The first in an extremely well-written series of science fiction books by Frank Herbert.

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Product Description

The all-time science fiction masterpiece...now in a special hardcover edition.

"Unique...I know nothing comparable to it except Lord of the Rings."--Arthur C. Clarke

Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Maud'dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family--and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.

A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction. Frank Herbert's death in 1986 was a tragic loss, yet the astounding legacy of his visionary fiction will live forever.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14060 in Books
• Published on: 1990-09-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 544 pages

Amazon.com
This Hugo and Nebula Award winner tells the sweeping tale of a desert planet called Arrakis, the focus of an intricate power struggle in a byzantine interstellar empire. Arrakis is the sole source of Melange, the "spice of spices." Melange is necessary for interstellar travel and grants psychic powers and longevity, so whoever controls it wields great influence.

The troubles begin when stewardship of Arrakis is transferred by the Emperor from the Harkonnen Noble House to House Atreides. The Harkonnens don't want to give up their privilege, though, and through sabotage and treachery they cast young Duke Paul Atreides out into the planet's harsh environment to die. There he falls in with the Fremen, a tribe of desert dwellers who become the basis of the army with which he will reclaim what's rightfully his. Paul Atreides, though, is far more than just a usurped duke. He might be the end product of a very long-term genetic experiment designed to breed a super human; he might be a messiah. His struggle is at the center of a nexus of powerful people and events, and the repercussions will be felt throughout the Imperium.

Dune is one of the most famous science fiction novels ever written, and deservedly so. The setting is elaborate and ornate, the plot labyrinthine, the adventures exciting. Five sequels follow. --Brooks Peck

From Library Journal
Dune is to science fiction what The Lord of the Rings is to fantasy. Though fans believed they had bid a sad farewell to the sand planet of Arrakis upon Herbert's death in 1986, his son Brian has assumed writing the Nebula and Hugo award-winning series with the help of Kevin J. Anderson. But the original is always the most popular, and Ace here offers a good-quality hardcover complete with maps, a glossary, and appendixes. The book's huge fan base should expand even more thanks to a six-hour miniseries premiering on the Sci-Fi Channel later this year that is said to be more faithful to the book than David Lynch's truly awful 1984 feature film.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
This full-cast performance, augmented by sound effects and music, does justice to a classic of the science fiction genre. Dune, a complex tale of greed, the quest for power, and the indomitable human spirit, follows the development of young Paul Atreides into the messianic MuadDib. Euan Morton imbues Paul with an effective mix of vulnerability and conviction in his destiny. Simon Vance is a stalwart anchor narrator. Scott Brick, Orlagh Cassidy, and others contribute to an engrossing presentation. This prose is well suited to being read aloud, and this production makes the book easily accessible to newcomers and Dune fanatics. The only thing missing is a complete list of the cast members and the parts they narrate. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

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Customer Reviews

One of the best books I've ever read
Politics, religion, power, ecology, and philosophy... this is some heady stuff. I expected a cool sci-fi novel and ended up with an epic. Truly an astounding book in its scope and power.

Worth revisiting multiple times
Finding any sci-fi series that rivals this one is difficult. Possible contenders are Stranger in a Strange Land or some of the early Asimov sci-fi novels. Herbert has a gift for description as well as philosophy, but I would not advise reading the book for its message or its symbolism (which does seem to be thrown at the reader like a wrecking ball at times). The simple fact is that it is a good story and it is an entry into an entirely unique universe. Every sci-fi or fantasy novel that has succeeded this book seems to borrow something from it. Yet modern writers often concern themselves more with the advancement of technology, where as Herbert dealt more with the advancement of humans.
I do not wish to discredit those reviewers who gave this 1 or 2 stars. This book is not for everyone. It requires a great deal of patience at times. It is also not likely that the reader will grasp every element of the story on the first read because of the overall density of the material. That being said, this one has the potential to become addictive.

This book changed my life
Dune...Arrakis...Desert Planet...

This is the best book of all time in my opinion. The level of complexity and that every bit of it is pertanent to the story. I'm not a fan of artsy fartsy ambiguous type stuff that to me seems like a cop-out to actual ideas. I have heard this book has received this label as well, and will agree it isnt an easy read. But everything, i mean everything that happens.. if you are paying attention is a reference point to another part of the book, and in some cases serise.

Well enough with that. In my opinion this book explores humanity and what it is to be human better than any other piece of art or literature I have ever read. Although at the beginning (as often times are observations in life) it seems easy to define who is good an evil. If you read this book and continue on you come to realize through amazingly human characters that people and ideals are very complicated.. good and evil is relative and no one is either. Paul is a product of much, as is the Barron, as are all other characters.

Dune may as well be a history book of the future.. it is as useful in exploring human nature. It even has a biblical.. its a messianic story that teaches, for those willing to absorb, an immense ammount about life, humanity, and the world around you. In my opinion (im an athiest) it is far more useful that the bible because it teaches empowerment as opposed to subsurvience.

One last note, and this will probably sound fake, but its not! When i read this, and all 5 other origional Dune books I was in jail, because I was a drug addict. I became obsessed with them and i credit them to where my life is today. I'm almost done with my bachelors degree with a 3.7gpa(in buisness administraction), sober, have an internship and a powerful private investment firm where im learning so much, and will be attending Graduate school next year.

i probably sound like a crazy person lol.. and no i dont think Paul Muad'Dib is my personal savior.. but i do think this book is a must read!