Frank Herbert

Ion Doru Brana

Radu Lazăr

Maria Lazăr (ilustratoare.)

Dune

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for....

When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream. 

but what’s the spice level of this book?

I want you to squeeze and squeeze and squeeze! Give me spice!

tanaz

The mind commands the body and it obeys. 

The mind orders itself and meets resistance.

tianna

“But never twice the same,” he said. “It’s like life—it presents a different face each time you take it…And, like life, never to be truly synthesized.”

“Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them." 

“‘Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a man's mind,’” Paul quoted.

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see is path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Before The Matrix, before Star Wars, before Ender's Game and Neuromancer, there was Dune: winner of the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, and widely considered one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written. Melange, or 'spice', is the most valuable - and rarest - element in the universe; a drug that does everything from increasing a person's life-span to making intersteller travel possible. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world Arrakis. Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe. When the Emperor transfers stewardship of Arrakis from the noble House Harkonnen to House Atreides, the Harkonnens fight back, murdering Duke Leto Atreides. Paul, his son, and Lady Jessica, his concubine, flee into the desert. On the point of death, they are rescued by a band for Fremen, the native people of Arrakis, who control Arrakis' second great resource: the giant worms that burrow beneath the burning desert sands. In order to avenge his father and retake Arrakis from the Harkonnens, Paul must earn the trust of the Fremen and lead a tiny army against the innumerable forces aligned against them. And his journey will change the universe.

Bart Veldhuijsen 

The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve but a reality to experience.

Jordan

He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it

How often it is that the angry man rages denial of what his inner self is telling him.

Mandy

One does not risk everything to settle and score prematurely 

There is no escape - we pay for the violence of our ancestors.

"You lead well," Paul protested. "You govern well. Men follow you willingly and love you."

"My propaganda corps is one of the finest," the Duke said.

There is probably no more terrible instant of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man-with human flesh.

Halleck stirred, said: "I think what rankles, Sire, is that we've had no volunteers from the other Great Houses. They address you as 'Leto the Just' and promise eternal friendship, but only as long as it doesn't cost them anything."

"One date palm requires forty liters of water a day. A man requires but eight liters. A palm, then, equals five men. There are twenty palms out there-one hundred men."

Nick

Today's assignment: Ask your partner one big question and see where it goes. A big question is an open-ended ques- tion; there's no dead end of a yes/no answer avalable. There

Jess (the og)

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear is gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.  

Tem Nugmanov

I'll give you my father's answer to those who act without thinking: “a stone is heavy and the sand is weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both."

Paul’s motif, realized it returns on page 291

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see it’s path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Anastasia Illner

fira

“Nothing money won’t repair, I presume,” Paul said. 

“Except for the lives, m’Lord,” Gurney said, and there was a tone of reproach in his voice as though to say: “When did an Atreides worry first about things when people were at stake?”

He felt emptied, a shell without emotions. Everything he touched brought death and grief. And it was like a disease that could spread across the universe.

Through it all threaded the realization that her son was the Kwisatz Haderach, the one who could be many places at once. He was the fact out of the Bene Gesserit dream. And the fact gave her no peace.

The setting and main characters are nice, but I just found it way too confusing. I got 2/3 of the way through and some big 'reveals' didn't make any sense to me, so I gave up.

I can see why people love it, but it’s not my bag. Enjoyed it much more having watched the two newest movies first.

Laura Hurst

Opposing forces struggle for control of the universe when the archenemy of the cosmic emperor is banished to a barren world where savages fight for water

Honestly, — and especially compared to what I think are “Science Fiction’s Supreme Masterpiece[s]” — this really didn’t do much for me. My memory of it is already kinda bendy. Unusually low degree of savage infighting for a succession saga (e.g. everything from Bhagavad Gita to idk The Sopranos). Many shimmering moments, though. I do feel the need to engage with the worldwide ass net of superfans out there. I waited twelve years to read this and I’m excited to finally see the films/docs.

Alex Noble

Great fantasy to sink into. Lots to think about. Herbert’s pulls from a breathtakingly wide array of historical, cultural, scientific and religious inspirations woven together swiftly. That alone makes it worth reading.

Angeline Bien

Follows the adventures of Paul Atreides, the son of a betrayed duke given up for dead on a treacherous desert planet and adopted by its fierce, nomadic people, who help him unravel his most unexpected destiny.

Drew Nerbas

This book was hard to get through I won’t lie, it took me forever and having exams half way through reading it did not help. However, the world building is incredible and the way the story is told is very unique. The characters were a bit too robotic and felt unenjoyable for me personally but I think overall, it was a good book.

