Dune

This book presents perhaps the most prescient and today-relevant sci-fi premise ever: how could technology evolve without thinking machines?

After reading this book, I finally understood that my thinking does not have to be constrained by the "scientific consensus" of the day. The book presents a future so radically different from what most futurists are envisioning that it not only freed my thinking about science and futurism...it freed my mind of all constraints.

Even further, it beckoned me to explore the limits of my own human potential.

Dune is a classic and probably the most popular book listed, but that doesn’t change the fact its setting is unique to this day.

The story takes place in the far future. Because of a war against thinking machines, computers, and AI are outlawed and everything is done through biotechnology, from people with computer-like abilities, to a mysterious guild that allows space travel.

Most of the plot happens on Arakis, a desert planet where giant worms produce the spice melange: a drug that enables the biotechnology humanity relies on. Besides this unique, well-developed setting, Dune touches on many compelling subjects,… show more.

Hugo and Nebula award-winning Dune is one of my all-time favorite science fiction novels.

Frank Herbert’s epic work creates a fascinating universe centered on one of its most inhospitable planets, Arrakis, better known as Dune. Young Paul Atreides (Paul Muad’Dib), must survive assassination attempts, the death of his father, exile and inhospitable conditions to overcome the intricate plots of the Emperor and the evil Barron Vladimir Harkonnen.

Herbert’s world-building is unparalleled as he explores power, religion, and the human condition. With its rich and exotic settings, memorable characters, and complex plot, Dune is a true classic and one of the… show more.

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.

For some reason, I had always shied away from Dune. Not sure why. I loved The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, and The Wheel of Time books.

So, fifty-eight years after it was first published, I finally gave it a chance and was immediately mesmerized by the universe Herbert created.

A universe with a deep history embedded within the unforgettable characters and technicolor images that splash across every page. That is what I love about Dune. Herbert’s imagination is splashed across each page like a Jackson Pollock painting,… 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.