Frank Herbert

Published: 16 Mar 2025

Dune book cover

Quick storygraph summary:

I’ll be wholly up-front - I just simply do not understand the plaudits and accolades Dune gets. I’ve tried to read this numerous times, often giving up in the opening 30-50 page stretch, but I finally persevered almost out a sense of ‘obligation’, what sort of sci-fi reader are you, if you haven’t even read Dune? I don’t regret it, but the whole experience was thoroughly underwhelming.

I loved the worldbuilding, more specifically the dusty, sandy planet of Dune itself, the local denizens, Sandworms, the melange spice and the ecological focus of what life would be like on such hostile terrain. Unfortunately, outside of that rather small section of what the whole book comprises, I found myself getting very little out of it - seeing Dune as more of a space opera than a pure sci-fi book with its relentless focus on politicking, debating and conversation between the many characters (the more important ones, the more boring, Paul and Jessica the main offenders), which constantly undermines any potential suspense and intrigue that may be generated through spelled out predictions and premonitions. Paul begins the book as the Chosen One, the Kwisatz Haderach, the Lisan Al Gaib - and it ends as such, with absolutely no twists or mysteries to keep you reading, turning prose into nothing but a ponderous, laboured slog. Say what you want about how the book shows its age in its treatment of women (all end up being largely useless appendages to more important male characters by the end) or its use of Islamic/Arabic cultures as ‘oriental flavouring’ (which I don’t buy myself as negative), it just simply did not engage me. I appreciate it for its lasting cultural legacy and impact on the sci-fi world, and for those who did enjoy it - more power to you, but I’m just left befuddled.