The legacy of Dune is not something that can be concealed from any sci-fi lover. It is one of the biggest hits in the genre of science fiction. It presents to us a brilliant world of humans where several Houses rule, fight and coordinate to take control over wealth, which means an ultimate control over the control of spice – Arrakis, the spice planet. Read this book review to know more about this enticing world.
Title – Dune
Author – Frank Herbert
Originally Published in – 1965
Pages – 596 pages (varies from publication to publication)
My Ratings – 5 out of 5 stars
Some fun facts about Dune:
- It has been translated to 14 languages.
- It was rejected by 20 publishers before it was published.
- Frank Herbert was working as a journalist when fame found him.
- Multiple screen adaptations have been done over this book.
- The latest is the 2021 adaptation by French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve. It is divided in two parts to cover the whole story of the Dune universe.
- It was awarded Hugo Award in 1966 and Nebula Award in 1965.
- There are six books in the series written by Frank Herbert.
Summary and review of Dune:
The story begins with the introduction of the treacherous details about the usurping planned by the Harkonnen Baron. The House of Atreides has been given the reign of the planet Arrakis by the Imperial King which means an ultimate control over the spice fields of Arrakis by Atreides. This has inflamed many of the other houses who all seek to overthrow their reign and end the popularity of Leto Atreides. The spice mélange is the main source of income and the one controlling it assumes control over the economy, and this makes House Atreides a focal point of the greed of all other houses.
The trouble is that the spice mélange available on the planet Arrakis is not only in demand because of its flavor, but is the drug which all the people on the planet Arrakis and many off-world people are addicted to. Without a definite amount in their diet, they are doomed to death.
Paul Atreides, son of Duke Leto Atreides, and his mother Jessica, consort of the Duke, has to run away amidst complete chaos in the middle of the night to save themselves from the onslaught that had been brought upon by the Harkonnens. What follows them are extreme conditions of the desert, ringworms, myths, legends, prophecies, and a lot of bloodthirsty soldiers.
World of Dune and Arrakis and Book Review:
The futuristic book series is a rage even after 50 years of its publication because the world created within the Dune franchise is not something that one can just read about and settle down for a new cozy read. It is a world of myths and prophecies, mysticism and religion, politics and power, and much more. The humans in this futuristic world are spread throughout space living on multiple planets, but Arrakis is where the power lies. Arrakis is a desert planet where sand dunes contain the spice mélange which is an addictive drug. It provides a lot of supernatural power to humans and makes space exploration possible and order but needs to be consumed regularly or the addicted person loses their lives.
There are communities within communities and they all are concerned with the betterment of the race. They use genetic breeding to ensure that the best of the traits of humans survive the worst of the onslaughts of time and greed of the human race. There are multiple communities with their prophecies and motives and mystical powers. They all are connected in one way or another but keep themselves secluded in order to preserve their knowledge. Knowledge is a two-edged sword in the Dune world, it can lead to betterment as well as the destruction of society. I will discuss it further in this book review.
Title of the book:
Before actually stepping into the book review, we should talk about the title. The title of the book ‘Dune’ signifies the planet Arrakis which means Dune in old languages. It focuses on the importance of the whole series and the world within to the spice mélange and the important role it played in the course of the story. the cover in itself is a masterpiece, it brings out our focus to the magnificent wonder it was to survive on a planet without any moisture to spare, a desert planet. By the title, there is a little hint of the ecological construct of the planet that is going to be the epicenter of the discussion.
Scientific Marvels of this book:
This book review will remain incomplete without mentioning the scientific brilliance of this book. The book explains in detail the brilliant scientific development by the Fremen to survive in the inhabitable conditions of the desert on the planet Arrakis. There is so much sand and dry wind that the air you breathe sucks away the little moisture that your breath produces. The Stillsuit devised by the Fremen was constructed such that it absorbs all the body moisture including sweat, excrete, vapor, etc. and traps it within, and converts it into drinkable water through the energy produced due to body movements. Even death cannot be an excuse to spare moisture, the water of the body is not just yours, it is for the community. Tears of grief are considered a gift to the departed soul. The importance of water is evident throughout the book and the adaptative development of organisms is also discussed in detail.