Alex Reino

Vietnamese edition of Dune. This is the chronicle of Young Duke Paul Atreides' life and death adventure on the desert planet of Arrakis, where each of his action would contribute to the fate of all... Vietnamese translation by Tran Tien Cao Dang. Distributed by Tsai Fong Books, Inc.

anjali

Dune. What can I even say about this book except that it's one of the best books I've ever read.

This is a book layered heavily with politics, economics, geology, philosophy, religion and mythology. The term 'science fiction' alone doesn't do justice to it.

Frank Herbert's writing is splendid as well. I especially enjoyed the internal dialogue technique that he employs to often. It makes me feel like I'm in the head of the characters, hearing their thoughts and experiencing the situation firsthand.

This book is full of great sequences and scenes and characters. How can you not love characters like Thufir Hawat, Jessica, Gurney Halleck, The Duke Leto Atriedes, Stilgar, and even the Baron Harkonnen?

The story is dotted with references and allusions to religion, embedded with philosophical queries and an excellent study in politics and ecology.

I love Dune.

Evan

If this wasn't the titanic "Dune", I'm not sure I would have finished this book.
 The world of Arrakis is by far the most interesting concept of the story: on Arrakis, human life is seemingly an insult. Everything possible wants man dead, yet he persists because the planet houses something valuable that grows no where else. And so we have the ultimate 'Man vs. Nature' story. Frank Herbert had thought this world through more so than a majority of authors consider their worlds, no intricacy left unturned. This believable world is largely why I was able to finish "Dune".
 I found every single character to be obnoxious and unlikable though only one of them was supposed to be (Baron Harkonnen). Paul's prescience deflates tension often and his demeanor is, apparently, a mocking caricature of stoicism. Jessica is very similar, and while she cannot see the future like Paul, she's never wrong about any of her hunches (which are usually derived by something so minute, it's absurd). At least Baron Harkonnen was funny in just how shitty of a person he was, he's so comically evil to the point of horseshoeing back to grossly charming. Ending multiple chapters talking about how he wants to diddle underage boys (like Paul) is just buffoonery; good one, Frank.
 An important word of advice to anybody who reads this: Brian Herbert spoils things that will happen in the later books in his afterword. Like, kind of big things that just don't need to be said in the ending of the first book. What a fucking idiot, if I ever read more "Dune" books (and I might, as it seems this is the most bloated), I sure as hell won't be reading his.
 I didn't really care for "Dune" and honestly I prefer the movie at this point. Looking forward to Part 2 and maybe "Dune Messiah" when I'm bored enough.

Ainsley Jeffery

It is sad to me when when the enjoyment of a book becomes contingent upon a second form of media such as the movie or even a re-read. I think it was difficult for me to truly get into this book as I was replaying the movie in my head and I couldn’t remove the gaps I filled in myself that the movie missed. The most gratifying piece of the story was the inner dialogue present throughout, but I felt SO many relationships missed depth and emotional pull. 

By far my favourite chapter was the last chapter of Book 1. I loved the inner turmoil Paul has about his mother and how in one chapter we quickly see his whole conception of the world change and him become removed and escalated. Paul’s transformation is so clear here. The natural curiosity that forms in his sense of anger is an extremely unique characterization depiction. This is what makes books so exceptional and often superior to visual media. I went back to reread that section at least twice and I wish the rest of the book matched this level. The movie made Lady Jessica to be much tougher, sure of herself; and although the book does not negate this, the carefulness, insightful, grieving nature of her in the book far outmatches the movie. And oh my goooood chapter 37 with the Reverend Mother imagery was so vivid, so perfect. 

Will not make the mistake of watching the next movie without reading the book first. Although, the ending did not encourage me to continue in the series but I could be tempted.

Dune inspired my favorite pieces of fiction, and it’s an incredible story in its own right—not always true of originators.

There’s a lot to like: a strong cast of characters, an interesting setting, and lightly mentioned lore that begs exploration (factions, history, worlds).

The first few chapters are packed with new words. While this made it difficult to parse at first, I love unique vocabulary. Slang is such an important part of feeling like you belong. Being familiar with these words added a lot of immersion.

Some of my favorite bits were inside Paul’s mind, as he analyzed how the prophetic events will be warped when they are retold in legends.

I loved the dynamic between Paul and his mother, Jessica. She made him into the man he is; this frightened her. Also, love Leto being the archetype for Ned Stark from GoT.

Jevin Sidhu

Dune inspired my favorite pieces of fiction, and it’s an incredible story in its own right—not always true of originators.

There’s a lot to like: a strong cast of characters, an interesting setting, and lightly mentioned lore that begs exploration (factions, history, worlds).

