Dune
Sand, spice, and an empire built on one planet's monopoly. Herbert invented a universe that feels older than history and more alive than most real ones.
The Spice Must Flow
Frank Herbert's 1965 epic follows Paul Atreides, a young nobleman whose family is sent by the galactic Emperor to govern Arrakis, an arid desert planet that is the sole source of melange, the most valuable substance in the known universe. When the Atreides are betrayed and destroyed, Paul escapes into the desert and joins the Fremen, the planet's indigenous people who call him Muad'Dib. The novel blends ecology, religion, politics, and prophecy into a universe of extraordinary depth. It won the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 1966 and remains the best-selling science fiction novel of all time.
Reading Dune
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"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
"Frank Herbert · Dune
Herbert spent six years researching and writing Dune. The novel was rejected by over twenty publishers before Chilton Books, better known for car repair manuals, accepted it in 1965.
Dune was partly inspired by Herbert's research into the ecology of Oregon coastal sand dunes and a planned government project to stabilise them with grass. He said the ecology of Arrakis was his central preoccupation.
The spice must flow
Step onto Arrakis and you never quite leave. Get Frank Herbert's Dune on Amazon.