Dune is a book written by Frank Herbert, that takes place in the future where space travel between different planets has become a common occurrence for people of every class to enjoy. The book follows Duke Leto, governor of the House of Atreides, and his son Paul. Toward the beginning of the book, Leto and his family prepare for their travel to a distant, desert planet that he is going to govern. The planet is called Arrakis and is supposed to be a very underdeveloped tribal land with many native enemies. The motive of their travel is to harvest a certain spice that is said to bring fortune. The book progresses as the rivalry between the Duke and the natives grows, their leader being Baron Harkonnen. Jessica, the Duke's wife, takes on her journey in the book to discover more about the planet while the rival is escalating. Betrayal becomes a significant factor in the book when a close friend of the family, Dr. Yueh, betrays them making matters even worse. The fremen (the Arrakis natives) become the main antagonists and are instructed to hunt down the family and slaughter them as the Duke is only seen as an issue for the planet. This is after they were all captured by the Baron and were able to escape with the help of Duke Leto, Dune only gets more climactic as it approaches the end as Paul discovers secret powers of his that allow him to see in the past and in future. Eventually, the book slows down and flashes forward a couple of years to when Paul becomes the leader of the Fremen with his powers and wisdom. Paul trains and teachers the Fremen over time, gaining the attention of the Emporer who was impressed with their power. He visits Arrakis and is immediately shut down upon arrival by the Fremen who didn't want him there either. The book ends with Feyd-Rautha challenging Paul to a duel which he wins, abling him to command the Emporer of his desires.
Personally, I believe this to be one of the best books I've ever read because of the amazing attention to detail, creativity, and plot. Herbert does an amazing job making it feel like the reader is on Arrakis and living on the desert planet. By the end of the book, it seemed incredibly easy to picture what I thought the setting looked like because of how it was described. The creativity is also out of this world (literally) as it was one of the only books I've read where I was surprised and intrigued by every aspect of the storyline. This is especially impressive for when it was written (1965.) I also believe the plot surrounding the clash of different space clans, family betrayal, and the rise of an emperor was extremely clever and unmatched. Not to mention, the book also has its own vocabulary with made-up words and definitions.
I would give Dune a 10/10 because of the uniqueness it has to offer with its artistry, detail, and storyline. To future readers interested in looking at Dune, I suggest reading slowly, processing all of the information thrown at you, and referring to the resources provided in the book such as definitions and timelines. Dune is a very fascinating book that can be enjoyed by anyone looking for a lengthy, space-based, engaging novel.
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