Is Dune the greatest science fiction book ever written?
Dune is a great science fiction novel that everyone can enjoy, no matter how casual a reader they are, or how strongly they identify as ‘not a science fiction fan.’ It boasts the scope of Star Wars, the philosophy of The Matrix, the realpolitik of Game of Thrones, the mythology of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the anthropology of Guns, Germs and Steel and the ecology of Silent Spring. Dune is huge, bold, ambitious, and packed to the brim with adventure and excitement. And monster worms, of course.
Decidedly not.
While it is a connected series of short stories and not a novel, I greatly prefer The Martian Chronicles. The TV miniseries was a very good adaptation, and it sustained “The Twilight Zone” and “Outer Limits” for years.
It’s my favorite. It;s also the only book I have read more than twice.
I have a general dislike for trying to rigidly and comprehensively rank a field of literature as diverse as Science Fiction. That said, Dune is certainly one of the genre’s great works, and I would even argue that it is a meaningful contribution to our culture’s literary tradition beyond just being good genre-fiction. Like anything, it has its flaws. In my opinion, at least, it rises above these flaws.
Dune is good for those who might not like SF in general. I can also recommend Peter Hamilton’s “Commonwealth” novels as well — Pandora’s Star and Judas Unchained — for those who normally do not like SF.
Bob Sykes:
While Dune is not the greatest SF book ever (not that it’s possible to rank them), it’s a very good novel.
Similar to Martian Chronicles, but far more internally consistent I think. Didn’t like Martian Chronicles one bit, like a pastiche on colonizing America but with rockets.
Dune will always remain a classic because, compared to other SF, it is incredibly reactionary. To wit, AI will turn hostile, Democracy is a joke — feudalism is the natural state of man, FTL is the sole property of devolved drug addicts, a drug which makes heroin (and its algebra of need) look like Sanka. Also, forget about any metaphysical transcendence — that’s only open to one guy, and, you guessed it, there’s no freedom there either.