Book reivew: Frank Herbert's "Dune"

Dune by Frank Herbert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What can one say about Frank Herbert's "Dune," a pillar in the pantheon of Science Fiction? I have read this book several times in my life, beginning as a young man. Last week, I found myself thinking of some passage from the book, and so another reading began.

To read "Dune" is read several books, books within books. One of the reoccurring themes in the novel is the concept of feints within feints, motives underlying motives. I suppose it should come as not surprise, then, that there are many levels to this novel. On the surface, there is a tale of wild adventure, set in a complex feudal system flung far into the future. The inventions of our era have, in the distant past of this tale, wrought havoc, bringing about a new structure. Computers, 'Thinking Machines,' have been replaced by special beings trained in these functions. 'Atomics' are heirlooms of the great feudal families, not to be used on pain of planetary obliteration. The warfare of this era has become personal, a warfare of edged weapons and poison-wielding assassins.

This story of adventure is the first tale, the presenting story. Young Paul Atreides, heir to a Ducal fief, is cast into a whirling storm of intrigue, feudal struggle, and blood vendetta. This tale is enough to satisfy the reader, a story full of adventure, danger, and struggle. There are heroes and villains, the valiant and the cowardly, the good and the despicable. It is a rollicking saga.

The basic plot-line of the novel carries with it many deeper stories, stories that will reward the thoughtful reader. There are far greater forces at work in Paul Atreides life, forces that are outside of his control, forces put into play long before his birth. Frank Herbert explores the ideas of destiny, predetermination, and the struggles of a young man coming to terms with his destiny. Will he accept the mantel that has been crafted for him, crafted without his consent? Will he fling the mantel away, forging his own destiny? As the story progresses, the layers of destiny and treachery become ever deeper, entwining themselves into the myth of a hostile planet.

An arid and frightening world, the planet Arrakis becomes yet another layer to the novel, an ecological treatise on the nature of human beings and their environment. Using the interplay between characters and the harsh landscape they inhabit, the author weaves a story of the land altering the people, and the people altering the land. Is the environment a product of human action, or is the environment shaping the human action? Could it be both?

Beyond all of this lies the mystery of the nature of myth and religion, human engineering of myth, and the impact of that engineering on the future. The building wave of religion and myth carry the story to a crescendo, standing on the knife-edge of cataclysmic warfare.

Rereading Frank herbert's "Dune" was a pleasure. The novel contains everything a reader could want: sweeping adventure, love, parental bonds, loyalty, treachery, suspense, betrayal and revenge. The hero's journey is clearly mapped, convincing, and captivating. For the thoughtful reader, there is much more, a deeper examination of the nature of society, destiny, and religion. Never far from the thread of the tale is how human beings interact with the ecosystems they inhabit, changing them and being changed by them.

I highly recommend this novel. At the very least, the reader will be rewarded with an adventurous romp. Beneath the adventure lies a deeper examination of what forges destiny and purpose, religion and myth. I believe that many readers will be drawn back to this book, rereading it and treasuring it, as I have done.


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An ex-resident of Seattle, Marco Etheridge lives and writes in Vienna, Austria.  When he isn’t creating great fiction or being a good Hausmann, he explores the world with his lovely wife.  If the sun is shining too brightly, or the birds are too chipper, Marco studies German grammar to create a suitably dark mood for creativity. He is the author of two novels, The Best Dark Rain and Blood Rust Chains. Marco’s current projects include a children’s book and the first draft of his third novel, a political satire/thriller set in Europe.

Marco Etheridge Fiction

A Small Slavic Circle

Life should not consist entirely of slaving away over the keyboard, banging out the next novel project. The fact that it does consist, almost entirely, of banging out the next novel project, gave me pause. So when my friend Gus gave me a plausible excuse, I jumped at it.

A very old friend, this Gus character is a professor, raconteur, and photographer extraordinaire. After attending a high-brow photography workshop in Italy, he wanted to wander around a bit. There you have the entire incentive for a circle through Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, and Slovakia. 

Vienna to Ljubljana, €80 for the direct train or €29 for the somewhat more local train. Ever the starving author, you know which one I chose. And so it was a merry chase, four local trains across Austria and Slovenia, empty little border stations and stopping at every rural crossroads. It was great! Farms and fields, peaks and valleys, the world falling away into the rhythm of the slow train.

