Research: Frank Herbert's DUNE

[DuneDetective]

Hello all,

I'm a library science graduate student conducting a book history study of Frank Herbert's original Dune novel, specifically its reception among readers over time. If you could take just a few minutes to thoughtfully answer the several questions below I would be so grateful! Your input will be invaluable to my research.


1. Have you read Dune? If so:
-When?
-How long did it take you to finish the book?
-Did you re-read it at any point? When and why?
-Have you read other books in the series?

2. What motivated you to first read Dune? What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it?

3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why?

4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not?

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not?

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to?

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune?

8. Are you male or female?

9. How old are you?


Thank you very much! Your contribution will be extremely helpful in my study.

Best,
Elizabeth

 

[hitmouse]

Good luck with your research. I think that your questions make a number of assumptions which possibly reduce their value.




1. Have you read Dune? If so:
Yes. But if the answer was No, then what information can you take from that? do the answers from this board give any sort of representative sample?
-When? aged 11
-How long did it take you to finish the book? a few days. It was on a camping trip in Norfolk. The lack of electricity made it difficult to read at night, so it probably took a bit longer than it otherwise would have done.
-Did you re-read it at any point? When and why? yes. dont remember when. because I liked it.
-Have you read other books in the series? some

2. What motivated you to first read Dune? What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it?
Read about it in Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. No preconceptions apart from it was supposed to be good.
3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why?
Enjoyed it. Exciting, interesting characters and ideas. Bear in mind I am writing this 30-odd years after I first read it.
4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not?
no. silly and limited comparison.
5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not?
Probably. How should I know?
6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to?
Yes. Other teenagers getting into SF. Not to my granny.
7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune?
Many others I like better than Dune. No single favourite.
8. Are you male or female?
m
9. How old are you?
45

 

[somnambulist]

1. 2010. About 4 weeks. Haven't re-read it yet. I took Messiah out the library but it had a very different feel... the magic was gone and I kinda lost interest and didn't finish it.

2. I had read on numerous amazon lists that this was the best Sci-Fi book ever written. Came in with very little 'preconceived notions', hadn't spoken to anybody about it, often disappointed with an 'essential classic' description from music albums. Had this more generic modern cover with an explosion, so didn't even know about the worms until later.

3. 5* excellent book. Particularly liked the themes of ecology and of course the spice factories. It showed just stunning creative vision, and Herbert had the writing talent to pull it off.

4. No I do not agree it's the lord of the rings of science fiction. LOtR is like a father to the entire fantasy genre, it started everything, binding scattered folk tales about goblins and dwarfs into something defined. Dune has a lot of influence for sure, but not on the level of creating a genre by itself.

5. Absolutely I see it as a classic work for the future, the technology has a particularly timeless feel. It's such a good story, and so well written that it's enjoyable simply for its own sake.

6. I would recommend it to anybody over the age of 15.

7. My favourite sci-fi novel is Dune, but I haven't read very many I have to admit... more of a fantasy kinda person.

8. Male

9. 21

I'm not sure this is an appropriate thread, maybe you could create a web application and PM it to people. Nevertheless i wish you the best of luck with your study!

 

[DuneDetective]

Thank you to both who replied so far. I did consider making it a clickable link to an outside survey, but have found in the past that people are more likely to respond when they see that there aren't TOO many questions awaiting them. I appreciate the suggestion nonetheless.

Responses can also be emailed to:
elizabeth.selzam@ rutgers.edu
Cheers!

 

[nightdreamer]

Interesting question; I have a special relationship with Dune

1. Have you read Dune? If so:
- I have tried to read it no less than three times, the first time was certainly in the early '70s. I have, so far, been unsuccessful at finishing it. It appears that Frank Herbert's style and I have irreconcilable differences.

2. What motivated you to first read Dune? What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it?
- The first time, at the recommendation of a friend; there were no preconceived notions beyond that it might be good. The subsequent attempts were because I really liked the 1984 film production of it, and wanted to get the whole story. But, alas, I still couldn't wade through it. Great story, but his writing puts me to sleep.

Note that many of the answers below are prefaced on the film.

