I really enjoy science fiction, and while I don’t stick to that genre exclusively, I have read enough that I felt considerable shame for never having read Dune. There are classics that everyone just has to experience. So on a recent vacation, I brought it along to rectify this situation.
Dune is set on the planet Arrakis, a desert land that hosts only one valuable resource, called ‘the spice’. Its drug-like qualities are invaluable across the galaxy, and is worth killing for.
Our protagonist is teenager Paul Atreides, a son of the noble family sent to rule over Arrakis and root out the corruption put in place by the former rulers. It doesn’t take long before Paul’s father is betrayed and his rule is overthrown. Paul and his mother flee for their lives to the desert wilderness where they are reluctantly adopted into the Fremen tribe. Through various interactions, Paul is discovered to be a messiah of sorts, fulfilling a long held prophecy of the Fremen.
We see Paul rise in power & authority amongst the Fremen, eventually needing to confront those who overthrew his father, and attempt to restore peace to the planet of Arrakis.
As with any truly original sci-fi, it does take a bit to get into it… a new world, new languages, new people, new culture. But once I got into this book, it was impossible to put down, and became very obvious as to why it is a classic. Four more books follow this one, and they are going on my 2020 TBR list for sure. I’ve heard that the movie from the 80s is horrible, but was excited to see a potential reboot for next year (with a stellar-looking cast), so I’m pumped to see that when it comes out!