Professor Gus, Ljubljana

Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia, is also one of the funnest city names to say out loud. Try it a few times, see if you can come up with our loving nickname for the place. Vibrant, young, fun, and small enough to be very manageable, Ljubljana is a great spot. The city is a mix of modern Europe. Tito's Yugoslavia, and the Habsburg era. A river runs through it (sorry!) complete with picturesque stone bridges. Outdoor cafés line the river and, of course, there is the Tourist-Shopping-Street. Aside from the T-S-S, Ljubljana is a gem of a walking city.

The moon it did rise low, 

My Love, 

As I walked through your town.

The silver moon rose low, 

My Love

As I came walking down

Me and a Bee, Ljubljana

The great thing about hanging out with artsy friends from the states is that they often have cool stuff, like a Rental Car! Oh, the luxury of turning up random roads, being a crappy navigator, and getting totally lost. Even better when one's traveling companion loves getting lost as much as you do. 

We ran from dead-end to hidden shrine, taking quite possibly the slowest and wiggliest route between Ljubljana and Zagreb. One-lane roads over bumpy mountains covered with steep forests, picture-perfect little farms (which I have no pictures of) and coffee stops at remote cafés. 

The Grand Slovenian Back-road Tour managed to transform a two-hour drive into a seven-hour drive. We finally wandered into Zagreb under dark clouds. If you have read any of my other travel posts, you will know that I love Zagreb. It took Gus about six hours to fall in love with the place.

There are churches, of course.

The medieval upper town is one of Zagreb's charms, but unlike Ljubljana, be prepared to hike up and down hills.

The oddest thing about being in Zagreb is that I used the city as one setting in my current novel project. I was seeing the place through the eyes of my characters, as well as through my own. And Gus, bless his heart, was getting a little sick of hearing about it.

I tried to make it up to him by leading him around one of my favorite cities without walking him to death. Instead, I walked him half to death, then we sat at a café and watched the world go by. After walking his second half to death, we found an outdoor dinner place. The rest of the evening was spent cheering for Croatia in the World Cup. Go Checkered Devils!!  (I continued to root for Croatia throughout the World Cup)

Wall Art, Zagreb   (no, really, the wall is the art)

The Bunnies of Death -- Street Art, Zagreb

Two knuckleheads reflected in translation. It's always about the translation.

The Ruins of Disco -- Abandoned Diskotek, Zagreb

The circle ran on, out of Zagreb to the weirdness of a lake resort in Hungary, Lake Balaton. We just picked it off the map because it looked cool, a great whonking big lake. It turned out to be a strange time-warp, casting us back into a world of 1960's era family fishing vacations. And guess what? That is exactly what it is, verified by My Heart, who spent her childhood vacations there. 

Lake Balaton -- Trapped in the weird villa, run by Attila

So we left, driving through rain, then brilliant sun over massive fields of sunflowers. Gus kept threatening to pull over and cut off his ear. After managing to keep all the meaty bits attached, we finally wandered into Slovakia, and a whirlwind tour of Bratislava. Bratislava has done a fantastic job of marketing its small Old Town as a tourist destination. Ninety minutes from Vienna, Bratislava has started pulling in day-trippers, shuttled here from Wien by boat, bus, and rail. Even with the influx of tourists, it is an easy town to disappear into. Climb some of the steep hills, or venture out into the 'modern city' of the Tito-era, and the tourists are gone. 

Poseurs -- Flak Tower, Vienna

The Professor had to fly back over the pond, so time was running out. A few nights in Wien, showing him my favorite odd places, then he was gone. Alas! Alas! will be the cry, when the lovely journey has passed us by.

The cagey Professor, trying to chat up My Heart.

 

I will leave you with this, just because. Lots of possibilities here. 

An ex-resident of Seattle, Marco Etheridge lives and writes in Vienna, Austria.  When he isn’t creating great fiction or being a good Hausmann, he explores the world with his lovely wife.  If the sun is shining too brightly, or the birds are too chipper, Marco studies German grammar to create a suitably dark mood for creativity. He is the author of two novels, The Best Dark Rain and Blood Rust Chains. Marco’s current projects include a children’s book and the first draft of his third novel, a political satire/thriller set in Europe.

Marco Etheridge Fiction