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Product Description
Product Description
Herbert's evocative, epic tales are set on the desert planet Arrakis, the focus for a complex political and military struggle with galaxy-wide repercussions. Arrakis is the source of spice, a mind enhancing drug which makes interstellar travel possible; it is the most valuable substance in the galaxy. When Duke Atreides and his family take up court there, they fall into a trap set by the Duke's bitter rival, Baron Harkonnen. The Duke is poisoned, but his wife and her son Paul escape to the vast and arid deserts of Arrakis, which have given the planet its nickname of Dune. Paul and his mother join the Fremen, the Arrakis natives, ho have learnt to live in this harsh and complex ecosystem. But learning to survive is not enough - Paul's destiny was mapped out long ago and his mother is committed to seeing it fulfilled.
About the Author
Frank Herbert (1920-86) was born in Tacoma, Washington and worked as a reporter and later editor of a number of West Coast newspapers before becoming a full-time writer. His first sf story was published in 1952 but he achieved fame more than ten years later with the publication in Analog of 'Dune World' and 'The Prophet of Dune', amalgamated into the Hugo and Nebula-winning novel DUNE in 1965.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absolute classic of Science Fiction!!,
By
This review is from: The Great Dune Trilogy: Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune (Gollancz S.F.) (Paperback)
DUNE: If you like Sci-Fi/Fantasy but haven't read Dune, well it's almost as criminal as not having read The Lord of the Rings, you owe it to yourself to pick this up and read it immediately!! Dune is, in my humble opinion, probably the greatest Sci-Fi book ever written - it is a heavy mix of political machinations, planet-hopping war and diplomacy, and a deep philosophical look at religion and the role of a messianic figure upon shaping human history. Frank Herbert's prose is extraordinary and really gets you inside character's heads, especially that of the 'protagonist' Paul Atreides; the chapters are also broken up with little quips and quotes that further embellish and enhance the complex universe that he has created. I won't go into plot details, because there are numerous reviews of this story all over the internet. 5/5
DUNE MESSIAH: For some reason this short sequel to Dune, which really just acts a bridge to get the reader to Children of Dune, has attracted some negative comments in the past but I still can not fathom why!? Dune is a very self-contained story and you can stop right there and not continue if you wish, but if you do choose to read Messiah then you get a turn-around of the relatively optimistic(?) ending of the first book and in my opinion a very exciting launch of a greater universe for the Dune novels. Dune Messiah is actually a very tight and well paced book, with great characterisation and an excellent plot that comes together nicely at the end - the short length is actually ideal in my opinion and the book doesn't overstay it's welcome; it also leads very nicely into the next book. 4.5/5 CHILDREN OF DUNE: This third part of the trilogy, which essentially finishes the tale of Paul Atreides, is the weakest of the three in my opinion; that is in no way saying that it is a weak book, far from it!! This book heads much more into the realm of political drama, and for such a large book, it doesn't feel like a lot happens really, but the insights we get into the characters, the concepts and plot-lines are fascinating and the resolution to this story arc is very left-field and brave. It is actually quite sad at the end of the book to be saying goodbye to these wonderful characters that so much time has been invested into, as the next novel God Emperor of Dune (not included in this collection) takes place thousands of years into the future. All-in-all, a satisfying end to the first Great Trilogy of Dune. 4/5 --------------------------------------------- GREAT DUNE TRILOGY: I'd just like to review the book itself. It is great to have all three stories in one volume, and good value for money in my opinion. However, the book itself is extremely cumbersome and quite difficult to read when out and about; this is not something you can take on the tube!! This lead me eventually to pick up Children of Dune as a separate book, as I just got fed up of having to make room for a gigantic tome in my bag - ideally I would suggest picking up the three books separately, but for some reason Gollancz only publish Children of Dune in the same cover design, which I like a lot, which I think is an extremely odd decision!?
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent,
By
This review is from: The Great Dune Trilogy: Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune (Gollancz S.F.) (Paperback)
An amazing collection.
They are told with such grace, and subtlety, the dialogue is so cleverly writen that the action regularly takes the backstage. Epic scale, sheer brilliance and uncanny foresight will guarantee that these books will remain beautiful, timeless classics. Ahead of the game in almost every area both then and now. Do not let these gems pass you by. Honestly
27 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Series which Broke the Mould,
By Rod Williams (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Great Dune Trilogy: Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune (Gollancz S.F.) (Paperback)
A novel which broke the mould, reinvented the concept of Space Opera and begot a minor cult, as groundbreaking novels are wont to do. It’s rather spooky to look at Dune again in the light of the Iraq War, since we have in this book a situation where a desert people are militarily outclassed and dominated by a Superpower which wishes to retain control over the desert’s vital resource. In this case it isn’t control of oil which is being fought over, but the melange spice of Arrakis, just as vital to transportation between stars as oil is for transportation between cities. One could possibly compare the USA with the Evil Empire of Shaddam (even that name has a spooky resonance, but with the wrong side) and the planet Arrakis with the Middle East, but one would have to examine Arab-American relations in the Nineteen Sixties to get much mileage from that. Undeniably, the Fremen are essentially Arabic in flavour, but he rest of Galactic Society is based around a feudal aristocratic system of powerful Houses, presided over by the Emperor Shaddam. It is an aggressive and brutal system in which assassination and treachery are rife. Interlacing this network of families is the Sisterhood of the Bene Gesserit, an organisation which has its own reasons for an intense interest in the melange spice, a strange organic substance which can endow its users with a form of prescience and telepathy. Another major player in the politics of the galaxy is the Spacer’s Guild, a professional group of mutated humans who use the properties of the spice to sense changes in space and steer ships through hyperspace across the galaxy. They are also bound into the political web which is battling for control of Arrakis, since without the spice, which can only be found on Arrakis, the guildsmen would be useless, and traffic throughout the galaxy would come to a halt. Herbert skilfully stage-manages the political manoeuvring and chicanery which may or may not be being controlled from behind the scenes by the Sisterhood. Thus it seems as though politics itself conspires to set in motion the events leading to the fulfilment of a Bene Gesserit prophesy. Ironically, the religion which is integral to Fremen life contains elements implanted centuries before by the Bene Gesserit in order that the Sisterhood would be welcomed by their society. Thus, the Fremen, like the Sisterhood themselves, also know of the prophecy of the Kwisatz Hadderach. It’s a clever trick on Herbert’s part, as the coming of the Superior Being can be seen as both the unexpected culmination of a long term Bene Gesserit plan, or the true fulfilment of a long religious expectation on the part of the Fremen. It’s not by any means an anti-religious book, although it is realistic about the nature of organised religion. It shows that religious systems are, by their very nature, political systems, or at least are tied into the political structures within which they exist. Herbert’s universe of techno-feudalism is so well realised the reader feels quite at ease with the absurd and anachronistic ideas of Dukes and Barons wielding power over dominions of planets. There is a pervasive atmosphere of decadence and unhealthy opulence (particularly with regard to the House Harkonnen whose Baron is a corpulent gay monster who revels in the sexual gratification derived from the dying throes of his young victims) which is contrasted with the simple yet disciplined lives of the Fremen. If you've never read these books, then start now. Travel to another world. Enjoy!
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