3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why?
Great adventure, tightly-knit plot, satisfactory resolution, memorable characters. There are so many ideas, like not being allowed to make a machine in the likeness of a man ('s mind), a.k.a, computers (this, actually, from the book), that have stuck with me for years.

4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not?
- Um.... maybe. Dune is an epic quest story, but by a similar argument, Star Wars could be called the "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction. I don't see that Dune stands above others in this regard. Now, they do both have a religious element. The one in Dune is flat-out obvious; in Lord of the Rings it might not be obvious to anyone not an adherent of the Christian faith. Tolkien was a devout Catholic.

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not?
- Another maybe. It's seen a lot of film activity. The original 1984, the 2000 miniseries, and I understand there is a remake in the works for 2014. I'm afraid that might prove to be an offense, but it has some endearing, persistent quantities. I might not like Herbert's style, but he was a wizard at world-building, and that makes all the difference.

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to?
- There is no one I would not recommend the book to. That I had problems getting through it does not seem to be reflected in the sci-fi community at all, and the story is good. I'd recommend it to pretty much anyone.

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune?
- Tough call. Some that I've read repeatedly: "Doc" Smith's Lensman series, Alexei Panshin's Rite of Passage, John Brunner's To Conquer Chaos, Robert Heinlein's Have Space Suit - Will Travel. I can't seem to pick out common similarities or differences to/with Dune. The Lensman series is the only on that is similar in epic scope, but its characterisation is almost absent.

8. Are you male or female?
- Male

9. How old are you?
- 59

 

[The Judge]

Hi

Just to let you know I've removed the other thread you started on this in Classic SF as we don't allow duplicate threads in different fora. Also to let you know, Brian -- the owner of the site -- is more likely to look kindly on a survey thread of this kind if he sees the member is actively participating in the life of the whole community. So it might pay you to mooch around and join in discussions on other book topics here.


Meanwhile:

1. Yes.
Late 70s probably.
No idea.
Yes. A few months ago. To revisit it after a lapse of so many years.
No.

2. Probably because my older brother had it and I was reading his books.
None.

3. Extract from my book non-blog:

Dune is done. And another book about which I have mixed feelings.

I loved it as a teenager and I'd remembered it with affection, which carried me a long way. However, the further I got into it, the more I was dismayed at the unconscious sexism portrayed in it (see this week's blog), and I can't believe that, as naive as I was back in the dim and distant past, I didn't notice it and/or it didn't rankle. The passing of the years has also left me less than thrilled at the prospect of jihad and its Fedaykin/Fedayeen death commandos, so much so that I was distinctly ambivalent at the prospect of Paul winning, despite the horror of the emperor and the Harkonnnen, since that would allow the religious fanaticism created about him to spread throughout the galaxy. To be fair, Herbert also allows Paul to worry about this, though not enough to do anything about it.

Structurally, I thought there were some problems. We have scenes which, though entertaining in themselves, go nowhere much and don't advance the plot; characters who pop in for a few lines but aren't heard of again; and a good bit of repetition with Paul and his presience, not to mention all the mysticism. I also found the point-of-view head-hopping jarring and didn't ever relax into it, though Herbert can hardly be blamed for that (and I wouldn't even have noticed it just five years ago).

That said, it's a thumping good read, with action, fine set pieces and proper characteristation, and with description, dialogue and language deployed admirably.

Extract from my blog (in a rant about sexism):

First, Dune, which I've been re-reading. Unlike Asimov in the short stories I complained about recently, Herbert does recognise that women – intelligent, active women – exist. However... Excluding a servant or two, the only woman we see who has any kind of job is a teacher, and even then she's teaching young children, so it's pretty stereotypical mother-type stuff. Otherwise we have the Bene Gesserit, we have the Sayyadina, we have wives and concubines and whores, and... well, that's it. The choice is manipulative witch or sex object or both. And the wife of a dead Fremen is handed to the man who killed him, along with the coffee service. Long live the Patriarchy.

4. No.
TLotR has achieved a kind of founder status, even though it is far from the first fantasy novel, since it was used as a template by many authors who followed in Tolkien's path; Dune doesn't have that founder-status, nor can it in view of the number of other very eminent SF authors writing before Herbert and at the same time, and there have not been a slew of books copying its ideas as far as I'm aware.

