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.
On the surface level, Dune is a story about revenge, a young betrayed duke seeking closure from wrongdoings at the hands of the other houses (Okay, mainly just the Harkonnens… But really, they’re all just pricks!) and the empire. However, if one looks more closely, Dune is at its heart a profound philosophical piece about the future of humanity, about the perseverence of life even in the harshests of environments, about human greed and thirst for violence, about the very nature of being and fate.
It is difficult to come out of Dune without pondering, even for a brief moment, on the trials and tribulations of our own small blue planet. Would we fare better than the great houses? Or would we suffer the same fate: reduced to a feudal caste system, betraying one another at every opportunity presented to us? Herbert manages to walk a fine line between the grandiose, gargantuesque ideas (What role does humanity have to play in the grand scheme of the universe?) and the more mundane, personal questions about an individual’s place in the world: Is being The One such a great thing after all? Should we fulfil our destiny if we know it will lead to countless innocents losing their lives in the process?
But it doesn’t stop there. The worldbuilding in Dune is incredible. I found myself fascinated by the intricacies of the planet’s various ecosystems. There is a lot of exposition accomplished through the character of Dr. Kynes, Arrakis’ appointed planetologist and Judge of the Change by Emperor Padishah Shaddam IV (Yes, that’s his actual full title). The dynamics between the local populace, the Fremen, and foreigners is well realized. From cultural and ideological changes to technological advancements, every aspect of a thriving civilization is carefully dissected under Herbert’s lens.
Overall, I can safely recommend this book as a must-read. If you’re intrigued by weird fantasy / science-fiction hybrids, then Dune is just the place to start your wonderful journey across the galaxies. Buckle up, we’re just getting started!
Summary
| Plot | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Pacing | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| World-building | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Prose | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
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