Dune is the only book Frank Herbert ever wrote that's worth reading. Take my advice: avoid the sequels, and only watch the movie for its high camp value. If you can forgive him for turning one great idea into a crappy franchise of mediocre sequels and just judge
Dune on its own merits, it is an amazing book: complex, intelligent, and tremendously entertaining. Inarguably a sci-fi classic,
Dune is another book on my mother's list of required reading for cultural literacy. (Um. In case any of you were keeping track.)
Note: Mr. Herbert and his wife Beverly (who apparently had some literary aspirations of her own, which were kicked to the curb in order to help with her husband's writing) were a writing team--she edited his books and served as a sounding board for ideas. Their story is told in the book
Dreamer of Dune, which was written by their son Brian.
Aftertaste:See above.
Availability:Everywhere
Other Recommendations:The
His Dark Materials trilogy, by
Phillip PullmanThe
Blue Sword, by
Robin McKinley
Comments
hdrygas
Well I met Frank Herbert. His wife was dieing of Breast Ca been diagnosed with metastatic Breast CA by the time the first movie was out. I have a signed second edition ( first not in a book hard or paper but Amazing magazine) the second edition was paper back. I met him after his wife died and he was a kind gentle sole. We had a long talk at Group Heath Coop where his wife received care. He did not believe that I had saved the paper back book from my high school years. I still have that signed copy. I will passed it on. I would agree the first work was the most engaging but the further works filled out the narrative. Each is important in the whole. I still love the first the best.