Book recommendation for May 2025: “Dune” by Frank Herbert
This is the most epic of epic science fiction novels and was a winner of both the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award (as the inaugural winner). For me, Dune is to science fiction what Lord of the Rings is to fantasy; the pinnacle of the genre.
What’s it about: It is the tale of Paul Atreides, whose birth completes a centuries old plan by “Bene Gesserits” (a group of female super psychics) to bring about a Messiah-like figure to overthrow the current ruling Empire in the galaxy. It is set on the harsh desert world of Arrakis, which is the only producer of the spice “melange” that is crucial to inter-galactic travel, as well as powering psychic abilities of various peoples.
Why I love it: Frankly, there is nothing I don’t like. Even the omniscient narrator, which is a hard to pull off style that is not always handled well (Dune and Lord of the Rings are two books that nail it, in my view) and the style gives away spoilers to the reader as you go through, but even that wasn’t negative as it was written so well it heightened tension. There are giant sandworms that the fremen (the native people of Arrakis that Paul joins) ride across the desert, political intrigue between various powerful families, betrayals, epic battles and psychic super-women. It is the most epic of epic sci-fi (though an argument could be made Dune is more space-fantasy as “thinking machines” are banned and much of the achievements are mental rather than technological. But I digress). And it’s a book I have re-read. Given my enormous, ever-expanding “to-read” pile, that itself should tell you how much I love it.
Beyond the book: I’d always loved science fiction movies (the original Star Wars trilogy and Alien are some of my favourite films) but prior to Dune, I mostly read fantasy, crime and thrillers. Dune turned me from sci-fi watcher into a sci-fi reader and, ultimately, set my course to become a sci-fi writer.
I was also lucky enough to meet Kevin J. Anderson while I was at the Writers of the Future workshops in Hollywood (he is a judge, a lovely guy, and he gave an excellent lecture), who carried on the Dune franchise with Frank Herbert’s son, Brian Herbert, after Frank Herbert’s death. Their book, Sisterhood of Dune, inspired the new HBO series Dune: Prophecy.
Oh, and did I mention that Frank Herbert was a judge for the Writers of the Future contest, and Brian Herbert remains a judge to this day too? Little did I know when I picked up Dune for a bargain 3 for £10 deal while at university that it would influence me so much or that I would form connections with the authors of the franchise through Writers of the Future (which I hadn’t even heard of at that point). The universe works in mysterious ways!
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