Dune is a story that takes place thousands of years in the future on a planet that is
essentially a massive desert wasteland. This planet, called Arrakis, is home to a very valuable
spice that can extend people’s lives, give them psychic powers, or grant an advanced control
over the cosmos. Thus, control over this planet is a top priority for many, so the story follows
Paul Atriedes as he is destined to protect it, himself, and his family from the opposing noble
Houses of the galaxy; however, he won’t be able to do any of this until he masters the power
passed down to him by his mother: Voice. Dune is the first of a 6 book long series.
This book is very lengthy, as it spends a lot of time developing the world and characters.
A lot of the phrases used are inspired by Islamic culture, and this really struck a chord with me
because I was able to pick up on different references that really fit into the political theme of
colonization that encompasses the book. Dune is a little hard to get into at first because of its
admittedly sluggish start, but it really picks up after the first few chapters. I’d recommend this
book to anybody that likes Sci-fi or movies that Dune inspired such as Star Wars. I’d also
recommend it to people that can either read fast or have a lot of time on their hands.