Books written by Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert: Dune
Dune, the great opus, you MUST read Dune my friends scolded me. I am a curmudgeon, if something is titled the best ever, I am skeptical, I drag my feet. At first glance, I thought Dune would be a very dull book, but after just a few pages, I was captivated.
With a complex story line and superbly realized characters, this epic of science-fiction would be a grand read for any literate person whether they be fanatic of the genre or not. Dune is a rare look at how humans and human institutions might change over time, and that is why it is considered so visionary. Herbert has deliberately suppressed technology here to leave himself free to address the future of humanity, rather than the future of humanity's tools. Everything from a planet's ecosystem and its impact on the lives and very culture of its inhabitants, the consequences of being able to foretell the future, religion, self-mastery of both the mind and body, politics, leadership...it never ends. DUNE is a Study in Religion, Ecology, Politics and Human Nature, it is an illustration of what normal people are capable of when faced with extraordinary danger and hardship. For me, Dune is about the contrast between the ethos of people who live in peace and security, vs. the ethos of people who live in constant danger and hardship.
Dune is also a massive, fascinating story set in one of the richest universes ever created for science fiction. The environmental pictures painted are peerless. The characterizations are excellent. The religious intrigue, while not mystical or deep, is nonetheless captivating. I've never read any other book as intricate as Dune that works as well as this one does. The diversity of the concepts and subjects Herbert touches on is seemingly endless, but what's more he covers everything in such grand fashion. For me, the most engaging facet of Dune is its Byzantine, ornate setting. Herbert skillfully interweaves elaborate and richly detailed descriptions of Arrakis' ecology and geology, Fremen culture, Bene Gesserit mysticism, Space Guild politics, and the complex biochemical process by which the Arrakis' enormous sandworms ("makers") produce the desert planet's prized geriatric melange (spice). I frequently found myself fascinated by Herbert's very original constructions, and craving even greater detail.
Provocative in the extreme, imaginative beyond imagination, and creative beyond comprehension, this book is a powerful tale of Science Fiction that will stand alone as a piece of artistic literature for all eternity. The story is gripping, the plot intense, and the character absolutely pulsing with life. In fact, I think I've just persuaded myself to read it again.
Dune:
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