The back cover proclaims it as “one of the monuments of science fiction” and compares it to the Lord of the Rings. I have to say it’s overrated.

In case you don’t know, and are incapable of googling for a proper review, Dune is set on an ultraharsh desert planet; most of the events of the book stem from its brutal aridity. The ecology described is detailed and fascinating, but I’m not convinced it’s realistic. Let me get onto the best part of any review: the panning.

Dune suffers from Die-Another-Day-Syndrome: the first part is amazing, the second part is rubbish. I’m sure this is a common phenomenon in all forms of media, so I’ll tie the definition down a bit further. Something suffering from DADS doesn’t just have a good start and a bad end. It has such a good start that it’s all the more painful and disappointing to find out how bad the end is. Books with mediocre starts and poor ends are common, but since they start off being average, you don’t notice the slide so much.

Dune has an excellent premise and introduction, followed up with many chapters of perfectly balanced action, foreshadowing and hinting. The world building is nothing like Tolkien’s - it’s different, not worse - and is certainly nothing as grand as later sci-fi conjured up. If you read it, you’ll probably be able to pinpoint the exact moment when the buildup ends and the long slow letdown begins.

We are introduced to the bad guy early on, and there’s absolutely no mistaking how bad he is: Russian name, obese, and into boylove. He’s probably a commie too. Later on, another bad guy is identified simply by seeing how evil his face looks. Of course, the good guys have blond hair and blue eyes, and other good guys are practising a long term breeding experiment to produce a kind of superhuman. Hmm. Despite the ridiculous stereotyping, the bad guy bits are among the good bits of the book.

An interesting and frustrating part of the Dune universe is the total lack of computers. Writing in the 60s, Frank Herbert couldn’t have known how weird a world without computers would be, especially a high technology SF world without computers. This makes me think unrealistic and even dishonest, but just about the only person who writes honest SF is Vernor Vinge. Having no computers pushes the story slightly too far towards fantasy for my liking. There is lots of reference to mental training, hyperaccurate body control, and even directing body chemistry atom by atom.

As the book progresses, increasingly heavy globs of religion begin to clog up the pages. There is way too much formal dialogue, too many ceremonial gatherings, council meetings and rituals, and endless quotation of scripture. Religion is just so boring.

For what it’s worth, the Ace Science Fiction edition with the cool dune-on-black cover is packed with unforgivable typos, such as “Duke Leto Streides”. It’s not as if it was the first edition.

In conclusion, the good bits really are quite good, and the bad bits aren’t too bad. It’s such a pity they come in the order they do. If you have the time, it’s worth reading to the end, just to wrap up all the loose threads. If not, read up to the section titled “Muad’Dib”, put the book down, and consult a spoiler if you want to know the ending.