By Hadi Sabra | Staff Writer

Released in 1965, Frank Herbert’s science-fiction novel Dune won the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel. Four decades later, it eventually became one of the world’s best-selling novels [1-3]. Cited as the best science fiction book ever written by critics and compared to world-wide phenomena like Lord of the Rings, Dune is regularly considered to be one of the most acclaimed novels of all time [4]. The publication was succeeded by five sequels and a world-wide franchise entailing prequels and short stories, a series of computer games, a board game and blockbuster film adaptions [5, 6].

A dune is a landform composed of mounds and ridges of sand driven together by wind, which accurately describes the desert setting of the novel, the planet Arrakis. Dune tells the story of Chosen-One Paul Atreides, a magically-gifted man from a politically-powerful family. After his family is given stewardship of Arrakis, they travel to the desert planet along with their entourage in the purpose of ensuring the future of the Atreides dynasty and their people. The wasteland planet is an exclusive source of “mélange,” commonly referred to as spice in the novel, a precious resource crucial for interstellar travel and space navigation that also extends human vitality [7]. Being the sole producer of the most valuable drug in existence, Arrakis’ control over the desert wasteland is thus a coveted and dangerous undertaking as fractions of the empire ensue in war crimes to take control over the planet.

As the plot unravels, it explores the multilayered interactions of environmentalism and ecology, declining empires, Zen and religions, gender dynamics, and human emotions [7-8]. Paul Atreides’ acquisition o superhuman abilities allow him to take over Arrakis and the galaxy, which elicits the Fremen to worship him like a god. This correlates with the primary theme of Dune which is Heroism, a cautionary metaphor for society’s tendencies to “give over every decision-making capacity” to a charismatic leader, a political phenomenon deep-rooted in the Lebanese ways [7]. As Herbert said in 1979, “The bottom line of the Dune trilogy is: beware of heroes. Much better rely on your own judgment, and your own mistakes” [9].

Dune follows several themes including references to Middle-Eastern cultures. The novel has Islamic undertones which are portrayed by the Fremen, the native people of Arrakis and the only known humans who have acclimated to the inhospitable climate and living conditions of the desert. The religion and culture of the desert-dwelling Fremen is also influenced by concepts and the Bedouin tribes of Arabia [10].

With the release of one of 2021’s most anticipated movies, Dune reemerges as a hot topic once more almost 60 years after the novel’s initial publication [11]. The film adaption was met with universal acclaim and was praised by critics for its direction and spectacle visuals [12]. The film stars Timothée Chalamet in the leading role of Paul Atreides alongside an ensemble cast consisting of Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and Jason Momoa [5].

The novel has had massive cultural impact and influence, inspiring numerous novels, music, films, games, and comic books. One such example is the existence of the blockbuster space-opera franchise Star Wars, which has been attributed to Dune’s cultural impact [14]. In 2009, plains on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, were named after planets from the Dune franchise [13]. Moreover, during their 1971 mission, the Apollo 15 astronauts named a crater on Earth’s moon after Dune [15].

Dune’s impact, influence and commercial performance have solidified its legacy as one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time, which can be further demonstrated by the longevity of the global interest in the franchise.