'Dune' by Frank Herbert

This novel is an epic in both scale and length. At times, the imagination required to picture such an alien landscape is difficult to comprehend. Just as difficult, in fact, as wading through some of the over-extended sentences that Herbert is prone to using on occasion. Open any page in Dune and both will be present in large doses.

That is not to say that it is not an enjoyable read, it certainly is, but it is by no means a fast one. At first, we are introduced to the House Atreides, of which the main character Paul is a member. His father, Duke Leto, has been maneuvered into taking over the governorship of a barren desert world known as Arrakis.

Their stay on Arrakis quickly descends into violence as it gradually becomes clear that the Duke is being used. His great rival, the Baron Harkonnen is behind this plot. Harkonnen is a fantastic literary creation, full of the contradictions and bloodlust of a man obsessed with power. The contempt with which he treats even his own family is something to behold.

Amongst the chaos following the Baron's plot, we pick up the story with Paul, who is cast out amongst the natives of Arrakis. Paul's tale is one that is often difficult to follow, largely due to the sheer number of names that Herbert insists on calling him, for example: Paul, Muad'Dib, Kwaitz-Haderach and Usul to mention but a few. Nonetheless, the harsh beauty of the landscape is conveyed throughout and the characterisation of the natives is very well executed.

Following a series of violent encounters, Paul finds himself as the leader of the natives. He is pushed forward following a prophecy given to them and as a result finds himself as the leader of not just an army, but a religious movement. It is a role that he resists but nonetheless has to accept. As a result, by the close of the book, he has become assured in his decisions, perhaps to his detriment.

His mother Jessica, who accompanies him throughout, attempts to keep him on a mortal plane but she struggles with the task. She gives birth to Paul's sister, who may yet hold the key to his grand plans. The climax of the book leaves as many questions as it does answers but it can be assured that both of them have an important role to play in the remaining books of the trilogy.

Overall, 'Dune' is a fine work of Science Fiction that is perhaps not worthy of the title 'greatest ever' with which it is often burdened. It is a book filled with tremendous landscapes, yet, sometimes the similies seem just as extended. Despite that reservation, I would recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in sci-fi.