Dune (1965)
Frank Herbert (1920-1986)
694 pages
I’ve enjoyed science fiction for about as long as I can remember. On my bookshelves I still have stories I ordered from Scholastic Books in elementary school, such as Trapped in Space and The Runaway Robot. Back then I knew by heart all the times that Star Trek reruns would be shown on our local channel 50, and I eventually read the complete series of written adaptations of the show by James Blish.
Over time I discovered Isaac Asimov, devouring all his novels and short story collections (and quite a few of his nonfiction releases as well), and, from there, Bradbury and Clarke and so many, many others. A look at my virtual bookshelf of fiction reviews for this blog makes clear that my interest in sci-fi continues unabated.
On the other hand, fantasy has never attracted me. Although the line between science fiction and fantasy can be thin, and I suppose one could argue that the magic of warp drives and other far-out technology is not so very different from that of dragons and wizards, the latter never appealed to me. To be clear, I don’t consider one genre better or worse than the other; it’s just that my personal preference has leaned toward science fiction.
I recall having ordered from Scholastic Books one of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and not getting more than a few dozen pages into it before I set it aside. Admittedly, it was The Twin Towers and I only realized years later that I’d started with the second book in the series, which can’t have helped. But that early reading experience soured me on fantasy, or at least confirmed whatever opinion I may have already had. (I will admit that, years later, I very much enjoyed the epic sweep of the Peter Jackson films.)
All of which leads to why, despite having read so much science fiction over the years, I’ve never read Dune. Somehow, at some point, I got it into my head that it was fantasy, and that was that.
Then, over the last decade or so, a friend and fellow sci-fi aficionado (hey John!) found out I hadn’t read it and was amazed: “How can you like science fiction so much, but have never read Dune?” His recommendation made me rethink my position, but I still didn’t quite get around to reading it – until now. The final impetus came from seeing the new movie version over this past summer and loving it. Looking into it, I discovered that the movie had only covered the first half or so of the book, and I decided I wanted to read the whole thing before the sequel is released.
For those who come to this post without having read the book or seen the movie, Dune is set in our far distant future, when humans have spread widely throughout space to colonize many planets. It opens on one such world, Caladan, ruled by Leto Atreides, the reigning Duke of the House Atreides. We soon learn that the Emperor of the Imperium of planets has asked the Duke to shift the seat of his kingdom from Caladan to Arrakis, a planet known as Dune because of its vast desert.
Dune, despite its forbidding appearance, is the most important planet in the Imperium, being the sole source of a substance known as melange, colloquially referred to as spice. Spice slows aging and, more importantly, has psychological effects that allow navigators to operate spaceships successfully at faster than light speeds, an ability fundamental to the management of the Imperium. For that reason, the House that rules Dune has the opportunity to become fabulously wealthy. With control of the planet coveted by many of the Houses of the Imperium, the Duke recognizes the implicit danger in receiving the Emperor’s grant of title for the planet. He knows that the previous rulers in particular – an aggressive and relentlessly savage House known as the Harkonnen – will stop at nothing to regain their lost possession and control of the wealth it generates. Nonetheless, the Duke also realizes that he cannot risk rejecting the Emperor’s offer without losing face.
The setting soon shifts to Dune, where the Duke begins resettling the House Arrakis. He is accompanied by his “formal concubine,” Jessica, who is a part of the Bene Gesserit, a “school of mental and physical training” for select women that enables its graduates to exercise significant control over themselves and others through what can roughly be described as a profound understanding of meditation and psychologically. The pair have a son, Paul, the central character of the story, who Jessica has secretly – against the explicit rules of her order – been training in the ways of the Bene Gesserit.
The native inhabitants of Dune, the Fremen, are at first skeptical of their new rulers the Atreides, though happy to be rid of the draconian Harkonnen. When the Harkonnen and their allies then attack the Duke’s forces in a violent bid to retake Dune, Paul and his mother escape deep into the vast desert that surrounds the planet’s habitable zone, and they and the Fremen must decide whether to make common cause against a powerful, vicious and relentless enemy.
Herbert develops his story around the eternal themes of byzantine political intrigue and cutthroat competition for power and wealth. Though many technical marvels exist in the distant future he imagines, they support the story rather than dominate it. Instead, it is advanced mental and physical training that plays a pivotal role in the story. The members of the Bene Gesserit form a powerful sect-like group, and starkly differentiate between those who have some level of such powers and are considered human, and the vast majority in the Imperium who they consider, effectively, as little better than animals; and, though the Bene Gesserit play a highly visible role throughout the Imperium, their goals remain shrouded in mystery to outsiders. Ultimately, their powers and mystique come to play a decisive role as Paul and his mother attempt to win over the Fremen.
Certainly, with the Bene Gesserit, Herbert introduces mysticism and some level of psychic-like powers into Dune. But, the story never tails over into fantasy, at least for my taste. Instead, it is a thrilling tale of political maneuvering and infighting, of the desire for vengeance and the risks that it can unleash. I found myself in the position that perhaps best indicates a great read: I wanted to rush ahead ever quicker to see what would happen next but kept trying to slow myself down so that my immersion in the world Herbert has created would last just that much longer.
And, I’m now definitely looking forward to reading the sequel, Dune: Messiah, soon.
Other notes and information:
Have you read this book, others by this author, or even similar ones by other authors? I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts.
Other of my book reviews: FICTION Bookshelf and NON-FICTION Bookshelf
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