3.5-stars. I have got to page 407 which is the end of the first book and I think that's enough for me for the time being. Though the author clearly had an incredible imagination I don't really understand why people are so excited about it being made as a film (for a second time). I will watch it if it ever makes its way onto terrestrial television but I found the writing style and language dated and hard to read.1) A number of made-up words that I mostly skimmed. 2) A barren desert wasteland as

I'm pleased to write that I have finally completed the great Dune trilogy. And it was great. REALLY great. So much so actually, that I can explicitly and categorically confirm that it is the most plagerised book I've ever read. Okay, "plagerised" is a strong word. But I couldn't help but feel familiarised with a lot of the scenes in the story. When reading this book, it was impossible for me to ignore the similarities between it and just about every science fiction movie I've ever seen! Okay, I

Although this is the first half of the Dune series, personally I think books 1-4 constitute a proper story arc, But heck, I recommend the whole series, not just the first three books :)

Frank Herbert's immortal space opera that created many of the tropes we take for granted inside them is a book that doesn't need my endorsement. However, I thought I would share some thoughts on the book while thinking back on it. As such, its not really a traditional review as such. More just a series of observations.For me, I always found it kind of interesting that Frank's main point is lost if you just read the main book but it's probably a more "satisfying" read if you just stop after the f...

‘In the week before their departure to Arrakis, when all the final scurrying about had reached a nearly unbearable frenzy, an old crone came to visit the mother of the boy, Paul.’When I first read this sentence, over fifty years ago, I could not envisage that I would be drawn into a world which could hold my attention for so long. I’ve just reread the trilogy and it still holds much of its initial appeal.The trilogy is set in the distant future on the desert planet of Arrakis. Arrakis is the sou...

Frank Herbert's Dune was in part inspired by his experience working in a research centre in California studying desertification. The realisation of the interrelationship of environment, people and culture coming out of that experience is a key feature of the series. At the centre of the first novel is a desert planet, Arrakis, and the secret desire of its inhabitants to transform it's ecology. It is a great science-fiction novel about systems of power and the role of ecology, although admittedly...

The Dune series by Frank, not the son, form one of the pillars of my dreams over the decades since I read the first book. Somehow the imagery plays out in my mind far better than the attempts made by Hollywood.Unfortunately, I donated my original set, with the original covers, when I moved a few years ago - the new books don't smell the same and don't have the familiar paper feel I grew accustomed to while reading them during finals week year after year.The blend of science-aversion, exploitatio...

OK - let's cut through the BS.This is - quite simply - the most magnificent Sci-Fi epic ever written. The scope of Asimov's Foundation, the attention to detail and context of Tolkien's LotR, coupled with an unmatched visionary socio-ecological messianic narrative that is scarily relevant today.Anyone who likes Sci-Fi and who hasn't read this needs to get a copy. And read it. Now.

Yes, if you're not sure, I can confirm it's a good idea to read the whole trilogy. Dune is a fantastic book and has aged quite well for sci-fi. Many years ago I read the first book when English was still a bit of a challenge for me and loved it despite its complexity. Now I can appreciate the added value of the other two parts. They answer the question of what happens after the hero wins and becomes the ruler. We rarely get more than an implied 'and they lived happily ever after'. Dune Messiah a...

This is such a magical book for me. I’m not even going to attempt to write an objective review. I simply don’t have the words.Yes, this rating is based on emotion and on how this book affected me and my reading evolution over the years. And, frankly, that’s the best way to gauge it, anyway.Long live the King!

First book (loosely based on story of Mohammed) is second best SF ever written. Books two and three, inevitably, fall off.

This was too complex for my taste but the worldbuilding was awesome. This had an awesome cast of characters and there weren't too many to remember who's who. But somehow even their deaths left me cold and didn't get me to feel. Somehow the writing style made it a bit hard to relate to them.I loved the world and it was really intriguing! It was so fascinating to imagine life in this kind of world. Plot was really good. I especially loved the beginning: it was so tense and I couldn't wait to find

The mythos the late Mr Herbert Has bequeathed to us either soaring eloquence of vision or just leaves the reader bored. I am of the former. This is mature, intellectual, dramatic science fiction,that still resonates as a warning about power and its dangers. I seem to read this every few years, and never tire, nor fail to gain a new insight. Simply put, glorious.

This is a difficult book to review. I had heard that Dune is great and its sequels get progressively worse, although people normally mean the sequels written by Brian Herbert after his father passed away.I loved Dune - it's a great political thriller with a very epic scope, as well as being a prime example of ecofiction since the main driving force behind everyone's political maneuvers is keeping the right ecosystem intact to control the melange or spice. It's fun and deep and, while not exactly...

A lot of people only read the first book, including people who seldom read sci-fi and people who only read just this one sci-fi book. The other two books are definitely worthwhile, especially the third volume (I have not read anything subsequent to the third book). If you are interested these are my reviews:1. Dune2. Dune Messiah3. Children of Dune

Dune: 5Dune Messiah: 3Children of Dune: 3.5Average of the three in one: 3.8 (4)Anyway, I think Dune really is the shining jewel here with an appealing political plot, planetary awareness with an awesome dedication to all ecologists, various cultural influences, and relatable characters despite it playing eons in the future.The second and third book break a bit with this, removing the human out of the story a bit. It all becomes more abstract and pseudo-philosophical at times. Nevertheless there

I remember reading Dune before David Lynch's movie came out, because I wanted to read the book before watching the movie. That must have been in 1983 or 1984, so I must have been 12 or 13.A few years later I reread it, together with Dune Messiah and the first half of Children of Dune. I didn't read English yet, and the Danish translation of Children of Dune was split into two volumes. I never managed to get my hands on the second volume, so I was left more than thirty years with a cliffhanger.Tr...

Inspired by the recent movie release I gave the Dune series a try and, despite all the (immediately) obvious flaws – the verbose vernacular, the stuffy writing, the bigotry and in the later books the increasingly eye-roll inducing repetitive plot twists, the (view spoiler)[ incessant and ever more indiscriminate (and unnecessary) re-awakening of previously dead characters in one fashion or another (hide spoiler)] – this series was highly addictive. At least until book three, after that I signed...

With this latest addition to the so-called Gollancz "Black Library", another classic has been immortalised. If you're looking for a lovely copy to keep, or for a gift, this one has much to like. The black faux-leather has writing imprinted in gold, and it is a nice looking copy. The print type however seems to be of old stock, and a little worn in terms of type - none of that precise digital typography here!In term of the content, there's nothing too exciting. There are the three books of the or...

After hearing so many times that Dune was the masterpiece of Science Fiction literature, and seeing a new edition in the store where before I had seen none, I decided to pick this up. This took me some months to read, specially because it is very dense and in other editions just the first book is 900-ish pages. But it was absolutely worth it, entrancing and mind-blowing! Herbert succeeds at juxtaposing so many different elements: ecology, religion, consciousness, feudalism, space travel... gawsh...