A brief review: Frank Herbert - Dune

[Karsa Orlong]

I got Herbert's classic Dune expecting and hoping to find the archetypal sci-fi epic; a grand, gritty, futuristic, gimmick-free tale of strife and conflict. That, I most certainly got. Twists and turns abound, this is perfect for any reader who likes an exciting, fast-moving, intriguing plot. Rife with politics and treachery, an array of diverse characters lock horns in a variety of ways with palpable tension and sometimes dire consequences - plots within plots within plots unfold. What I didn't expect, however, was such an emphasis on religion and mysticism, on culture, on ecology and landscape, on inner discipline and wisdom, often insightfully reflecting the nature of humanity. Nor did I expect such an undercurrent of beauty flowing beneath the brutality, be it in the landscape, in the people, in the mentality of individuals. Arrakis is a deadly world, yet it holds its charms too as certain characters note - in a beautiful sunset perhaps, in a simple silence, or in the richness of Fremen culture. Necessarily hard and uncompromising in their ways, the Fremen, residents of their harsh and dry Arrakis home, are swept up by the dream of a more habitable world, where water falls from the sky, where greenery isn't swallowed by the vast sands and lakes are more than just wishful thinking. A young boy born a future-seeing prophet, hardened by intelligence beyond his years and a sensation of terrible purpose, is unable at times to keep his own frailties at bay as he teeters on the fine line between liberation and ruin. An ever-complimentary contrast of harsh violence with gentle beauty is above all what makes this story special, epitomised for all to see by Gurney Halleck - an ugly, ruthless killer, with the mind of a poet and a talent for song.

 

[j d worthington]

Quite a good little capsule review there. And it goes a long way to confirm what I've been saying all along ... it's not the nuts and bolts of sf (though those are certainly of import), it's the examination of these changes on people, whether it be individuals or entire societies, that makes sf worthwhile in the first place. Otherwise, it really would remain simply "engineering fiction".

 

[Cloud]

so glad you have enjoyed it, appreciated it, and have taken the time to think about it. Dune certainly ranks near the top of all of my personal lists, and I feel sorry for people who only have a dim understanding of it gained from the various attempts at filming it.

When I read it for the first few (okay, several) times, many years ago, I frequently used the original Kama Sutra oil, which smells strongly of cinnamon, and ever after, Spice smells like that to me.

 

[Karsa Orlong]

Quite a good little capsule review there. And it goes a long way to confirm what I've been saying all along ... it's not the nuts and bolts of sf (though those are certainly of import), it's the examination of these changes on people, whether it be individuals or entire societies, that makes sf worthwhile in the first place. Otherwise, it really would remain simply "engineering fiction".

Aye, I couldn't agree more. I find that the most powerful and enduring work in science fiction (and fantasy actually) is that which is most *human* at its core. That is of course quite bizarre what with these genres primarily focusing on otherworldly environments, and I don't feel able to articulate a coherent explanation at the moment. Maybe it'd make a good thread.

Edit: see GBD forum

 

[Karsa Orlong]

I feel sorry for people who only have a dim understanding of it gained from the various attempts at filming it.

Fortunately, I've avoided these, as I tend to avoid all tv/film adaptations of books. I do think Dune is perhaps a more tv-friendly story than a number of other works I've heard tv/film adaptation rumours about, but I'd still rather give it a miss - I prefer to rely on my own imagination and revel in the ambiguity of descriptions and so on than have somebody else's interpretation shoved in my face.

 

[Foxbat]

Nice review. Your words sum up the reason why, after all these years, Dune is still one of my favourite books

 

[Nesacat]

A lovely review of a book that has remained a firm favourite of mine over the years and is constantly being reread. You've brought out all the many reasons why the book is a constant wonder and a brilliant piece of writing.

 

[steve12553]

I'm glad you were able to enjoy it in spite of your expectations. When I first read it about 30 years ago, I was handed it with no preface and merely told, "Try it, It's Science Fiction". Never heard of it. At the time there wasn't much in the way of resources for the genre reader except an occational magazine review and I rarely got my hands on one of those. I was floored. Never had I read anything that wonderful or that vast in scope. Not only had he created a world, he had created a universewith everything in it. The only thing I had read to this point that covered this much was the Foundation series by Asimov and this one was much edgier. Yes, it is all you said and the is definitely something wonderful about the first reading. (Although there has to be at least a second.)

 

[JBI]

Yeah amazing books. Well, the first three anyway. The others by Frank were barely readable, and his son has made a mockery of the whole thing. But the first three definatly sit on the top 5 of my list. The movie series (2000 version of dune) wasn't that bad, in fact, I enjoyed it a lot. The movie of Children of dune (Feature Massiah in there aswell) was also a decent watch. But then again, the 1984 eddition of dune (The David Lynch movie) was one of the worst I have ever seen. Pick up a copy of the T.V. minieseries and you'll be amazed.