This book by Frank Herbert is arguably one of the greatest works of science-fiction (or any genre) of the 20th century, a status which I wholeheartedly vouch it deserves. Unfortunately, this great book, as with so many other books that I embark upon, suffered the profound neglect of my poor reading habits; I've literally been reading it for about eight years, and usually unless a book is particularly gripping or I feel compelled (in this case by a promise)* to finish it then I would've given up after around a year. So I'd been struggling lumpily across a chapter or two in sporadic bursts since the age of thirteen, but then a couple of months ago realised that I had actually no idea what had really happened in the novel so far, and thus my whole reading of it was effectively pointless even if I got to the end. This was disheartening. So, I read the Wikipedia plot summary to give myself a refresher, which actually turned out to be more of a prefresher, as I simply hadn't grasped the events or themes or currents of the plot at all in my years of attending to Frank Herbert's masterful pages. No surprise really - the Dune universe is one of immense complexity and depth and realistic world-creation,** and my pubescent self all those years ago didn't approach the saga with quite enough literary reverence of preparation to enter a whole new universe. As such, I found it boring, which is perhaps why I took so long to read it, but my newly-held grasp of the scope and complexity and brilliance of the work since I as a twenty-one-year-old read the Wikipedia summary of it has enabled me to dive back in and stand amazed at simply how incredible of a novel it actually is. Someday, I promise to myself, I will acquire the other books in the saga (some of which were completed by Frank's son and close friend after his death, but the wealth of information he left behind as a backdrop for the universe means that they are canonically consistent), and read them all more properly.
Anyway.
The sheer epic scale of the book's events and plot currents, the sheer scope of its themes and drivers, the sheer complexity of its characters who are completely embedded in this already highly alien universe with all the nuance of our own; it is an impossible book to summarise, both in terms of what happens in it and what it's about. If you are at all interested in thought-provoking, exciting, rich storytelling and incredible works of imagination, this novel will be a delicious treat for you if you read the appendices and glossary and step carefully and google things that you don't get; it's that kind of book, you might need a helping pointer every now and then but these are provided easily enough, and the payoff in terms of the whole novel is unquestionably worth the effort. It is living proof (as so many books are) that sci-fi/fantasy is not just the realm of poor writers with vivid nerdy imaginations; a stereotype unfairly perpetuated by drama snobs. This is superb literature, superb science-fiction, a masterful work that towers far above most comparable novels and completely redefined the genre forever (see *).
But I should probably try to say something about its content.
The House Atreides is gaining power and influence, irking the Emperor, but he cannot risk outright conflict with a house, so he plays on the age-old feud between Atreides and their nemesis House Harkonnen. Duke Leto of Atreides is therefore suspicious when the Emperor 'gifts' his House rulership of the desert planet Arrakis, which has long been under Harkonnen rule. Arrakis is the only planet in the known universe where the drug-like fuel-like substance melange, a.k.a. 'spice', can be found: spice is a psychoactive drug that extends the lifespan of its users by centuries, enhances mental and physical capabilities, and allows psychic extension that enable humans to navigate space-time folds, thus being a crucial component in interstellar travel, upon which the far-flung human Imperium is dependent. Spice, basically, is really important and expensive, and can only be found on Arrakis, because giant desert worms that live in the sand excrete it. Fremen, the natives of Arrakis, have a close cultural and historical and religious connection to the worms and the production of spice, but also suffer from living on a desert world where water is incredibly scarce; ancient prophecies among them foretell the coming of a Lisan al-Gaib, a messianic figure who will lead them to take control of the planet's ecology for their good while not destroying the desert worms or the spice-production capacity. These ideas have been planted among them by the meddling Bene Gesserit cult, who shape breeding programs and inter-generational schemes to suit ultimate ends of peace and balance; there is also an ancient prophecy that from among the (exclusively female) members of this cult will arise the Kwisatz Haderach, a male with immense psychic and physical powers. Also among the Bene Gesserit is the Lady Jessica, concubine to Duke Leto of House Atreides, mother of his son and heir, Paul.
The complexity of the world Frank Herbert has constructed is such that I cannot fully explain the plot without giving this deep explication of its backstory and conditions, but nonetheless; the main events of the novel revolve around the schemes and feuds between Houses Atreides and Harkonnen once the former arrive on Arrakis, an ensuing war in which Paul and Jessica escape to join the Fremen, and Paul's rise to power following his having realised that he is (or can become) both the Lisan al-Gaib and the Kwisatz Haderach - he becomes a revered leader called Muad'Dib, and rides the giant sandworms into battle, leading a jihad that ultimately clashes with the Emperor himself and throws into question the distribution of power across the whole universe, what with the indispensability of spice to its continuity.
