Dune by Frank Herbert: my favorite fantasy/sci-fi thus far
IN 2006 I asked my friend Juanchi Pablo what book he liked best. His first answer was Dune by Frank Herbert.
I remembered what he said when I started reading the book two weeks ago, in between study breaks (I'm on my medical boards review). I finished Dune yesterday. I can't wait to start on the next novel in the series—maybe after I finish my academic reading backlog. In August.
Now I know how it feels like to cheer for Paul Artreides, also called the Muad'Dib of the Fremen in planet Arrakis. The Bene Gesserit women, especially Paul's mother Lady Jessica, are quite the characters, too. I wonder how The Voice sounds like—it's a technique used by the specially trained women to manipulate others. The Reverend Mother Helen Gaius Mohiam is scary; as the Imperial Truthsayer she seems to know everything—that is, until she meets Alia, the scary child sister of Paul, who calls her an old fool. Classic.
The villains are also notable: the Baron (who turns out to be Lady Jessica's biological father), the Emperor (who commands the much feared Sardaukar army), the Harkonnens (the sworn enemies of the Fremen), and the Guildsmen (who will do anything to gain the spice, also known as the most valuable substance in the Universe).
I love how the novel shows the interplay of power, politics, family, and friendship.
Dune is a great novel, definitely one of my favorites from this day onward. Too bad it hasn't been given the acclaim it deserves just because it's science fiction. A friend tells me there's a movie that can be streamed over Facebook. I'm almost sure it's not going to be as good as the book, but I'm intrigued how the blue-eyed Fremen are portrayed, or how the worms wiggle about the desert sand.
I remembered what he said when I started reading the book two weeks ago, in between study breaks (I'm on my medical boards review). I finished Dune yesterday. I can't wait to start on the next novel in the series—maybe after I finish my academic reading backlog. In August.
Now I know how it feels like to cheer for Paul Artreides, also called the Muad'Dib of the Fremen in planet Arrakis. The Bene Gesserit women, especially Paul's mother Lady Jessica, are quite the characters, too. I wonder how The Voice sounds like—it's a technique used by the specially trained women to manipulate others. The Reverend Mother Helen Gaius Mohiam is scary; as the Imperial Truthsayer she seems to know everything—that is, until she meets Alia, the scary child sister of Paul, who calls her an old fool. Classic.
The villains are also notable: the Baron (who turns out to be Lady Jessica's biological father), the Emperor (who commands the much feared Sardaukar army), the Harkonnens (the sworn enemies of the Fremen), and the Guildsmen (who will do anything to gain the spice, also known as the most valuable substance in the Universe).
I love how the novel shows the interplay of power, politics, family, and friendship.
Dune is a great novel, definitely one of my favorites from this day onward. Too bad it hasn't been given the acclaim it deserves just because it's science fiction. A friend tells me there's a movie that can be streamed over Facebook. I'm almost sure it's not going to be as good as the book, but I'm intrigued how the blue-eyed Fremen are portrayed, or how the worms wiggle about the desert sand.
Labels: books/reading
posted on June 07, 2014
2 Comments:
I don't know about the movie but I heard there was a mini-series that Sting acted in. I don't think it got good reviews.
Ah, Sting was in the film but there was also a mini-series in the Sci-Fi channel. More on the film: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/03/the-messy-misunderstood-glory-of-david-lynchs-em-dune-em/284316/
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