Happy June to the readers, writers, and everyone else! This book of the month for June 2025 is Dune by Frank Herbert. First publish in 1966, Dune is considered to be the Lord of the Rings of science fiction.
At the start of the book, we meet the fifteen-year-old Paul Atreides, who is about to move with his father, the Duke, to Arrakis, the desert planet that is mined for the most precious substance in the world: melange, the spice drug that allows for space travel. But Paul’s family is quickly struck by their archenemies, and he must go into hiding with the desert people, to build up an army and strike back. With this comes discussion of religion and philosophy.
I am like a person whose hands were kept numb, without sensation from the first moment of awareness – until one day the ability to feel is forced into them. And I say “Look! I have no hands!” But the people all around me say: “What are hands?
-Frank Herbert, Dune
Narrated from many points of view, the story is complex and interesting. Many interesting questions can be raised, such as “what is a hero?” and “what is true power?” which are amazing thoughts to discuss. The series continues to a trilogy, in which Herbert is able to expand further in some of these themes. The deep ideas of the story and wonderful struggles that we see some of the characters go through can engage the reader fully.
Dune is definitely a recommendable book for anyone who likes pondering logic and a bit of philosophy. The book does go through some politics and prose that can be difficult to get through, but I found it absolutely worth it, and have reread a number of times.
- Rating: πΏπΆ
- Author: Frank Herbert
- Published: 1965
- Review: β β β β β