The Greatest Sci-Fi Tale Ever Told

books:


	• Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 1) Frank Herbert Ace, 1990 - 544 pages average customer review:based on 1030 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Mesmerizing fantasy world created

Dune truely is one of the absolute finest fantasy (and sci-fi) novels ever and subsequently has become a role model for many science fiction works that came after including George Lucas' Star Wars. The complex plot throughout is stunning, how Herbert creates a fantasy world that is so flawless down to every little detail shows how much dedication he took in writing it.
The only problem with Dune is--the writing isn't as smooth and easy to read as it should to make this a true masterpiece. Herbert might be capable of creating a plot around his entirely fictional world flawlessly, but Dune is not a fast easy read. Unlike writers like Kurt Vonnegut for example you find large parts of this book are far too wordy, making it at times a slow, and other times, occasionally Dull. Plot events don't just flow from one part to the other. Herbert also has a strange habbit of throwing in far too many obscure vocabulary words into characters dialogue. In descriptions this is actually a blessing, but in all seriousness, who talks like they're reading out of a thesarus in conversation? With better writing this book would be totally flawless. Because of the writing the plot is occasionally cumbersome and jagged, but the ideas behind it are so stunning that the read is certainly worthwhile. Rest assured...if you have ANY bypassing interest in this genre check this out.

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Gift

I gave this book to my brother as a present for his birthday.
He was looking for the books of Frank Herbert in the same layout, so he was pleased to receive the 6 first books of the Dune saga and started reading immediately.

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3 thoughts about "Dune"

Everybody else has already grokked "Dune" to the high heavens, and it definitely deserves all such praise. Here I just want to mention a few thoughts I have about "Dune" that should add to its lustre and help explain (but not explain away) its runaway success.

1) "Dune" is extraordinarily well-written on a literary level. Most sentences have the look of having been polished to a high sheen. Not that they necessarily were... point is, there's no "filler" here at all. Every word is in its place. The richness of detail is overwhelming, especially sensory detail. The narrative is well constructed, there is masterful use of 3rd-person omniscient narrator, and the plot unfolds at exactly the right pace.

2) Frank Herbert never wrote anything as good before or since. Not even close. The "Dune" sequels? No way. They don't even feel like they take place in the same universe, although the same terms, organizations, characters, etc... are still there. Why? Because starting with "Dune Messiah", Herbert's writing lost that hallucinogenic vividness. Speaking of which...

3) "Dune" is the only fiction book I've ever read that has the power to raise my awareness every time I read it. This comes from two sources. The first is something I mentioned above - the extraordinary sensual richness of the writing. The second is that Herbert is describing human beings with extraordinary powers of perception. Somehow, Herbert hit on a manner of describing human beings with psychedelic levels of awareness which is vivid, authentic, and subjectively-congruent enough to actually bring this level of consciousness out of the person who is reading his work. To read any part of "Dune" is to have your senses immediately sharpened. You don't just read about the Bene Gesserit "voice" -- you actually sense its power within you. You don't just read about the psychedelic power of the "spice" -- you actually consume the spice yourself as you read, and feel its power. You don't just read about "plans within plans" and intricate Machiavellian strategies -- you actually gain access to this level of strategic intuition within yourself. You don't just read about the knife-fights -- you actually feel your muscles and nerves becoming more subtly attuned and your reflexes sharpen as you read.

I don't know quite how Herbert managed to pull this off... but pull it off he did, and it's wonderful.

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One of my first loves!

Seasoned readers might sympathise about this being my 2nd Sci-Fi experience - Lord of the Rings was the first. Tough acts to follow, and 35 years later I'm still trying.... Dune is breath-taking for the sheer feat of imagination. The combination of medievalism and high-tech is particularly well wrought, as is the polico-economics of spice and water.

Its a total immersion experience and one that's hard to let go at the end.

The Greatest Sci-Fi Tale Ever Told

I read Dune before and was very confused by the story at first. Maybe that happened because I read much too quickly. Then I recently re-read it and was immediatly drawn into Herbert's world. His creation truly is epic. It's obvious to see how it has gained so much attention. Herbert creates a world filled with political strife, internal problems and real mental dilemmas, particularly in Paul Atreides as He delves deeper into the Muad'dib persona and continues on throughout the later books.

Dune is a great read for sci-fi fans and anyone who enjoys a riveting tale of adventure and loyalty.

PARTY ON, DUDES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The all-time science fiction masterpiece...now in a special hardcover edition.

"Unique...I know nothing comparable to it except Lord of the Rings."--Arthur C. Clarke

Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Maud'dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family--and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.

A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction. Frank Herbert's death in 1986 was a tragic loss, yet the astounding legacy of his visionary fiction will live forever.

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