Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 1) (Paperback)

by Frank Herbert (Author) "In the week before their departure to Arrakis, when all the final scurrying about had reached a nearly unbearable frenzy, an old crone came to..." (more)
Key Phrases: stillsuit manufacturer, panoplia propheticus, colonel bashar, Bene Gesserit, Reverend Mother, Gurney Halleck (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
This Hugo and Nebula Award winner tells the sweeping tale of a desert planet called Arrakis, the focus of an intricate power struggle in a byzantine interstellar empire. Arrakis is the sole source of Melange, the "spice of spices." Melange is necessary for interstellar travel and grants psychic powers and longevity, so whoever controls it wields great influence.

The troubles begin when stewardship of Arrakis is transferred by the Emperor from the Harkonnen Noble House to House Atreides. The Harkonnens don't want to give up their privilege, though, and through sabotage and treachery they cast young Duke Paul Atreides out into the planet's harsh environment to die. There he falls in with the Fremen, a tribe of desert dwellers who become the basis of the army with which he will reclaim what's rightfully his. Paul Atreides, though, is far more than just a usurped duke. He might be the end product of a very long-term genetic experiment designed to breed a super human; he might be a messiah. His struggle is at the center of a nexus of powerful people and events, and the repercussions will be felt throughout the Imperium.

Dune is one of the most famous science fiction novels ever written, and deservedly so. The setting is elaborate and ornate, the plot labyrinthine, the adventures exciting. Five sequels follow. --Brooks Peck --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Dune is to science fiction what The Lord of the Rings is to fantasy. Though fans believed they had bid a sad farewell to the sand planet of Arrakis upon Herbert's death in 1986, his son Brian has assumed writing the Nebula and Hugo award-winning series with the help of Kevin J. Anderson. But the original is always the most popular, and Ace here offers a good-quality hardcover complete with maps, a glossary, and appendixes. The book's huge fan base should expand even more thanks to a six-hour miniseries premiering on the Sci-Fi Channel later this year that is said to be more faithful to the book than David Lynch's truly awful 1984 feature film.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Ace; 25 Anv edition (September 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441172717
• ISBN-13: 978-0441172719
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1,045 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,460 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

125 of 146 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fear is the Mind Killer., July 24, 2002

By	Victoria Tarrani "writer, editor, artist, des... (Betwixt FL and CA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Frank Herbert built three dynasties inside a galactic empire that is based on melange, a drug that was available on one planet only -- Arrakis, also known as Dune. Using melange, navigators have the power to fold space, which allows space travel.

In spite of a blood feud that was more deadly than Romeo and Juliet's Montagues and Capulets, Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV takes the rule of Dune away from the Harkonnens and gives it to the House Atreides. He has his reasons. The scene is set for political intrigue, sabotage, subterfuge, war, romance, survival, revolt, and revenge.

Dune is a masterpiece. It was the first novel to win the Nebula Award (1965), and it shared the Hugo Award in the following year (1966). Not only are the plots and characters intricate, but also the political, financial, religions, lifestyles, military, and honor structures are created. Dune is like no place on Earth.

This book is written from multiple points of view (POV), and you know every main character in the book because you are privy to their thoughts. The abundant use of Italics is unacceptable in today's market, yet it is one of the most effective aspects of Dune.

The effect of knowing what someone thinks while they say or do something else is an ability most people would like to have. Jessica, concubine to Duke Atreides, a Bene Gesserit witch, and Paul's mother trains him, against the wishes of the witches, to use his mind for control. The most powerful Bene Gesserit tests Paul Atreides, as she holds his mind captive she wonders if "he is the one." Fremen believe he is Muad'Dib, the messiah who will deliver them, even as they challenge him in a fight to the death.

I have read this book and the sequels several times. Like Paul Atreides, I dreamt of new philosophies and awakenings. Dune is required reading for anyone who loves Science Fiction.

Victoria Tarrani

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ENTERING THE WASTELAND, August 24, 2002

By	Sesho "www.sesho.libsyn.com" (Pasadena, TX USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

The novel Dune is one of those works that you hear of by reputation as being a classic and which you always see in the bookstore but never seem to pick up to read. I had seen the David Lynch film when I was younger and was confused and bored by it. I borrowed a copy of the Dune tv mini-series recently, and after watching one episode I found the story intriguing but the special effects lacking. So I decided to read the book in order to experience a better effects company, my imagination.