The wonders of science can be witnessed in the devices that are used for the simplest of the work in the story. the brilliant imagination of the author is to be commended and demands respect. A few of the subtle but profound uses of science equipment in the book are discussed below in this book review:
- Stillsuits, capture the body moisture and breathe moisture and turn it into drinkable water using body movement.
- Weight suspenders, to support the weight of the Baron, attached to his excess fat. It carried the weight of the body that the bones were incapable of holding.
- Moving factories, these moving factories were used as tools to establish temporary factories at the spots where spice was found in huge quantities so that they could extract spice and run away as soon as the worm comes and engulfs the land.
- Ecological garden in the desert, which was envisioned by Dr. Yueh’s father and was still under progress. It was supposed to bring enough water to the planet of Arrakis that people may live without the fear of death due to lack of water.
- Shields, which were made of electrical impulses and remained invisible while protecting the holder.
- Lasgun, a weapon that works on plasma.
Ecological Aspects:
The ecological details that adorned the planet of Arrakis were one of a kind. The worm which is a small insect in our world is a threat in Arrakis. They ranged from hundreds of meters to thousands of meters in length and breadth. They just swooped in and swallowed all the sand along with the life and moisture and spice that surrounds it.
The extreme weather of the Arrakis that has been discussed by the author demands complete attention and interest of the readers to produce the image of the planet and people living within. Stillsuit itself is a miracle and I was thrilled while reading about its workings, a scientific brilliance if constructed.
Language and Religion:
Apart from the scientific aspect, the book also excels in the process of the beginning of religion. It sees the beginning of the religion of Muad’Dib among Fremen. It talks about jihad and prophecies of a new dawn. It shows the influence of a new thought within an already existing community. Also, this book gives reference to a lot of Arabic words and Islamic rituals. The base of the story in the desert might be a reason for these references but one can’t be sure. This is a new take in the domain of science fiction. The emphasis on religion and faith made the book an allusion to the present world.
Gender roles in this book:
The book presents a lot of prejudices of the past times in the story. Apart from Jessica, the Reverend Mother, most of the females have been shown as a tool for the accession of their male companions or sons. The purpose of the female characters seemed to support the male leaders to succeed on the throne. The protagonist of the story seemed to use this to his advantage too. The powerful sect that is dominated by the women, Bene Gesserit, has often been termed as witches whereas Mentats with similar powers are shown loyal and righteous in the story. there is a glaring lack of queer people in the story and the antagonist of the story has been shown as a homosexual character.
Politics and Capitalism:
The book presents the profit-making mindset of the emperor and the leaders of the houses as a representative of the capitalist mentality. Their main focus is just profit-making and for that, they can sacrifice a whole community of a planet. The ecological questions raised through the story echo the present situation of the earth although in a different light. The politics of this world has not left the world of Dune. We see the tactics and manipulations in action as one ruler wants to overthrow another. The messages in between the lines are one of the most realistic take-ups upon present-day politicians, the underlying message dominating over the literal meaning. Diplomacy at its best has been represented here.
Conclusion:
Overall, I loved this book to bits. Except for the glaring gender prejudices, I loved every bit of this book. It is a huge book with so many characters and themes and events occurring simultaneously. It has been divided into three parts for a better understanding of the actions and phases of the protagonist. The madness and the thirst for revenge balanced with the calculative steps to overthrow the Harkonnens, the measured steps of succession and so much more; this book is a complete package in itself. I have discussed in detail the various aspects of this book in this book review, but if any of the details are missed or misinterpreted, please do inform us in the comments.
I will highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in science fiction, fiction, fantasy, ecological studies, world-building, classics, and/or reading just a good book. The plots, the themes, the characters, the world, the scientific development, everything is balanced and well-executed. If I am unable to convince you to read Dune, watch the video below.
Further Reading:
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