“Dune” made Frank Herbert world famous and, overtaking even “Lord of the Rings” in the ratings, won prestigious literary awards: a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award for Best Novel, an SFinks Award as Book of the Year, and repeated recognition from Locus magazine as “Best Novel of All Time.” This iconic saga is about the eternal struggle and lust for victory, the price of justice and choosing the path.

Melange, or spice, is the most valuable and rare substance in the universe, which can do everything from prolonging life to facilitating interstellar travel. And it can only be found on one planet, the unfriendly desert Arrakis. He who dominates Arrakis controls Spice. And he who controls the spice controls the universe. When the Emperor strips the Harkonnen clan of the title of ruling and gives that title to the Atrids, the Harkonnen kill Duke Leto the Atrid. His son Paul and his concubine Jessica flee into the desert. To avenge his father and reclaim the planet from the Harkonnen, Paul must gain the trust of the Freemen, the natives of Arrakis, and lead a tiny army against the countless forces of the enemy.

Herbert is an American science fiction writer best known as the creator of Dune and its sequels. Although Herbert became known as a science fiction author, he was also a journalist, photographer, novelist, book reviewer, environmental consultant and lecturer. Two film adaptations of the novel “Dune” were released in 1984 and 2000. A new film is in preparation, directed by Denis Villeneuve.