C
Dune, the Lord of the Rings of science fiction. You know how influential this book is even if you haven’t read it. It’s biblical, literally. Reading this book feels like reading The Bible. Every chapter starts with a quote from a religious teaching within the world of Dune, every character’s inner thoughts and intentions are displayed plainly in text, and the prose is far more fantastic than analytical. It’s a style that I’m usually not interested in when it comes to sci-fi or fiction in general, but I was completely on board with it here.
There is a lot to love about Dune, from its fascinating world to the themes of colonialism and religion that reflect our current society and even environmentalism that feels more relevant now than it did back in 1965. Technology has advanced so far that humans have colonized entire planets, yet society has reverted back to feudalism. Despite the hi-tech weaponry and gear available, battles still have to be fought largely in hand-to-hand combat. It’s a cynical thought that humanity, for all of our advances, cannot break free of the systems of control and violence. Much like the inhabitants of Arrakis, Dune’s worldbuilding does a lot with very little. Only three houses are ever mentioned by name, four if you want to count the emperor himself, but it feels like there are dozens if not more that are taking part in the exploitation of Arrakis’ resources. There is a rich history that is only ever mentioned in passing, but even the small glimpses seen inform the current state of society in the universe.
What sells me on this world is how much of it can be compared almost 1:1 to reality. Arrakis is stripped of its resources by the wealthy elites of society, rendering it an inhospitable wasteland in the same manner an oil company pollutes our world. Fremen prophecy and religion are not born of mysticism, but were planted by the Bene Gesserit in the same way a Christian missionary spreads its ideals and attempts to erase indigenous beliefs. Paul’s story is largely based on T. E. Lawrence and his role in the Arab revolt against the Ottomans.
There is an underlying cruelty to Paul’s rise to power that is the crux to understanding the message behind Dune that heroism and hero worship is a dangerous and destructive tool. Because the book follows the perspective of multiple people, often times within the same chapter, we see how Paul is viewed by his family and followers, and they fear him. Even what should be a happy reunion late in the book between him and his old mentor Gurney is undermined by the deaths of many of Gurney’s new friends, who he quickly abandons to follow Paul. While the Harkonnens cruel occupation of Arrakis is ended and the Atreides family is avenged, it doesn’t feel like a triumph when Paul ascends to the throne. The systems of exploitation are still present, and the promise of restoring Arrakis to a habitable planet is unfulfilled with no intention of making it so.
For such a long and dense book, Dune is pretty easy to follow. There is a bit of lore dumping in the beginning, but it’s not so egregious that it detracts from the immersion and it is all necessary information in order to follow what happens. It’s a timeless story that lambasts the common tropes of classic hero tales and shows the harsh toll that kind of legend takes on its subjects and its believers.
Dune, the Lord of the Rings of science fiction. You know how influential this book is even if you haven’t read it. It’s biblical, literally. Reading this book feels like reading The Bible. Every chapter starts with a quote from a religious teaching within the world of Dune, every character’s inner thoughts and intentions are displayed plainly in text, and the prose is far more fantastic than analytical. It’s a style that I’m usually not interested in when it comes to sci-fi or fiction in general, but I was completely on board with it here.
There is a lot to love about Dune, from its fascinating world to the themes of colonialism and religion that reflect our current society and even environmentalism that feels more relevant now than it did back in 1965. Technology has advanced so far that humans have colonized entire planets, yet society has reverted back to feudalism. Despite the hi-tech weaponry and gear available, battles still have to be fought largely in hand-to-hand combat. It’s a cynical thought that humanity, for all of our advances, cannot break free of the systems of control and violence. Much like the inhabitants of Arrakis, Dune’s worldbuilding does a lot with very little. Only three houses are ever mentioned by name, four if you want to count the emperor himself, but it feels like there are dozens if not more that are taking part in the exploitation of Arrakis’ resources. There is a rich history that is only ever mentioned in passing, but even the small glimpses seen inform the current state of society in the universe.
What sells me on this world is how much of it can be compared almost 1:1 to reality. Arrakis is stripped of its resources by the wealthy elites of society, rendering it an inhospitable wasteland in the same manner an oil company pollutes our world. Fremen prophecy and religion are not born of mysticism, but were planted by the Bene Gesserit in the same way a Christian missionary spreads its ideals and attempts to erase indigenous beliefs. Paul’s story is largely based on T. E. Lawrence and his role in the Arab revolt against the Ottomans.
There is an underlying cruelty to Paul’s rise to power that is the crux to understanding the message behind Dune that heroism and hero worship is a dangerous and destructive tool. Because the book follows the perspective of multiple people, often times within the same chapter, we see how Paul is viewed by his family and followers, and they fear him. Even what should be a happy reunion late in the book between him and his old mentor Gurney is undermined by the deaths of many of Gurney’s new friends, who he quickly abandons to follow Paul. While the Harkonnens cruel occupation of Arrakis is ended and the Atreides family is avenged, it doesn’t feel like a triumph when Paul ascends to the throne. The systems of exploitation are still present, and the promise of restoring Arrakis to a habitable planet is unfulfilled with no intention of making it so.
For such a long and dense book, Dune is pretty easy to follow. There is a bit of lore dumping in the beginning, but it’s not so egregious that it detracts from the immersion and it is all necessary information in order to follow what happens. It’s a timeless story that lambasts the common tropes of classic hero tales and shows the harsh toll that kind of legend takes on its subjects and its believers.