Dune

Frank Herbert

1965 (fixup)

Dune.

Glowing a tawny gold in the light from its sun it little looks like the most important planet in the vast Imperial domain. But without Dune there would be no empire for Dune was the only planet in the known universe where the mystical spice melange was to be found. Melange, the spice that enabled the Space Guild to guide their star ships between the stars. Melange, the spice that enabled the nobles of the Imperium to extend their lives over centuries. Melange that powered the prophecies of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood. Melange that... well you get the picture...

Vital to the Imperium, the only source of the spice is the inhospitable world Dune. Given to Houses in the favour of the Emperor, Dune has passed from the control of House Harkonnen to House Atriedes, ancient enemies of the foul Harkonnen.

But not all is as it seems and there are plots within plots as the Great Powers of the galaxy manoeuvre for control of the spice and the power and riches it confers on those who hold it. Unknown to the galactics, though, Dune had a huge population of its own and in the son of House Atriedes they had found their Messiah, the Bene Gesserit's mystical Kwisatz Haderach. The one who would lead them in Jihad against the Galaxy.

Can Paul Atriedes and the Fremen survive the crushing power that will be brought against them?

This is an amazingly dense book as Herbert fills in the background politics without leaving Dune. He also managed to create a genuinely interesting ecology for the desert world along with some of the most memorable creatures in Science Fiction.

There are a further five books in this universe by Frank Herbert. They are:

• Dune Messiah
• Children of Dune
• God Emperor of Dune
• Heretics of Dune
• Chapterhouse Dune

Frank's son and his co-author, Kevin Anderson, have also written addition pre- and sequels of varying quality.

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This is part of the Masterworks Hardback series.

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