5. Possibly.
Possibly not -- the unconscious sexism and racism will be more apparent to future generations (I hope).

6. Yes. Anyone interested in SF.

7. Don't have one.

8. Female.

9. Over 21.

 

[biodroid]

1. Have you read Dune? If so:
-When? 2009
-How long did it take you to finish the book? 3 weeks
-Did you re-read it at any point? When and why? No
-Have you read other books in the series? No

2. What motivated you to first read Dune? What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it? Saw the movies then decided to read the book. My notions were that the book was very different other SF.

3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why? Love the characters and the settings and the sneaky plot, hated the final fight sequence that was never described.

4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not? Have only read the first LOTR book and prefer Dune. It was ground breaking for its time like LOTR

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not. Yes, the concepts are timeless and nothing is grounded in earthly reality to lose its classicness.

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to? I would recommend it definitely. I wouldnt recommend it to people who love Mills and Boon, there is no hope for them

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune? I have read john Scalzis, Old Mans War and that was a pathetic book with too much sex and stupid ideas. Dune is much better!

8. Are you male or female? Male

9. How old are you? 33

 

[Jo Zebedee]

=


1. Have you read Dune? If so
-When? late eighties
-How long did it take you to finish the book? very quick, I was on a holiday and blazed through it.
-Did you re-read it at any point? When and why? Yes. I often reread books due to the speed of my first read.
-Have you read other books in the series? Yes, Messiah, which was my favourite and Children, at which point it got silly.

2. What motivated you to first read Dune? What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it? It was knocking around the house, I had a big brother who read a lot of sci fi.

3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why? I liked the characters, particularly Paul. I liked that it wasn't afraid of talking about relationships, and made the characters human. The sci fi was cool but accessible.

4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not?

Only in the sense that its an epic. Otherwise, not really.

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not? Yes, I think it is now a classic.

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to? Yes. I wouldn't reccommend it to non genre readers, or people accessing sci fi for the first time

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune? Probably something by Card. It doesn't compare at all, really.

8. Are you male or female? Female

9. How old are you? 40

 

[DuneDetective]

Thank you all for the incredible responses - much more detail than I had hoped for. Keep it coming!

 

[Parson]

1. Have you read Dune? I have read Dune. Probably in the mid-80's. It took me about a week. I have not re-read it. I don't re-read many books and at that time the answer was "never re-read a book." I have read several in the series, which I felt kept going downhill until I could not bear to read any more.


2. What motivated you to first read Dune? What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it? I read Dune because it became clear that a lot of people felt like it was the best SF had to offer. I had read the dust jacket, and I was fairly sure I was going to hate it, but thought I should give it a try.

3. Briefly review the book: The thing I liked best about Dune was the world building. It created an atmosphere that made you feel like you were there. What I liked least about the book was the ending. But what really frustrated me was the sequels as they became increasingly fantastical which I felt slipped out of SF and into Fantasy.

4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not? No, because Lord of the Rings is the definition of a genre of Fantasy, while there is little like Dune out there in the SF world.

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? I most certainly do see Dune persisting as a classic work of SF. I think that's because unlike some stories technology is not going to date it any time in the near future, and more importantly great literature gives us indelible pictures, settings, and characters, and Dune certainly has all of those.

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to? I would certainly recommend Dune. I would recommend it to any serious reader (does not matter the genre) over the age of about 12. I would not recommend it to someone who was looking for a romp of a book.

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune? My all time favorite SF novel would be Ender's Game. On the whole it is more believable then Dune. I am able to identify with Ender much more than any character in Dune.

8. Are you male or female? Male

9. How old are you? 62

 

[Stephen Palmer]

1. Have you read Dune? If so:
-When?
-How long did it take you to finish the book?
-Did you re-read it at any point? When and why?
-Have you read other books in the series?

In the 1970's, I finished it in a week or two, and I've re-read it a few times since. I've read the first six books, and love the first three. Book 4 is terrible imo, books 5 & 6 a lot better...

