A very recently released film by Warner Bros made me revisit Frank Herbert's all time classic book - Dune.
Dune explores the life of Paul Atreides, the son of Duke Leto Atreides..... A formal noble and overlord of the Planet of Caladan, who gets caught in the eventual political feud for the very barren, yet rich planet of Arrakis . The feud between the Harkonnen's (former rulers of Arrakis and Atreides fuels into a full size battle involving multiple sides each with their own plots and side intentions.
It is a complex book with many layers. Yes, Dune is a book about Machiavellian politics. It is a book about a single resource turning the wheels of humanity, which for us might
Petroleum ...... but for generations before us, it had been gold and for the generations ahead of us might be something else.
While the story follows the usual Hero's journey , whereupon he falls from power, goes through trials and tribulations and eventually destroys all that once prevented him.
For me, the most intriguing part of this book was that , it is a Science fiction book , which does not depend on Science for the story plot . Yes, Multi-planetary colonisations and fiction-based technologies play a part in progressing the story , but in reality the book covers the aspects of Power , religion , ecology and politics.
The author also in his great storytelling draws multiple subtle, yet clear parallels between this story and modern day...... The Melange spice and Petroleum , The Bene Gesserit is very eerily similar to a warrior woman cult , and the Fremen and tribal customs in Central Asia. There can be little doubt that the author was fully aware of the parallels between the Fremen and the Abrahamic (particularly Islamic) desert tribes that fashioned the society , especially in the west Asia and north Africa
So, If you are a fan of epic fantasy and large scale sci-fi books especially laced in politics, power-plays and religious, almost cult-like symbolisms , I heartily recommend this one.
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