Did that make sense? Probably not. Read the novel.
In the depth of its concepts and complexity of its systems, Dune provokes a great deal of thought about some enormous themes too.*** The nature of leadership and following someone, loyalty, trust and necessity; how power and religion and economics all intermingle helpfully or unhelpfully depending on the situations and drives of whichever people group you're siding with; the unstoppable nature of these forces, and the challenge to nature that thus arises - do we perceive natural ecosystems as immutable, or do we seek to co-opt or change them to suit the driving engines of the normative struts of human civilisation? What does it mean to share experience, physically, psychically, historically, environmentally; to be part of a people in space and time? What is the place of an individual in the midst of these warring forces?
These and other questions are thrown up time and time again throughout the course of this immaculate novel.
I've said enough.
* As a thirteen-year old I was as pathetically fully a self-described nerd as ever there was. Some American friends from church had visitors over from Ohio, and one of them was also a sci-fi fan, so naturally he pitied the bespectacled jumper-wearing kid and spoke to him (me) about our shared passion. We promised each other that we would seek out and read a copy of the book that we each said was currently our favourite; so in pain of honour to this American stranger who I have never seen since, I bought a copy of Dune and have finally, after eight years of reading, finished it, and I feel greatly indebted to him for recommending that I do, not that he'll ever know. Incidentally, the book that he promised he would read upon my recommendation was His Last Command, the ninth book in the Gaunt's Ghosts series by Dan Abnett, a superbly-written hugely-entertaining war series set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe (which, as it happens, derives a huge amount of influence in its paradigmatic sci-fi grounding from Dune, as so Star Wars and Star Trek), which I still love. I do not know whether my American acquaintance ever actually read it though.
** Easily on a par with George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire universe, or J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth; there is literally an encyclopedia dedicated to the wider world created for the epic saga of which Dune is the first instalment. Like, there's even several appendices at the back of the novel explaining the ecological systems and religious traditions and beliefs of the planet Arrakis, the methods and motives of the Bene Gesserit cult, a brief overview of the Imperial Houses and nobility, and then a thirty-page glossary explaining terms and concepts invented for the world. These additions are crucial to fully understanding what's going on in the novel, so deeply entrenched into high-creation is the story - but it never feels needlessly fantastical, because the story and characters are not transplanted into this world (as if from ours) but are part of it, shaped by it.
*** Apparently much of Frank Herbert's inspiration for the themes and concepts was derived from his experiences using psilocybin mushrooms (hey, it was the 1960's), which apparently (not gonna link the source cos it didn't look overly legit, so I'll just leave it at apparently) were also the direct inspiration for the effects of using melange. Something about how the 1960's birthed so much brilliant science-fiction amid so much psychedelic drug use is really interesting. The two are quite definitely linked - I mean, just ask Frank. Wait, wrong link. Frank.
Anyway.
The sheer epic scale of the book's events and plot currents, the sheer scope of its themes and drivers, the sheer complexity of its characters who are completely embedded in this already highly alien universe with all the nuance of our own; it is an impossible book to summarise, both in terms of what happens in it and what it's about. If you are at all interested in thought-provoking, exciting, rich storytelling and incredible works of imagination, this novel will be a delicious treat for you if you read the appendices and glossary and step carefully and google things that you don't get; it's that kind of book, you might need a helping pointer every now and then but these are provided easily enough, and the payoff in terms of the whole novel is unquestionably worth the effort. It is living proof (as so many books are) that sci-fi/fantasy is not just the realm of poor writers with vivid nerdy imaginations; a stereotype unfairly perpetuated by drama snobs. This is superb literature, superb science-fiction, a masterful work that towers far above most comparable novels and completely redefined the genre forever (see *).
But I should probably try to say something about its content.
