Dune - The Novel That Inspired Game of Thrones and Star Wars

"Arrakis: a desert planet where water is the most precious asset and where mourning the dead is the symbol of maximum prodigality. Paul Atreides: a teenager marked by a singular destiny, endowed with strange powers and destined to become a dictator, messiah, and martyr. The Harkonnen, personification of the intrigues that surround the Galactic Empire, seeking to gain control over Arrakis to dispose of the melange, precious spice, and one of the most coveted assets in the universe. The Fremen: free beings who have made the inhospitable landscape of Dune their home, and who are proud of their past and fearful of their future."

 

A famous and intriguing saga that inspired others such as Game of Thrones and Star Wars, Dune is not just another book, but why?

The novel is set in a world where interspace travel is as common as riding a bus, and planets belong to families. Do you remember studying in history about feudalism (system in European medieval societies of the 10th to 13th centuries CE whereby a social hierarchy was established based on local administrative control and the distribution of land into units called fiefs)? Well, now imagine that in space and you get this story. Dune is the name given to a planet named Arrakis, which at the beginning of the novel is awarded to the Atreides family, headed by Duke Leto Atreides.

Now, the story is 643 pages long, and it’s not fast-paced. At least for me, reading was pretty slow. While I could easily read around 50 pages of other books per day, I struggled to accomplish such a goal with Dune. Why? The story is complex, and the author spends a considerable amount of time describing the scenarios and the situations the characters are going through. Also, several strange words belong to a new vocabulary invented by the writer. This is one of the main features of the novel and its extensive mythology. Fortunately, there is a glossary at the end of the book where you can find the meaning of each word.   Another feature Dune has is that it explores the different points of view, not only we know what our hero is thinking, but also what our villains are. This strategy helps readers immerse themselves in the story.

 Let’s talk about Paul Atreides, the novel’s main character. It is stated from the very beginning that he’s not a normal boy. No, he’s highly smart and mature although he’s only 15 when the narration starts. As you read in the synopsis above, Paul has an exceptional destiny, and that’s constantly addressed in the story; how the character evolves and gets closer and closer to what’s he bound to become. Some other themes the novel approaches are religion, family feuds, treason, environment, and there are tons of suspense mainly caused by creatures that happen to be giant worms.

Ultimately, Dune is a complex yet exciting science fiction story that will catch readers’ attention despite being slow at certain times. I understand this is the first novel of a saga, but personally, I found a satisfying conclusion in the end.

Let’s see how faithful the film is.  

Score: 3.5/5

Favorite Quote: "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."