2. What motivated you to first read Dune? What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it?

I think it was the amazing cover. I didn't have any preconceptions - just wanted to get into the story.

3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why?

I think it's one of the all-time greats. It was also the first 'ecological SF' novel, which means a lot to me. I was also much impressed with the complex, multistranded plot; also the sense of the world being entirely cohesive and unique.

4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not?

I don't think this sort of analogy makes any sense. You might as well call chalk the cheese of the mineral world.

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not?

Dune will last for a long, long time. It has wisdom, adventure, landscape, character.

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to?

100% recommend it to SF readers.

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune?

TBOTNS. Dune and TBOTNS are similar in that both are entirely their own novels - there's nothing like them, each a unique work of deeply imagined fiction that can never be mistaken for anything else, or lumped into any kind of "this is a bit like..." group. David Lynch's film version of the book is also one of my fave films, and I think it's a much better film than is generally given credit for.

8. Are you male or female?

M.

9. How old are you?

50.

 

[iansales]

1. Have you read Dune? If so:
When?
How long did it take you to finish the book?
Did you re-read it at any point? When and why?
Have you read other books in the series?

- I first read it in the early 1980s, and have reread it four or five times since. I've read the entire series several times, though only the Frank Herbert ones. The others I've read only the once (which was more than they deserved).

2. What motivated you to first read Dune? What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it?

- I saw someone at school reading it and he recommended it.

3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why?

- it's not the best-written novel of the series, in fact it is likely the worst. The world-building is, however, superb. I think every teenage boy of the 1970s and 1980s wanted to be Paul Atreides, and in later years nostalgia plays a huge part in the book's continued appeal.

4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not?

- in terms of its influence on science fiction? No. It was one of three genre novels, with LotR and Stranger in a Strange Land, which broke out into mainstream readers, but beyond that it inspired remarkably few works.

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not?

- no, its popularity is already waning - driven in part by its age and by the crap sequels written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson. It's seen a couple of resurgences, thanks to David Lynch's film, the Sci-Fi Channel miniseries, and the new Dune cash-cow mining.

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to?

- unlikely. It's 47 years old. If someone was well-read in science fiction, but had never read it, I might suggest they try it. But I'd never recommend it to a non-sf reader.

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune?

- probably Coelestis by Paul Park. It is vastly better-written, it is more meaningful, and it manages to say something pertinent and relevant.

8. Are you male or female?

- male

9. How old are you?

- 47

 

[Fried Egg]

1. Have you read Dune? No

2. - 7. Not Applicable

8. Are you male or female? Male

9. How old are you? 38

---

My reasons for not reading it: Although I read a lot of "classic" SF and this is always held up as one of the classics of the genre, it has very little appeal for me. The one other Frank Herbert novel I have read, "The Dosadi Experiment", I really didn't like so I'm not inclined to read any more of his work. Although, being intent on reading all of the SF Masterworks series, I'll probably get around to it eventually.

 

[Toby Frost]

1. Have you read Dune? If so:
-When?
-How long did it take you to finish the book?
-Did you re-read it at any point? When and why?
-Have you read other books in the series?

When I was 18, about 18 years ago.
I can't remember.
About 5 years ago, because I remembered enjoying it.
I read the second, and then cut my losses.

2. What motivated you to first read Dune? What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it?

It was just one of those Golden Age SF novels that seemed appealing at the time. I knew little about it beyond the cover picture, and that my friends considered it "weird".

3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why?

Good: It's great appeal for me is that Herbert actually bothers with characterisation. Some of the characters could actually slip unnoticed into Gormenghast. The technology is good, and the setting very interesting - to begin with. It is also a subtle warning against religious fanaticism, since under Paul the Messiah all the interesting people get replaced with identical soldier-servant drones (Adoring Fremen bloke No. 1395 etc) and the galaxy ends up even worse than it was before.

Bad: The whole Middle East stuff feels dated thanks to current events, and the heroic tribesmen start to look like a bunch of bigoted arses. Herbert does the whole super-soldier thing, which always feels unrealistic. Some of the more mystic stuff feels like waffle. Worst of all though, is the structural problem - Herbert kills or incapacitates almost all the interesting characters about halfway through the story. Goodness only knows why he got so fixated with Duncan Idaho, in the later stories, who was about the only dull non-Fremen character.