The House Atreides is gaining power and influence, irking the Emperor, but he cannot risk outright conflict with a house, so he plays on the age-old feud between Atreides and their nemesis House Harkonnen. Duke Leto of Atreides is therefore suspicious when the Emperor 'gifts' his House rulership of the desert planet Arrakis, which has long been under Harkonnen rule. Arrakis is the only planet in the known universe where the drug-like fuel-like substance melange, a.k.a. 'spice', can be found: spice is a psychoactive drug that extends the lifespan of its users by centuries, enhances mental and physical capabilities, and allows psychic extension that enable humans to navigate space-time folds, thus being a crucial component in interstellar travel, upon which the far-flung human Imperium is dependent. Spice, basically, is really important and expensive, and can only be found on Arrakis, because giant desert worms that live in the sand excrete it. Fremen, the natives of Arrakis, have a close cultural and historical and religious connection to the worms and the production of spice, but also suffer from living on a desert world where water is incredibly scarce; ancient prophecies among them foretell the coming of a Lisan al-Gaib, a messianic figure who will lead them to take control of the planet's ecology for their good while not destroying the desert worms or the spice-production capacity. These ideas have been planted among them by the meddling Bene Gesserit cult, who shape breeding programs and inter-generational schemes to suit ultimate ends of peace and balance; there is also an ancient prophecy that from among the (exclusively female) members of this cult will arise the Kwisatz Haderach, a male with immense psychic and physical powers. Also among the Bene Gesserit is the Lady Jessica, concubine to Duke Leto of House Atreides, mother of his son and heir, Paul.
The complexity of the world Frank Herbert has constructed is such that I cannot fully explain the plot without giving this deep explication of its backstory and conditions, but nonetheless; the main events of the novel revolve around the schemes and feuds between Houses Atreides and Harkonnen once the former arrive on Arrakis, an ensuing war in which Paul and Jessica escape to join the Fremen, and Paul's rise to power following his having realised that he is (or can become) both the Lisan al-Gaib and the Kwisatz Haderach - he becomes a revered leader called Muad'Dib, and rides the giant sandworms into battle, leading a jihad that ultimately clashes with the Emperor himself and throws into question the distribution of power across the whole universe, what with the indispensability of spice to its continuity.
Did that make sense? Probably not. Read the novel.
In the depth of its concepts and complexity of its systems, Dune provokes a great deal of thought about some enormous themes too.*** The nature of leadership and following someone, loyalty, trust and necessity; how power and religion and economics all intermingle helpfully or unhelpfully depending on the situations and drives of whichever people group you're siding with; the unstoppable nature of these forces, and the challenge to nature that thus arises - do we perceive natural ecosystems as immutable, or do we seek to co-opt or change them to suit the driving engines of the normative struts of human civilisation? What does it mean to share experience, physically, psychically, historically, environmentally; to be part of a people in space and time? What is the place of an individual in the midst of these warring forces?
These and other questions are thrown up time and time again throughout the course of this immaculate novel.
I've said enough.
* As a thirteen-year old I was as pathetically fully a self-described nerd as ever there was. Some American friends from church had visitors over from Ohio, and one of them was also a sci-fi fan, so naturally he pitied the bespectacled jumper-wearing kid and spoke to him (me) about our shared passion. We promised each other that we would seek out and read a copy of the book that we each said was currently our favourite; so in pain of honour to this American stranger who I have never seen since, I bought a copy of Dune and have finally, after eight years of reading, finished it, and I feel greatly indebted to him for recommending that I do, not that he'll ever know. Incidentally, the book that he promised he would read upon my recommendation was His Last Command, the ninth book in the Gaunt's Ghosts series by Dan Abnett, a superbly-written hugely-entertaining war series set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe (which, as it happens, derives a huge amount of influence in its paradigmatic sci-fi grounding from Dune, as so Star Wars and Star Trek), which I still love. I do not know whether my American acquaintance ever actually read it though.
** Easily on a par with George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire universe, or J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth; there is literally an encyclopedia dedicated to the wider world created for the epic saga of which Dune is the first instalment. Like, there's even several appendices at the back of the novel explaining the ecological systems and religious traditions and beliefs of the planet Arrakis, the methods and motives of the Bene Gesserit cult, a brief overview of the Imperial Houses and nobility, and then a thirty-page glossary explaining terms and concepts invented for the world. These additions are crucial to fully understanding what's going on in the novel, so deeply entrenched into high-creation is the story - but it never feels needlessly fantastical, because the story and characters are not transplanted into this world (as if from ours) but are part of it, shaped by it.
*** Apparently much of Frank Herbert's inspiration for the themes and concepts was derived from his experiences using psilocybin mushrooms (hey, it was the 1960's), which apparently (not gonna link the source cos it didn't look overly legit, so I'll just leave it at apparently) were also the direct inspiration for the effects of using melange. Something about how the 1960's birthed so much brilliant science-fiction amid so much psychedelic drug use is really interesting. The two are quite definitely linked - I mean, just ask Frank. Wait, wrong link. Frank.
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