Dune — Book Review

In 2020 when you have access to Netflix which makes movies and Tv shows on just about everything like people in lost in space, aliens coming to earth, vampires, zombies, apocalypse, robots, artificial intelligence blah blah blah … Any and every topic looks covered by them. So when you have access to such a diverse catalog at a click of a button how hooked and surprised are you going to be reading a science fiction novel written in 1965? Right?

Wrong!

Dune written by Frank Herbert is a novel that has one of the most unique concepts that I have read in a very long time.

Plot :

In the distant future, there are a lot of planets inhabited by different societies called House. One such planet which is quintessentially a wasteland full of desert, extreme temperature and huge sandworms that can gobble up anything is Arrakis which is also called Dune. But this planet has one thing that is sought out all over the interstellar society which is “Melange” also known as spice. This is a very powerful and addictive drug that makes the consumer’s eyes unusually blue and expands his mind and capacity. So the control of this planet always incurs venomous politics, backstabbing, assassination, etc. Duke Leto and his family too find themselves in a similar position when they are given the stewardship of this planet. Duke Leto gets killed by the criminal conspiracy of Harkonnen’s house but his son Paul and his mother somehow escape and find shelter in the Fremen tribe of Dune. Paul slowly unites and leads the entire tribe of Fremen and topples Harkonnen and imperial rule on planet Arkais thereby fulfilling the inherent prophecy of Muad’dib.

Review:

The first 200 pages of this super long 900-page novel is a bit slow with a lot of time taken by the author to build the complex world of Dune. But once the 2nd act starts, this book hooks you up and takes you on to the ride of a lifetime. The spirituality, philosophy is so intricately woven in the books through the experiences of the protagonist Paul that there are times when you feel that you have actually taken the “Melange” drug and are going on the roller coaster ride where your mind is trying to envelop the entire universe under its understanding. The Fremen culture explained by the author is again the most interesting and unique part of this book. The water conservation methods, skills used in navigating the inhospitable desert, and controlling and riding the magnanimous sandworms are all super intriguing to read. Overall when you are reading this book you can’t help but wonder the amount of research, imagination, and effort that has been put by Frank Herbert to create this mind-blowing world of Arrakis.

Conclusion:

If you loved reading Game of Thrones and Lord of the rings which are considered the benchmarks in the Fantasy world then you have to read DUNE which is one of the highest summits in the science fiction genre. Also now that the very talented director Denis Villeneuve ( Blade Runner 2049, Arrival ) is coming up with the movie adaption in December, you must read the book to get to know the world of DUNE. A must-have book in your library for sure.

Also now that the very talented director Denis Villeneuve ( Blade Runner 2049, Arrival ) is coming up with the movie adaption in December, you must read the book to get to know the world of DUNE

Originally published at http://www.gurushetty.com on May 13, 2020.