A mother and her son trek across an endless desert. Wearing special skin-tight suits to dissipate heat and recycle moisture, the travelers aren’t worried about dying of thirst. Their fears are much greater. The pair try to walk without rhythm, letting the vibrations of their footsteps blend into the shifting sands. But soon, the sound of the desert is drowned out by a louder hissing. As a mound of sand races towards them, the pair’s unnatural gait turns into a sprint. The two clamber into a nearby rock face, as a sandworm 400 meters long bursts from the desert floor. This is the world of "Dune."
Written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965, "Dune" takes place in a far-flung future, where humanity rules the stars in a giant feudal empire. This medieval motif goes beyond just the government. Unlike most interstellar sci-fi, Herbert's humans conquered the stars without any computers. Following an ancient war with robots, humanity has forbidden the construction of any machine “in the likeness of a human mind.” But rather than stifling their expansion, this edict forced humans to evolve in startling ways— becoming biological computers, psychic witches, and prescient space pilots. Members of these super-powered factions are regularly employed by various noble houses, all competing for power and new planets to add to their kingdoms.
But almost all these superhuman skills rely on the same precious resource: the spice. This mystical crop also known as “melange” is essential for all space travel, making it the cornerstone of the galactic economy. And it only grows on the desert planet Arrakis, a dangerous and inhospitable world whose native inhabitants have long rebelled against the empire.
Arrakis, also called Dune, is the setting for Herbert’s novel, which follows Paul of the noble House Atreides. The book begins with Paul’s family being assigned control of Dune as part of an elaborate plot by their sworn enemies: the sadistic slave drivers of House Harkonnen. The conflict between these houses upends the delicate political balance on Arrakis. Soon, Paul is catapulted into the middle of a planetary revolution, where he must prove himself capable of leading— and surviving— on this hostile desert world.
But Arrakis is not simply an endless sea of sand. Herbert was an avid environmentalist, who spent over five years creating Dune’s complex ecosystem. The planet is checkered with climate belts and wind tunnels that have shaped its rocky topography. Different temperate zones produce varying desert flora. And almost every element of Dune’s ecosystem works together to produce the planet’s essential export.
Herbert’s world building also includes a rich web of philosophy and religion. Paul’s mother Jessica, is a member of the Bene Gesserit, an ancient cult of spice-assisted psychics. Sometimes called “witches” for their mysterious powers, the Bene Gesserit have operated as a shadow government for millennia in an effort to guide society towards enlightenment. Similarly ancient are the Mentats— human computers capable of processing incredible amounts of data. While the Mentats are bastions of logic and reason, their results are not mere calculations, but rather, streams of constantly shifting possibilities. However, no group is more central to "Dune" than the Fremen. Natives of Arrakis, they are the keepers of the planet’s many secrets. Paul’s journey takes him deep into the Fremen’s exclusive brotherhood, where he must prove himself trustworthy in a series of increasingly deadly challenges.
All these factions have deep histories that pervade the text, and Herbert also incorporates that sense of scale into the book’s structure. Each chapter begins with a quote from a future history book, recalling elements of the events that are about to unfold. The book also contains in-universe appendices that further explore the Empire’s history; alongside a glossary of words like “Gom jabbar” and “Shai-Hulud."
Dune’s epic story continues to unfold over a six-book saga that spans millennia. But every story of Arrakis’ future begins here: as Paul pursues a path that is dangerous, demanding, and always on the verge of being consumed by the oncoming storm.
