- Publisher: MacMillan Audio
- Publication date: 05/29/2007
- Copyright Year: 2007
- Print Copyright: 1965
- Discs: 18
- ISBN13: 978-1-4272-0143-0
- ISBN10: 1-4272-0143-9
- Author: Frank Herbert
- Read by: Scott Brick, Orlagh Cassidy, Euan Morton, Simon Vance and others
Dune by Frank Herbert is the epic 1965 Hugo and Nebula award winner about a far distant future when humanity has spread across the galaxy. There is a feudal system with an overall emperor and various families having control over planets and their populations. The Atreides have been required to move their ‘House’ from the garden world of Caladan to the desert planet, Arrakis.
Arrakis, commonly known as Dune, is a barren land where water is the most precious substance, except for the ‘spice’. The spice is a drug that is only mined on Arrakis and is critical for the functioning of the empire. It gives the multi-dimensional sight needed for navigating between planets, as well as extending life. The House Atreides, led by Duke Leto, is taking control of the planet from the brutal Harkonnens who have been dominating the local population. His son, Paul, has been trained by his father’s military guardians and by his mother, Jessica. She is a member of the Bene Gesserit group of women who have seemingly superhuman capabilities in controlling their own bodies, and also wield ‘behind the scenes’ political and genetic influence over the Empire and Houses of the Empire.
After Harkonnen treachery, Paul and his mother escape to the desert where they join a group of the indigenous Fremen people. The Fremen are fierce and tenacious and have learned to survive and thrive in Arrakis’ deep deserts. It is among these people that Paul receives the Fremen name of Muad’Dib and begins his epic journey to regain his family’s place in the galaxy.
Dune is one of those classic science fiction / fantasy novels that you really must read (or read again). It is a grand story of politics and plotting and loyalty and betrayal. It is part nearly magical fantasy with the Bene Gesserit ‘witches’ and their weirding ways. It is part military epic with strategies and struggles and tactics and battles. It is partly a coming-of-age story as the teenage Paul is forced to grow up and decide how he is to proceed through life. It is a personal story of fate and choices and consequences.
Even if you can see the choices and possible paths laid ahead, can you really choose or are you just forced to ride the flow of time and fate to where it leads? Perhaps some of those who have the most influence over the course of history have the least choices in their own lives.
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