4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not?

No, because it's not been ripped off enough. Although I can recommend a certain parody by, er, me...

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not?

I think it will remain a classic, because it's well-written, covers potent themes and is exciting. If anything, now that religious lunacy has become a real threat, it has become all the more pertinent, and Paul's fate seems all the more worrying and tragic.

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to?

Yes. I'm not sure. People who hate SF?

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune?

I'm not sure. I think there are better novels, but Dune is still a high-quality piece of work.

8. Are you male or female?

Male.

9. How old are you?

Early middle age.

 

[Vince W]

1. Have you read Dune? If so:
-When?

I've read it multiple times, but the first time was in 1981.

-How long did it take you to finish the book?

It took about three weeks to complete.

-Did you re-read it at any point? When and why?

As I stated previously I've read it multiple times. I reread it again this past summer. I keep rereading it because I love the story and the depth of the work Frank Herbert created. I can completely immerse myself in the world.

-Have you read other books in the series?

I've read all of Frank Herbert's books and most of the others.


2. What motivated you to first read Dune? What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it?

When I first read Dune one of my chief motivations was money. I didn't have much and I had already become a book hound. Dune was a good sized book that would give me more story for my money. I had no idea what the story was about or if I would even enjoy it.

I had been reading mostly Heinlein and Asimov up to that point.


3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why?

Dune is a difficult book for me to review now as I am quite emotionally attached to the book and its characters.

Herbert did not simply write a story, he wove a world of imagination that was both complex and accessible at same time.


4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not?

By that I assume you mean epic in scope and detail. That would be true then.

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not?

I think it will be a classic. Most especially because the style of technology is so far removed from reality that it will always feel futuristic and alien. Unlike say Gibson's Neuromancer where the computer technology is very dated.

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to?

I will always recommend Dune to others. I would never not recommend it as I feel it should be read by everyone whether they normally read the genre or not.

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune?

Dune is my favourite science fiction novel.

8. Are you male or female?

Male

9. How old are you?
43

 

[DuneDetective]

Amazing material, everyone. Many, many thanks!

 

[James Coote]

1. Have you read Dune? If so:
- When?
Can't remember (was a teenager, so maybe 2005?)

-How long did it take you to finish the book?
No idea. Probably a few days to a few weeks

-Did you re-read it at any point? When and why?
No

-Have you read other books in the series?
yes

2. What motivated you to first read Dune?
Mum had Dune God-Emperor on the bookshelf at home. It had a cool cover. Decided I ought to read the first book in the series before any others. Think it was a birthday present in the end?

What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it?
None

3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why?
I liked the world / universe (Fremen, sand worms, water etc). It was different to anything I'd read before.

If there were things I didn't like about it at the time, I can't remember them now. Perhaps I didn't entirely understand some of the motivations of the characters, but that's probably more to do with my age at the time

4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not?
No. LoTR was written as one long epic trilogy, whilst Dune is more of a stand alone story with sequels.

Also I don't get the impression dune isn't the touch-stone or genre defining story/universe that LoTR is for fantasy

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not?
Is it not already a classic? I think it's message is still relevant to today's world whilst still being abstract enough / set far enough into the future that it doesn't age

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to?
Depends on the context. If someone was new to scifi and wanting to know some good books to start them off, I might well recommend dune. If the last book they read was Twilight, I might not start them off on such a radical departure

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune?
I don't have a favourite sf novel. Perhaps dune will be it when I get round to re-reading it, as all the stuff I've been reading recently has failed to really make me sit up and take notice

8. Are you male or female?
male

9. How old are you?
Twenty six

10. Where is question 10?
I don't know! You tell me! But you can be assured I dislike odd numbered questionaires (even if nine is generally a cool number)

 

[AE35Unit]

I'm a library science graduate student conducting a book history study of Frank Herbert's original Dune novel, specifically its reception among readers over time. If you could take just a few minutes to thoughtfully answer the several questions below I would be so grateful! Your input will be invaluable to my research.


