Read Dune - It’s mind blowing

I will never stop talking about the genius of Dune till the day I die 🥸🥸

Published in 1965, Frank Herbert, wrote a science fiction epic that was ahead of its time. Notorious for being immensely difficult to condense into the big screen, several directors have tried and failed to capture the essence of Dune.

Dune is a complex take on human intelligence, religion and ecology. Matters that are pressing issues in our current day were talked about in the world of Dune which is a testament to Herbert’s foresight.

🔖 CONTEXT [spoiler warning]:

Set 10,000 years into mankind’s future, men has destroyed all technology and computers following the war against thinking machines. Instead, human computers called, Mentats, were bred and used as replacements for computers. Mankind focused on sharpening the human mind and pushing it beyond its boundaries.

✧ Quote: “Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.”

The story follows Paul Atreides, heir of a noble family tasked to rule the inhospitable desert planet, Arrakis, or colloquially known as Dune. This planet also happens to be the only source of the most precious commodity and currency in the universe - the spice melange. It is a type of narcotic that prolongs life and enhances mental abilities. Responsible for the spice production are the giant sandworms that are native to Dune. In essence. whoever controls the spice, controls the universe.

The world of Dune is made up of several entities. The Landsraad (which makes up the six major noble houses, the more notable ones being House Atreides and House Harkonnen), The Bene Gesserit (a sisterhood that manipulates major events from the shadows), The Spacing Guild (who have a monopoly on space travel), The Imperium (the royal house led by the Padishah Emperor; ruler of the known universe) & The Fremen (native warrior people of the planet, Arrakis).

Generations of selective breeding culminated in Paul and he undergoes an ‘awakening’, which allows his eyes to be open to prescient visions induced by the psychoactive spice melange.

It becomes apparent pretty quickly into the story that a trap has been set in place for House Atreides after they take over stewardship of Arrakis. Paul will end up losing his father at the hands of the enemy. He will have no choice but to flee into the desert with his mother, Lady Jessica, where they are confronted by the Fremen. To avenge his father, Paul must compel them to fight with him.

☁️ MY THOUGHTS:

Dune isn’t a hero’s story. It is a cautionary tale that serves as a warning to us to never blindly follow charismatic leaders.

It also cautions us against stagnation - that if humans refused to take risks, mankind will grow complacent and become vulnerable to a single threat.

Frank Herbert is a genius and a man with incredible foresight. He tells you a story that is believable and grounded in reality.

I implore you to give it a read, if not, watch Denis Villeneuve’s movie adaptation of Dune. He has managed to masterfully capture the essence of Dune so beautifully. I am honestly so happy to be alive to both read and watch this masterpiece.

✧ FAVOURITE QUOTES:

“Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.”

“Paradise on my right, Hell on my left and the Angel of Death behind.”

“The power to destroy a thing is the absolute control over it.”

“Survival is the ability to swim in strange water.”

“Dreams are messages from the deep.” [From the 2021 movie]

📖: Dune

👨🏻‍🦳: Frank Herbert

Rating: 10,000/10

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