Dune

Rating:
Summary: The best book on Old Terra... if you have stamina
Review: The detail and insight Frank Herbert displays together with a rousing and intense plot mix violently to form a science-fiction novel that perhaps never will be surpassed.

And yet I know someone who got to a turning point of the book and then stopped reading because they weren't sufficiently enchanted by Herbert's awesome world-building. This is not a book for the impatient or easily-wearied.

But Herbert was a brilliant man. He deliberately and cleverly avoids including 'futuristic' technologies, despite the scenario being set millenia from now. This and the primitive lifestyle of the desert-planet's natives (the Fremen) give the book a fantasy feel without the mind-numbing embarassment of including dwarfs and dragons, instead creating a fresh idea of science-fantasy with super-human Bene Gesserit and desert-roaming sandworms.

The characters are superb, each very strongly motivated within the brilliantly constructed world. And don't think Herbert is scared to see large numbers of the cast die horribly through the course of the book (and the trilogy). Not once are you left knowing what is about to happen, and, each time something major happens, you'll find yourself quietly wishing that your favourite characters aren't going to perish.

One last thing. Some people complain that a certain decisive battle is not described in enough length. This seems a stupid argument to me when the description of war combat would have been far less interesting than the ending we do get: a tense and exciting battle of words, then a hand-to-hand duel.

If you've ever liked deeply involving plots and large, large worlds, you should read this book. (Then die in vain looking for a superior one.)

Rating:
Summary: Read This Book
Review: Dune is one of the most profound and amazing books I have ever read. I am a voracious reader, (especially science fiction), but this book is unique. The depth of the characters and the amazing backdrop add to the raw power of this book. This book is like the spice, you can become addicted to it. Please read this book and join those with the eyes of the Ibad.

Rating:
Summary: This Book is the Bomb!
Review: This book is easily among the top five greatest science fiction books ever written. Frank Herbert leads the reader on a magnificent trail through the life of one young boy and the fate of a planet. If I could only read one book in my life, this would be it.

Rating:
Summary: Dune offers the best story line, the world has ever seen.
Review: Immerse yourself into Dune.Frank Herbert is the best writer I have ever read, you do not read Dune, you live it.Dune may confuse even the best reader, but the sheer curiosity you gain from reading the first part will push you to read it again and again.Do not be swayed, Dune will capture your heart and never give it back.I recommend you buy the Dune soundtrack by Toto, and listen to it when you read, this will complete your own Dune atmosphere. Jacob Butler

Rating:
Summary: Impossibly original- absorbing- intelligent.
Review: This is a must read; it is complex, it does mix action, policital theory, romance, and about a thousand other things, but without a doubt this is one of the most intelligent, original visions of this century. It's been a favorite of mine since I first read it. Be warned- those with a very short attention span might lose interest due to the complexity of the plot- but it's worth your time an money to buy this one now.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most life-changing books of my life...
Review: After reading Dune, and of course every other book in the series that followed, I looked at my life in an entirely different way. I was able to indentify my strengths, and recognize my weaknesses. I no longer took the simple things in life for granted. Through the eyes of Paul and the nomadic lives of the Fremen, one gets educated in desert survival, knife fights, water conservation, and the subtilities of politics in any system....I re-read this series EVERY YEAR, and CONTINUE to be enriched by its unique perspective on the world.

Rating:
Summary: Spellbinding!
Review: Like many of the other reviewers, I first read dune when I was in high school and have not been able to put it down since! Never before has an author created a place so real. A literary masterpiece that skillfully blends together psychology, religion, ecology and politics. A must read for any true science fiction fan.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Finest SF novels
Review: Dune is a deep, interesting, detailed, exciting, thought-provoking book which is manditory for all SF enthusiasts. Herbert elegantly constructs and reveals a unique universe filled with political intrigue, religious manipulation, philosophy, and ecological realism (not environmentalism).

Rating:
Summary: Ahead of its time.
Review: Its hard to imagine that this book was written in the 60s. Dune's technology, from the stillsuits which retain body moisture in the desert to the terraforming effort, was far ahead of its time. Dune is a blend of both science fiction and politics. It is a must read and not just for the sci-fi aficiando.

Rating:
Summary: Read this book before you die.
Review: An incredible book. I have approximately 50 pages left to read and I have no qualms about saying this is one of the best books I have ever read. It's that simple.

A story of a man becoming. Poor Paul didn't really want to go to Arrakis but not yet having the power of prescience how could he know what kind of man or more accurately what kind of messiah he would become.

This is a story of a man realizing his potential. This is a story of religion. This is a story of humanity's need for religion. This is a story of humanity's adaptiveness.

The world Herbert creates is incredibly detailed. It really seems like you are on Arrakis. The water, or rather moisture, conservation techniques at first seem so outlandish, then become commonplace as begin you think of yourself as a Fremen living in the deep desert.

Several times, while reading this book, I would stop to quench the thirst that results from the land of Arrakis as it is portrayed. This is not a joke. ! Walking outside to get in my car after a few chapters and I found myself stepping without rhythm. Read the book and you'll understand that.

What else can I say? It's trite, I know, but this is an EPIC. I can't even begin to imagine how the rest of the series will represent itself. :) I simply cannot wait.