A review by samdalefox
Dune by Frank Herbert

adventurous mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The word that comes to mind is Epic. Epic in length, complexity, world building, and social commentary, that to be brutally honest is still extremely revelant to today. The only other comparable work of fiction I would describe as epic in this sense is The Lord of The Rings. I am definitely going to continue reading the series.

For such a famous and epic book there are plenty of detailed reviews for you to peruse. I'll only highlight the themes I identified and top line likes and dislikes about the book.

Themes
  • Commentary on ecology and Earth's environmental crises 
  • Investigation into different sorts of power e.g. resource control (spice production, a clear metaphor to oil in the Middle East), 'soft' political control (bene gesserit and other religious sects), 'hard' militarised imperial political control (classism with the Landsraad, Emperor, salusa secundus, and racism against the Freman).
  • Eugenics lack of morality e.g. the bene gesserit breeding program, and 'race conciousness'. I can see why the fascists love it so much. I read the book as criticising rather than advocating this point though.
  • Beware of 'heroes'/'Messiahs/Leaders - Keynes's last words were explicitly that Dune did not need Paul the Hero. The Freman would have been better liberating themselves on their own terms with their own ecology and power plan.
  • Investigation into the powers of the mind, mental capacities, and different ways of seeing. Perhaps influenced/inspired by 60s psychodelic drugs?

Likes
  • I enjoyed this as an opposition to Assimov's Foundation series where everything is determined by computers and tehcnology and statistics etc. Dune felt like the mirror image demonstrated in the powers of the mentat and the butlerian jihad. 
  •  Finally, women power! The bene gesserit. The Fremen women. Even Princess Irulan to a degree. Ok, they're not morally 'good' and don't have a lot of power, but women, with some agency, in a book from the 60s!
  • The whole world building was beautiful and swept me up. Though detailed, long, and written a long time ago, I found it very easy to read.
  • The three appendices: ecology of Dune, religion of Dune, Bene Gesserit motives and purposes.

Dislikes
  • Alia. Just weird. I suppose that's the point of her, but, just nope. 
  • I find it difficult to believe that the missionaria protectivia planted the religious seed of The Prophet. Although reasonable (and possibly a shrewd criticism of religion in general), I get the niggly sense that this may have some unconcious bias or tinged racism to it. The fact that an entire people (brown, Islamic inspired people) so easily adopted this narrative of an outsider arriving to be their saviour... just I don't know, it was the only thing I thought hmmm really, sounds a bit off? I'd like to read reviews from Middle Eastern people to hear their opinions about whether Dune is racist or not.
  • Outdated homophobia painting Baron Harkonnen as a depraved homosexual. The film made a good call in updating this aspect. On this point, the film adapted the book brilliantly. It was largely true to the source material and anything it left out or embellished was to enhance the core story and update the text beyond homophobia, sexism, racism etc. So, bravo! I look forward to watching part II at the cinema when it's released.
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