To me, one of the things that makes Dune unique is its glimpse of what the future holds for the human race. It isnt a future controlled by machines and dominated by technology as so many science fiction worlds are. The universe that Frank Herbert creates here is a humanistic one, almost a mideval renaissance world. Going along with that thought, this universe is filled with court intrigue. The known universe is loosely ruled by an emperor named Padashan IV who keeps his rule going with the threat of his imperial guard, elite fighting units called Sardaukar. He also keeps his noblemen in suspicion of each other and sometimes helps bring about actual wars between them if it suits his purpose.

As the book opens, one of his most respected noblemen, Duke Atreides, is sent to the desert planet of Arrakis (Dune) to take over spice production. Spice is the most important product in the universe and whoever controls it, controls power, and brings danger on themselves. One of the sources of conflict is that the Atreides have replaced the House Harkonnen, their bitter enemies, on Arrakis, so the whole place smells like a trap waiting to spring. The Harkonnens have sworn eternal war, called "kanly" with the Atreides and it is only a question of when and how they will strike. In addition to this, there are mysterious native inhabitants on Dune, known as Fremen, whose allegience is unknown, and the Duke also has to deal with giant sandworms who can swallow ships whole.

The main character of the book is Paul Atreides, son of the duke, a fifteen year old boy trained by the best fighters in the galaxy and also learned in the ways of his Bene Gesserit mother. The Bene Gesserits remind me of the Jedi in Star Wars. They are trained psychics who have strange powers feared and respected among the general populace, such as future vision, and can sometimes control weak minds and sorta steer the galaxy. Some say that Paul is destined for some terrible purpose that will lead the human race to a new destiny.

This is a great book. Like the Lord of the Rings, you can tell that Herbert not only wrote this book, but in the process developed and shaped his world with legends and past histories that are only hinted at in this work. There is lots of action and adventure and also religious questions and philsophy, almost a little for every kind of ruler. It does have its dull moments, especially after Paul meets his destiny, but you have to expect that anytime you have a work that is an "epic". There's so much information that not all of it can be interesting. There is a large cast of characters, so I would maybe suggest watching the first episode of the tv series like I did because it gives you a visual reference for most of the main characters. I'm going to start the next book, Dune Messiah, today.

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Unique Outlook on an Alien Society, July 20, 2002

By	Jessica Taylor - See all my reviews

In the first novel of his entrancing saga, Frank Herbert takes his audiences captive with the haunting epic of the desert planet, Arrakis. Herbert displays his unique capability for blending the elements of religion, politics, culture and nature perfectly to form a society that is, though alien, slightly reminiscent of the world today. Though fantastical and outlandish, Arrakis is very realistic and believable world.
The novel takes place primarily on Arrakis, also known as Dune. A place where water is a luxury and the sun is the ultimate enemy of a man. Many secrets are buried within Dune's sands, many of which only its natives, the Fremen, are aware of. One mystery that the government has still not reasoned out is the spice, melange. The addictive spice practically runs the universe, giving the Guild navigators their enhanced navigational skills and Muad'Dib his prescience. Strangely, though, the spice is only found on Arrakis, and quite abundantly. All of this Paul Atreides must encounter when his father, Duke Leto, accepts the fief of Arrakis. However, through a series of events involving the Atreides' arch rival, the Harkonnens, Paul and his mother, Jessica, must flee to the desert, leaving behind Paul's inheritance as Duke. When Paul encounters the spice-filled desert, the prescience that he always possessed is enhanced to the point of sensing truth and predicting the future. Hiding in the cover of the desert, Paul and Jessica are taken in by the Fremen and accepted into their religion. It is through the Fremen that Paul becomes the notorious Muad'Dib, and the long awaited Messiah of the Fremen, destined to lead them in battle. However, the battle is not only with the Harkonnens, but the Bene Gesserit also. The Bene Gesserit are the founders of a human breeding program to reach the goal of creating a Kwistatz Haderach, the ultimate human.
Soon, the man known as Muad'Dib must fight the battle with his old enemies, the Harkonnens and his own future.
This book is a classic science fiction masterpiece that displays the immense talent and imagination of its author, Frank Herbert. It challenges the imagination, inspires the mind, and fills the senses until you feel you can taste the melange on your tongue and feel the desert sand of Arrakis on beneath your feet. If you appreciate intelligent literature, this book will not disappoint you.