Dune

From the beginning Frank Herbert's Dune resonated with me. Within the first ten pages I thought it was one of the best books I had ever read. Filled with insight, philosophy, and mysticism Dune has much to offer the contemplative science-fiction reader. Though the book might be more aptly named "Arrakis Awakening," the title Dune shows all of Herbert's cunning in the bare necessity of a word to encapsulate the total essence of an idea. His style is direct and I was often caught by the penetrating truth of his profound simplicity within understanding.

The story of Dune follows many perspectives, but centers around the son of a duke, the youth Paul Atreides. His life changes abruptly when his family moves to the desert planet Arrakis, sometimes called Dune. Here Paul is met with treachery and hardship among the harsh lives of the Fremen, the native people of the planet. He learns discipline, fear, and truth on his way to ascension in becoming Muad'Dib, the savior to a people.

Dune held everything I have been looking for from dealing with fear and death, to insights about time, self, the difficulties of learning, community, and the relationships that bind. Even the appendixes were funny and filled with wisdom and insight. I would recommend this book to any reader who has a sense of searching within themselves. The only thing I have found "wrong" about Dune so far is that it has increased my book buying to book reading ratio because now I have to get all of the sequels. 9.5/10