1. Have you read Dune? Yes but I didnt finish it.

When?
Couple of years ago

-How long did it take you to finish the book? Irrelevant

-Did you re-read it at any point? When and why?
no

-Have you read other books in the series?

2. What motivated you to first read Dune? What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it?
Hype and seeing the film, which I enjoyed.

3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why?
I found it to be too much like fantasy, and too long winded. Then I realised its just not my kind of SF. I prefer Hard SF.

4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not?
Not sure.

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not?
Probably, due to all the hype!

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to?
Fantasy readers. I would not recommend it to fans of twilight or buffy- its not an easy read.

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune?
Possibly 2001 A Space Odyssey by Clarke and Kubrick. But for me sci-fi is visual media, i.e. Films and TV- books are SF. There is no comparison to Dune and 2001- chalk and cheese!

8. Are you male or female? Male

9. How old are you? 46

 

[K. Riehl]

1. Have you read Dune? If so:
-When?
1972 age 10
-How long did it take you to finish the book?
4 days
-Did you re-read it at any point? When and why? 3-4times. To refresh my memory before the movies came out.
-Have you read other books in the series? The next 3 then stopped

2. What motivated you to first read Dune? What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it? It was the third science fiction book I ever read. No preconceptions. My mom knew Frank through her writing club and and recommended it to me as I had devoured the 4 Tolkein books the month before.

3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why? I liked the scope, the idea of the the freemen riding giant sandworms, and of course the action. All the things I liked at 10 yrs old.

4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not?
Not LOTR.The rings are pretty unique and while it was the first book that I noticed non SF people reading many people did not find it as accessible as LOTR.

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not? It might. I think it has already slipped alot in popularity. The size is intimidating and I no longer see it on school reading lists which is often a gauge on the longevity of titles.

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to? I would recommend it strong readers. I would not recommend it as a starter book for people who haven't tried SF before.

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune?
Probably SLAN by Van Vogt. The action and strong male character actually compare well with Dune. The main character in each has more than human abilities which they use to reorder the world/universe.I see Dune as comparable to the Foundation series if I had to pick something.

8. Are you male or female?M

9. How old are you? 50

 

[gully_foyle]

1. Have you read Dune? If so:
-When? Late 70's
-How long did it take you to finish the book? Probably a week or so
-Did you re-read it at any point? When and why? 2007(ish), found it at a charity sale
-Have you read other books in the series? Yes, Children of Dune & Dune Messiah

2. What motivated you to first read Dune? It was in the school library.
What preconceived notions did you have about the book before reading it? None, I was young at the time, the movie hadn't been produced and I didn't know anyone else who had read it.

3. Briefly review the book: What did you like about it? What did you not like? Why?
Dune was a sweeping family saga of betrayal and vengeance, all set against the backdrop of an alien (but not too alien) world. There was a lot to like, the characters were compelling, the plot was strong (if not overly original), the setting was brilliant.
I found some of the dialogue and descriptions hard going, particularly in the two sequels and it became a bit convoluted and hard to follow at times.

4. Do you agree that Dune can be seen as the of "Lord of the Rings" of science fiction? Why or why not? My question to you is Why should it be seen as the "Lord of the Rings" of SF? I hadn't really thought of it along those lines. I think LOTR is a life's work, Tolkien built up an entire world with a complex history. Dune was a book that some guy wrote.

5. Do you see Dune persisting as a classic work of science fiction in the future? Will it satisfy future readers? Why or why not?
Yes, despite some misgivings I still see it as a classic. Anyone who liked Star Wars needs to read Dune and see a) where Star Wars came from and b) what SF is really like.

6. Would you recommend the book to others? Who? Who would you NOT recommend it to?
I would recommend it to anyone who reads SF or Fantasy. I would not recommend it to someone who doesn't. No matter how classical the storyline, it still needs a fantasy mindset to get through it. I would not recommend it to my wife.

7. What would you consider your favorite sci-fi novel? How does it compare to Dune? Possibly it is Tiger! Tiger! by Alfred Bester. It's a smaller, denser, less serious work than Dune.

8. Are you male or female?
Male

9. How old are you?
Late 40s (sigh)