Dune is a Science fiction book written by Frank Herbert. It was published in 1965! Wow! And it is the first in the very extensive world Herbert, an American novelist created.
What is it about? Paul. He is the son of Atreides and his concubine Jessica. The heir to the Atreides throne. A potential messiah-based off of stories his mothers people have planted in cultures over generations. The emperor, ruler of the interstellar societies, commands Paul’s family to move from stewardship of their ocean home Caladan to the Planet Arrakis, a Desert wasteland and home of spice- a drug coveted by all the planets for its mental and space navigation use. This sets off a series of events that lead Paul to his terrifying, exciting and electrifying destiny. Will he accept it? Does he have a choice?
What is it really about? Everything! It is not just about Sci-Fi, it is about growing up, family, world systems, people, religion, life. Every thought process is well played out and interesting to analyze. The world of Dune is a character in itself. The way the world breathes and moves. The animals there and how they survive, the ecological system, its predators and preys. (incase you were wondering, the humans are the prey)
Favorite Quote: “We can say that Muad’Dib learned rapidly because his first training was in how to learn. And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he could learn. It is shocking to find how many people do not believe they can learn, and how many more believe learning to be difficult. Muad‘Dib knew that every experience carries its lesson.”
What I liked about the movie directed by Denis Villeneuve. (think 2016’s Arrival but bigger)It stars alot of cool people: Timothée Chalamet , Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac ,Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård, Stephen McKinley Henderson ,Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem. Did you notice how I was trying not to name the whole cast? The visuals were amazing! The sand worms were just as I imagined they would be. The sand suits were outstanding. The dune itself! The palace. I loved Rebecca’s portrayal of Paul’s mom. It endeared me to her more than the character did in the book. Jason Momoa was also more endearing than reading about his character. Timothee was outstanding.
Should you read the book or watch the movie? How about both? Reading the book, you will get insight into the characters thoughts, which is one of the most exciting things about the book. You will also understand the way the world works and why people are doing certain things. There are also a lot of cool quotes. Watching the movie is visually stimulating, and it can certainly stand alone as a great movie, but reading the book before watching the movie helped me appreciate the movie even more. If you read this book and you love it, and you want to indulge in this world, you have five sequels from Frank Herbert and a host of other books in the Dune universe written by his son, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson!
One last great quote used in both the book and movie: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
Moyo Laditan 