DUNE

In the world of "Dune", the Melange, or 'spice', is the most valuable - and rarest - element in the universe; a drug that does everything from increasing a person's life-span to making intersteller travel possible. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world Arrakis. Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe.

When the Emperor transfers stewardship of Arrakis from the noble House Harkonnen to House Atreides, the Harkonnens fight back, murdering Duke Leto Atreides. Paul, his son, and Lady Jessica, his concubine, flee into the desert. On the point of death, they are rescued by a band for Fremen, the native people of Arrakis, who control Arrakis' second great resource: the giant worms that burrow beneath the burning desert sands. In order to avenge his father and retake Arrakis from the Harkonnens, Paul must earn the trust of the Fremen and lead a tiny army against the innumerable forces aligned against them.

A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, "Dune" was initiated with an important message to the audiences - the human evolution and the urgent matters like ecology, for example, need to be addressed sooner. The plot also advocates the connection between politics and religion, though unfortunately Herbert faces challenges in pushing through his ideas.

"A sweeping work of science-fiction that helped define the genre and bring it to the mainstream." The Independent

"Dune is this generation's Lord of the Rings trilogy ... firmly grounded in Herbert's book. The author's story of feudal nobles waging war over Arrakis, the only source of a powerful drug known as spice, is thick with conflicting ideas that academics are still unpacking today" The Independent

"Dune, more than 50 years after it was first published, is a story that speaks to the issues of our time." BBC Science Focus

"One of the landmarks of modern science fiction . . . an amazing feat of creation." Analog "One of the most famous novels in the history of science fiction, Dune remains as popular today as it ever was." SciFi Now