Sandworms. In the desert, these ginormous creatures follow any vibrations that feel like life. One of them will swallow you whole before you realize those are its teeth rising out of the sand all around you.
Fremen. They're like desert ninjas. You know the sandworms? These guys ride them.
Spice. It turns your eyes blue, enables faster-than-light space travel, sometimes gives visions of the future, and tastes like cinnamon. What more could you want? Well, maybe something less addictive, I suppose.
Sting. Okay, so he's not in the book. He was in the movie (that you should never see), but you can imagine him while you're reading.
Arrakis. Imagine a world with almost no water at all, where you need a special suit to reuse as much of your body's fluids as possible, where massive sandstorms rage across the surface, rivaled in their destructive power by only the monstrous sandworms that prowl the desert. It should've been a useless world, except for one thing: the spice. Without it, travel between the worlds is impossible and the Galactic Empire crumbles, and the spice is only found on Arrakis.
He who controls the spice controls the universe.
Have you read Dune? If so, what's your favorite part about it? If not, why the heck not?
It is on my top 3 list with LOTR and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxies. And Ender's Game. OK, top four. Can't decide the exact order.
ReplyDeleteHave read it several times, first when I was twelve. Not recommended. I think my wee brain exploded. Much more satisfying when you're twenty. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I like the movie! I think of them as two separate entities, and only the movie makes me laugh and laugh.
I need to give it another try. I've read the first book and was quickly frustrated with all of the stuff I didn't understand and that wasn't explained (though I did finish it). I tried the second book and couldn't get into it.
ReplyDeleteI loved the first one. Thought the sequels were a bit of a cash in. The movie was terrible.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the trip through memory lane (SpiceCat!! Awesome.). I never did see the movie, but it sounds like that was a good thing. I remember the worms freaking me out. I was probably 12 at the time.
ReplyDeleteI've only read the one, the main novel, but there are others, right?
ReplyDeleteMuad'Dib!
@Matt: Those might be my top 4 as well. I mean, if you're going to make me choose between children.
ReplyDelete@R.S: Ha! Too true. The movie is definitely so bad it's good!
@Ms Luey: I don't know if it's true for you, but if you're not used to reading SF/F, that can definitely happen. Probably why it's not the most popular genre ;-)
@mooderino: That's what I've heard about the sequels. I've never read them myself. The first was plenty satisfying.
ReplyDelete@Susan: There are freakier things than the worms, but I wouldn't have understood them when I was 12 ;-)
@Matthew: So I've heard! But as I said, I've heard they weren't as good. Don't know myself though.
Wait, what?? Maybe I have to re-read them, then.
ReplyDeleteWonderful movie but I have never read the books.
ReplyDeleteGreat book.
ReplyDeleteThe sequels bored me to death, but Dune itself is a gem.
As for my favorite part, there's a scene, in the first half... the banquet scene; best handling of dialogue I ever read.
The book is amazing, there is a reason it is one of only three or four Sci-fi books to make the BBC top 100 list (depends on what you think qualifies as sci-fi as apposed to just fantasy). The first sequel is okay, the second is pretty good, after that it gets seriously philosophical and historical.
ReplyDeleteThe original movie needs to be seen in context, it was made like thirty years ago and Sting is a demented bad-guy, freaking awesome.
Sci-Fi channel Dune and Children of Dune mini series are pretty good, much truer to the books, and they have good production value and acting. No Sting though, so you know...
The entire book is my favorite part, with special emphasis on the weirding fighting stuff, the strateegary (I know it isn't a word, but it should be), and the originality of the characters.
The Dune series is without a doubt my all time favorite reading experience. I include in that Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune and God Emperor of Dune. I can't imagine how the rest of the books in the series could be viewed as a cash in. You don't really see the big picture, the whole story until you at least get through Children of Dune. But yes, they are very philosophical, especially God Emperor. I like that.
ReplyDeleteMy husband grew up on the great Dune wave. He recently lassoed me into watching the movie, telling me all about how GREAT it was. A while after it started, he swore it was cooler when he was a kid :)
ReplyDeleteThen he tried telling me the books were even MORE awesome, and that maybe that movie wasn't so hot.
I wasn't so sure, but now there's a second voice behind him. And reading the comments, I may have to put it on my To Read list.
That, and Tremors was a total rip-off, wasn't it?
Late comment here, Adam, but when I saw this post on your sidebar, had to check it out.
ReplyDeleteDUNE is one of my favorite series, and yes, I've read every one, and wish I'd written it. The followup novels were okay, if a little different than I think Frank would have written them.
BTW - I did love the movie and I love your dunecat in the photo! He rocks!
There are only five reasons?
ReplyDeleteThe book is amazing. The movie needs a remake. Even though I love Sting, I think he really should stick to singing.