Back

reviewed Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1) by Frank Herbert (Dune Chronicles, #1)

Frank Herbert: Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1) (Paperback, 2005, Ace Trade) 4 stars

Dune is a 1965 science-fiction novel by American author Frank Herbert, originally published as two …

Worldbuilding is top, story is meh.

4 stars

The first roughly two chapters were quite difficult to get into. Many terms I didn't understand, and I naturally didn't have a grasp of the political landscape, which would've been quite important to understand at the start. However, this feeling soon went away, as the situation became clearer.

I didn't like the story arc at all. The buildup was huge and monumental, but the resolution was frustratingly lame. Maybe this is only because this book is the first of a series, but still not satisfying.

What I really liked, was the world building. Instead of focusing on a technology-dominated future, Herbert forbid all AI-related machinery in his novel and instead focused on enhanced capabilities of humans. A concept that I'd say really worked out. The ecosystem of Arrakis is quite interesting too, as is the way of living of its inhabitants. And glimpses the reader gets into the politics, economy, and religion are also fascinating.