Paul Atreides and his parents are moving to Arrakis, a desert world and the only source of Spice. Paul's father, Duke Leto, knows that while being in control of Spice harvesting is a great responsibility, the fact that his cousin, the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, has taken the privilege from the Atreides' long-time rival, House Harkonnen, puts the Duke's family in a precarious place. Now, not only does Leto need to figure out how to run a very different trade than the one he has managed on the ocean-heavy world of Caladan, but he must be wary of traps and plans placed by Baron Vladimir Harkonnen as he and his entourage left Arrakis.
Unfortunately for Leto, the Atreides family is indeed betrayed. Paul and his mother Jessica are forced to flee civilization and seek hiding in the deep desert where death, either by dehydration or the massive creatures called Sandworms, is an ever-present reality. Jessica is able to convince a tribe of natives called Fremen to let her and her son stay with them, but what no one realizes is that the means she used to gain the Fremen's loyalty is just another step in a series of events that will allow Paul to unlock a power that has been building for generations; a power that has the ability to shape the universe for thousands of years to come (thus the many other books that follow Dune).
Personally speaking, Dune is high on my list of all-time favorite books. I've re-read this story (both in physical and in audiobook form) many times, and it is one that I tend to get new meaning and insight into each time I follow Paul's transition from a Duke's son to the Fremen Muad'Dib to ... well, I don't want to spoil it. Also, I can't help but feel that the nature of the book has changed over the years. When I first read it, I perceived it as a space opera sci-fi adventure novel, but in later readings, the subtle intricacies have shown it to be a political drama and, at this point, I see it as a satire about the perils of a society strongly dependent on a single resource. Given the focus of the desert planet, it isn't hard to see exactly what resource Herbert was talking about in Dune either. These many layers and interpretations are a testament to the nature of Dune, and it isn't a wonder that it not only won a Hugo Award, but also the first Nebula Award for Best Novel.
The version that we received for review was the 50th Anniversary Edition and it also contains an afterword by Frank Herbert's son, Brian. In it, Brian discusses memories he has of his father, Frank's time in the Middle-East, as well as Brian's efforts with well-known sci-fi author Kevin J. Anderson to expand the universe based on his father's notes.
Outside of what is contained within the pages of Dune itself, the novel is the first book in a series that was expansive when Frank Herbert was alive. His six novels span thousands of in-universe years, and starting in the late 1990's, Brian and Anderson took it upon themselves to finish the story that Frank had started, but they realized that they needed to explore the universe's history before they could move forward. As a result, the pair added several books to flesh out a history that was only hinted at by Frank's books. So, if you are going to dive into the Dune franchise, I feel like there are several levels of commitment involved.
First, Dune itself is a must read for any fan of the genre, hands down. If you still want more, then read Dune Messiah and Children of Dune to complete a slightly grander story arch. While I enjoy God Emperor of Dune, it has a very different feel and during my initial reading of the series, this is the last book I really enjoyed (mind you, I was a young teenager at the time). Heretics of Dune kicks off a different arch, the one that Brian Herbert and Anderson felt they needed to explore Dune's history in order to finish. After finishing Frank's original works, I would take each of the later books in trilogy-chunks and only if you are truly wanting to know more about the universe. While I find these fun (and yes, I've read, or at least listened to the audiobooks of all of them), they don't stand up to the quality that was Frank Herbert's first few Dune novels.
If all of this seems overwhelming, don't worry. Dune itself is a great stand-alone novel. While the story continues after its pages end, the best of what the franchise has to offer is a full and complete story that, if desired, can be put down without having to go further. I do recommend reading this book though. It is staple of science fiction for a reason.
