my go-to, but I am always up for expanding my horizons.

For this type of genre, I worry about getting lost in all the different worlds and species. My interest was not lost too much in this book. The pages of this book flew by despite the intimidating thickness. 

It would have been nice if the planet of Dune had been described a bit more thoroughly so that I could get a better sense of what this world is like.

Initially, Paul was dull, but as his coming-of-age story developed, he became more… show more.

Arguably the best-selling SF novel ever, Dune does not go away. (Frank’s son Brian has teamed up with another great writer, Kevin J. Anderson, to keep the Dune franchise humming along.)

This is the book that inspired my love of all things science fiction. The book came out of research Frank Herbert did for the US Department of Agriculture for ways to stabilize sand dunes. Creative world building and politics set on a desert planet with giant sand worms. What’s not to love?

This classic epic tale of a galactic empire rife with treachery and betrayal is stunning in its world-building.

I found one of the most intriguing characters to be Lady Jessica, Paul Atriedies’ mother. Jessica is from the secretive Bene Gesserit sect, a mysterious order of women who scheme in marrying their sisters to certain noble families for their own political purposes.

Trained in the Bene Gesserit ways, Jessica also possesses certain mind talents and is shrewd in her approach to politics. As the Duke takes up a new station on the desert planet Arrakis, Lady Jessica becomes pregnant before their… show more.

One of my favorite novels of all time, Dune is probably a tough read for newcomers to speculative fiction in general—but veteran fantasy readers should feel right at home. Set in a far future where feudal lords rule entire planets in a empire encompassing multiple galaxies, Dune has everything fantasy fans know and love: warring houses, intricate plots, strange worldbuilding, a kind of magic, ancient conspiracies, and larger-than-life heroes and villains. It’s probably science fiction’s single most-famous novel these days, and it deserves its reputation—though it probably needs little introduction from me.

I think a lot of the reluctance fantasy… show more.

A little like The Lord of the Rings, this novel’s name goes thunderously before it. You don’t need to read further than a page or two to feel the deep consistency of world-building here. This is a story bequeathed to me by my father, and as well as tackling good and evil, choice and destiny, this is a bildungsroman – a coming-of-age story. The detailed, culturally immersive, sandy setting enriches Herbert’s themes; again, I enjoy the inclusion of complex and intriguing strong female leads. What does it take to redeem a people and build an empire? What drives the… show more.

Dune is a sci-fi story that really makes you think in the abstract and it poses a lot of deep questions about leadership. While Dune is a tough read with strange protagonists, its worldbuilding is what sucks you because it’s so richly detailed. It’s an immersive book, and I consider it the sci-fi equivalent of Lord of the Rings for setting the standard for sweeping space operas. I read Dune before self-publishing my most recent book, and it made me want to retool the way resource control worked in my book’s universe.

Dune is one of my all-time favorite imagined worlds – a complex and intricate interstellar society set in the far future. The story centers on the character of Paul Atreides, born into a powerful family and tasked with overseeing the inhospitable and dangerous planet Arrakis – the only planet that produces a drug called melange or “spice.” The drug, which has the capacity to extend life and heighten mental abilities, is not only coveted, but is the basis for a whole host of social, economic, and political feuds. Control of Arrakis and the drug itself is considered the pinnacle of… show more.

I had thought that science fiction rather than pure fantasy would not appeal to me, but this novel changed my mind. It rammed home the message that the world created by the author dictates the challenges faced by the characters, and plays as strong a role in the story as the adventures and the characters themselves. Like my favourite fantasy novelists, Frank Herbert had delivered an imaginative world peopled by strong characters. As with many of the great fantasies the threats come not just from other characters but also from the world itself, in this case the giant sandworms protecting… show more.