The first few chapters are packed with new words. While this made it difficult to parse at first, I love unique vocabulary. Slang is such an important part of feeling like you belong. Being familiar with these words added a lot of immersion.

Some of my favorite bits were inside Paul’s mind, as he analyzed how the prophetic events will be warped when they are retold in legends.

I loved the dynamic between Paul and his mother, Jessica. She made him into the man he is; this frightened her. Also, love Leto being the archetype for Ned Stark from GoT.

5/5

Soooooo goooooood!

This felt more like fantasy than sci fi I must admit and I loved it from start to finish. The writing is spectacular and the internal dialogues are creatively presented. Looking forward to the next one!

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for...

When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.

DUNE

finally finished this fucking book. enjoyed it. i can’t stop picturing timothee chalamet and rebecca ferguson even though their characters couldn’t be more different from the movie. unexpectedly funny 

julia

The good: Standard-setting worldbuilding. Compelling villain. Interesting blend of myth, fate, will, and power.

The less good: Heavy use of prophecy kills suspense. Protagonist has no personality besides being exceptional. Clunky writing.

elizabeth

The good: Standard-setting worldbuilding. Compelling villain. Interesting blend of myth, fate, will, and power.

The less good: Heavy use of prophecy kills suspense. Protagonist has no personality besides being exceptional. Clunky writing.

Fucking fantastic, cannot describe my elation at having read this to get to marvel at the book and adaptation!!!! Knowing what they changed and why in the movie….. I could go on for days

Bailee Strong

Bailey Jennings

What's is there to add? This book is packed with life lessons and a rich story of humankind. Definitely one to add your shelf.

Monicap

Ahhh, I loved it, I did. Like kind of embarrassingly a lot? 

Thing is, *this is my shit*. There's a reason I loved this when I was sixteen, there's a reason I rewatch the miniseries like once a year, there's a reason.

I didn't think I would love this as much as I did though. For one, Dune is kind of a douchey bro thing to like. For two, I think my memories of read this book through Children of Dune was tainted by the fact I also read God Emperor through Chapterhouse. I can't even think of a single thing that happened in God Emperor through Chapterhouse other than (view spoiler)[Leto turning into a sandworm and Duncan coming back as a ghola (hide spoiler)] both of which I hated and I thought this would read more like that.

But. *But*. I loved it, I did. I was talking with my brother about this book while I read it and his sentiment was along the lines of "I don't get why people like this book the way that they like it" see above my comment on how this is a douchey bro thing to like. And I realized that I was enjoying this book in the same way I enjoy Animorphs fanfiction. Melodrama! Tense situations made absurdly tense by the depth of relationships between the characters! 

There's a scene towards the end of this book where Paul sees Hawat again after 2 or 3 years and it gave me the same feeling as an Animorphs fanfiction where Tom was freed met Tobias and thought Tobias was an actual Andalite.

Lines from Dune taken out of context would sound just as corny as lines taken out of context from Animorphs. 

I might have more to say but it escapes me at this moment

Pretty epic read, is occasionally a bit hard to follow but really draws you in and allows your imagination to flourish when you get really into certain parts. 

Jackie Lu

addyson

Listening to this book was tedious. Exhausting. Tiresome. 

It’s one of those stories where, when you stop paying attention for 2 seconds, happen 10 year time jumps, three marriages and the introduction of 5 new characters. As I was already stressed while watching the movie I could have known better but I really wanted to love it and to find a new fantasy universe to get lost in. But maybe I have to accept my defeat and acknowledge that not every book has to work for you. 

Stephanie 

Listening to this book was tedious. Exhausting. Tiresome. 

It’s one of those stories where, when you stop paying attention for 2 seconds, happen 10 year time jumps, three marriages and the introduction of 5 new characters. As I was already stressed while watching the movie I could have known better but I really wanted to love it and to find a new fantasy universe to get lost in. But maybe I have to accept my defeat and acknowledge that not every book has to work for you. 

maia

6% DNF the concept is cool and i wanted to like it but it’s so boring. also what is the point of the spoilers at the top of each chapter?

Honestly I don’t know what I expected out of Dune, but it’s so rich. The world-building is so nerdishly researched that I feel so… seen (??) as a fellow nerd. It has all the elements of cunning politics (to me familiar in its Game-of-Thrones likeness even though it probably should be the other way around) and the tragedy of the main character that initially denied his “Chosen One” role but finding himself compelled into it one way or another. The book just adds a lot of sense and complexity that makes the Villenueve movies a lot richer in hindsight. Great. Just fantastic.

Mattea Marjorie

coffee and catholicism make it hard to suspend disbelief 

Dune

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