Browse > Home / Books, Headlines, Living & Arts / Sci-Fi Juggernauts: Dune

Sci-Fi Juggernauts: Dune

December 11, 2007

Frank Herbert's classic mirrors current events.

by Sinjin Jones

Dune.jpgThere are dozens of classic novels that fall under the category of “must-read” science fiction. Throughout this year, I will examine why a handful of these particular works are absolutely essential additions to everyone's reading list, even those who do not consider themselves science fiction fans.

"Religion and law among our masses must be one and the same…"
-Duke Leto, Dune

    Dune, by Frank Herbert, is a novel that strikes chords with science fiction fans all over the world because of its intricate plot, its mirroring of modern society, and the entertainment derived from reading it. Spawning a successful movie, miniseries, and a collection of sequels, this novel will live on in the vaults of literature for years to come.

    The story begins eight thousand years in the future. Humanity has sprung forth into the universe and has colonized many planets. Duke Leto, of the house of Atreides on planet Caladan, readies to take his new post as governor of a desert planet called Arrakis. It is a planet known for its abundant sources of melange, an extremely popular drug known as "spice". The Duke's son, Paul, is beginning to learn of a great power that resides within him, inherited from his mother, Jessica. Despite constant warnings that this new post is merely a plot by the Harkonnens to take down the Duke and impress the Emperor, the Duke's rivals, he opts in favor of the melange and moves his family to the planet. When it is revealed that the worries of his men were correct and a close friend betrays him, the world of Arrakis becomes a place of war, growth, hatred, and love. Through political intrigue and inner growth the plot follows the son, Paul, on his journey to understand himself, his power, and the world around him.

    A major theme that arises from Dune is that of religion and how it relates to power. Through the Bene Gesserit, a mystical order possessing great religious knowledge of the past and how to use it to protect its members, along with the Fremen, the indigenous inhabitants of Arrakis and their unity under Dr. Kynes (Freman leader and planetary ecologist), religion comes to represent a source of solace and power. As the Fremen see Paul as a prophet, he asserts his religious power over them to gain his own ends. This level of complexity in the themes of Dune provides, for the casual reader, intricacy that increases the plot's immersive nature and, for the comprehensive reader, it provides a facet of humanity mirrored in art.

    Writing for purpose is a recurring theme in important literature, and Dune follows this trend. The spice-like hallucinogen, melange, is found in limited supply upon the planet of Arrakis. It is the main purpose Duke Leto is so vehement about taking up the post, though it may be a trap. During the period that Dune was written, the 1960s, experimentation with hallucinogenic drugs was becoming popular. Herbert experiments with the notion of drugs as being gateways to true sight. Melange is a major source of Paul's growing power as a seer. However, melange is addictive in large quantities, and Paul needs an increasing amount to support his habit or he cannot survive. Writers like Aldous Huxley (Brave New World, The Doors of Perception) have investigated the effect of drugs on perception, but Herbert explores it in a more positive light: as a useful source of power rather than merely a  recreational substance. Drugs, in this sense, are a metaphor for oil in our modern society. Those who control the oil control the world; similarly, those who control the melange control the universe in Dune.

    The writing style of Frank Herbert is one that mesmerizes: "He found that he no longer could hate the Bene Gesserit or the Emperor or even the Harkonnens. They were all caught up in the need of their race to renew its scattered inheritance, to cross and mingle and infuse their bloodlines in a great new pooling of genes. And the race knew only one sure way for this—the ancient way . . . jihad. (Dune).” Straying from the complicated and outright neo-political messages of George Orwell, Herbert takes a passive approach, with plot and significance playing equal roles center stage. The ease of reading makes this novel a much more approachable archway through which to enter the land of science fiction.

    Dune is a magnificent choice if one wishes to delve into the realm of science fiction but is hesitant due to the genre’s complexity. Though it is a long novel, enjoying every page is virtually inevitable, and its themes provide interesting insights into our own world.

Print This Article Print This Article

Written by Sinjin Jones · Filed Under Books, Headlines, Living & Arts