Challenge Corner discussion

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for...

When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.

5%: Not really a spoiler, and I know I just started, but I really hope this book's prose gets better. I'm kinda underwhelmed. Also, making the MC a male savior of a traditionally female magic and the main villain a fat man? I feel like the stereotypes of this book show its age from page 1.

I started this as well... I have a lot of questions. LOL

I will admit I have never watched the movie

Yeah, I haven't seen the movie either. So I'm going in pretty much blind

25%: (view spoiler)[This picked up pretty fast! I was sorta annoyed by the constantly shifting omniscient perspective at first, but I think it's being used to great effect. I love seeing how all the characters read each other - sometimes incorrectly - and how those (mis)readings play out in their political decisions. I also really enjoy Paul so far as a protagonist. He's really damn smart and pretty interesting without becoming totally OP or unrealistic (hide spoiler)]

End of Part 1: (view spoiler)[It's cool to see how Yueh's character was nuanced instead of making him a straight up traitor. And Paul's newfound mental abilities are really interesting - I look forward to seeing how Herbert develops that ability without making him completely OP. Also lol, a book about the desert and it's over 300 pages before anyone actually goes there for longer than a page or two (hide spoiler)]

75%: (view spoiler)[I'm a huge fan of the legend aspect to Herbert's worldbuilding. I love the way that Paul and Jessica actively play into it and use religious belief for political gain. That's an aspect of human history/politics that I wish I saw more in sci-fi (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Ok, obsessed with the way Herbert writes conflict. The first half of the book was so heavily political, but things really heated up and I loved seeing how Paul's smarts carried over into melee and military ability. Still a little annoyed at this book's lowkey sexism though - I wish the Bene Gesserit were a lot less "women whisper in the background and control things" coded. But it is an old book so maybe I should cut it more slack? Overall though, it totally earned its reputation as a classic. (hide spoiler)]