How often do you come across a piece of work that almost redefines a segment? Consider what Citizen Kane to film-making. What Psycho did to the genre of thrillers. And for that matter, what Lord of the Rings did fantasy fiction. It’s not really unheard of. For sci-fi, that distinction arguably goes to Dune – Frank Herbert’s classic released over 5 decades ago. A book despite its mature age continues to set the benchmark for the genre. It should be no surprise then that the winner of the prestigious Hugo Award and the Nebula Award, the highest form of distinction for science fiction, still inspires on-screen adaptations. With the latest film, directed by Denis Villeneuve, finally showing signs of an adaptation living up to its repute.
A story set thousands of years in the future, Dune isn’t always your conventional, high-octane sci-fi story. Rather, it presents a story that is a subtle balancing act of discovery, survival, leadership, politics and even religion. All played out in an extremely harsh ecological environment of the unknown desert planet, Arrakis. A planet known for sandworms that grow to hundreds of meters in size and a deathly scarcity of water. And at the same time, the planet that is the source of the most valued commodity, or spice, in the universe.
The Plot
Our story begins in what is an inter-planetary society, where planets are ruled and governed by royal families. Royal families who are in turn presided over by an Emperor. And here begins the story of our protagonist, Paul Atreides. A teenager whose father, the Duke of Arrakis, has been betrayed and killed. And who now finds himself on the run, hunted by rival families.
Losing his father and everyone close to him he could trust, his survival depends on one thing above all. The physical and mental abilities of the Bene Gesserit, passed down to him by his mother, combined with the combat and survival training he has acquired growing up. Paul must now this training to familiarise himself to this unique habitat, learn the ways of its natives, blend in with them. And truly become one with the planet where he is stranded. But in doing so, he is set to find out something more. About the planet he is stranded on. And about himself. Something that will not just save him and what are now his people. But change the course of Arrakis itself.
Dune. Humans, Religion, and other themes
Dune is the story of a young boy’s struggle to cope with the betrayal by his most trusted aides. And his survival in a harsh and unknown environment. Where the slightest mis-step could be the difference between life and death. It’s about his evolution from a young, somewhat lost prodigy, to a messiah who will protect this planet and lead a revolution against a corrupt emperor. With the trust of only a few among all those who surround him. In essence, Dune is a very human story supplemented by external technology. And to me, that is what makes Dune stand out in the genre. Its human element.
While sci-fi pieces throughout history, including some of my own favourites, traditionally revolve around technologies that have taken unimaginable leaps, Dune’s premise, has more of a human element at its heart than most others. More than what first meets the eye in fact. With themes spanning across religion, environment and climate, society, imperialism, politics, and gender dynamics. And Frank Herbert does a masterful job of combining all these elements to build a cohesive story in Dune. Not to mention Frank Herbert’s own admission that our lead, Paul Atreides’ messiah figure is inspired by the Arthurian legend.
When you think of all these human elements together, further supported by the thoroughly detailed ecology of Arrakis, the anthropology of the Fremen – the inhabitants of planet Arrakis, and of course the kind of technologies that are almost a trademark of sci-fi stories, like ornithopters and weapon systems, it almost sounds like too many ingredients to make one cohesive story. But Frank Herbert delivers. And delivers flawlessly to make Dune a timeless classic.
Dune: A story for generations. A story that reflects generations
Undoubtedly a book and a story that traverses generations. But it’s more than just a fabulous story that makes Dune a book revered by generation after generation after generation. It is in fact the multitude of themes that have made Dune so relatable to readers across the world, across decades. Almost as if each decade, or generation brings out a new theme of Dune. To put it in another way, almost as if Dune could predict what would impact the world in decades to come. And then subtly used them as themes to build its story.
Depending on the time you read it, and even the place you read it, a different theme of the book that would strike close to you. For someone who read it between the 50s to the 70s, it may be the fall of an imperialist, or the rise of one man liberating an oppressed group. For someone in the 80s and 90s it might be the story’s strong geopolitical undertones. And in today’s day and age, Dune’s story might be suggestible to anyone with an inclination towards issues of climate change and resource scarcity. Or for the matter, the idea of exploring new worlds with the potential for inhabitation.
It’s true that a lot of fictional stories can be reflective of the period in which they are written . But very few can claim to be reflective of multiple generations like Dune.
Hitting the big-screen. Third time’s the charm?
Strangely enough, one of the biggest testaments to Dune I believe is the challenges some of the world’s most promising and respected film makers have had in making an on-screen adaptation. While its success has prompted a number of follow-up releases in terms of successful sequels and prequels, which also include the works of Frank Herbert’s son, Brian Herbert, its on-screen adaptations have failed to flatter.
With David Lynch’s film in 1984, although appreciated by Frank Herbert himself, unable to impress a large part of the critics and reviewers. And John Harrison’s miniseries released in 2000 making for another decent, yet slow adaptation that doesn’t do Dune the justice it deserves. And many other attempts to bring Dune to the big screen failing even before they could kick off. A case of ‘Don’t judge a book by its movie.’
But it seems like Denis Villeneuve’s production might just be the adaptation Dune deserves. Or at least, that is what the trailers tell me. And given the spectacular cast, it certainly looks like a film sci-fi fans, and Dune readers will not want to miss out. With the hope that (with all due respect to David Lynch and John Harrison’s works), we finally have a film worthy of the book.
Want to watch the movie? Read the book.
With just a week for Dune to be released as I write this, it seems to be enough time to get your hands on the book and give it a read. Especially because of the complexities and intertwining of the themes within the story, a read might do you a world of good to have a better grasp of the film.
While it has set the benchmark for sci-fi works for decades, and is widely acclaimed as one of the best sci-fi books ever written, Dune in my opinion still remains a book that is terribly underrated. Especially when compared to pieces like Star Wars and Star Trek. A piece that deserves your attention, and for any Sci-fi fans out there, nothing short of a ‘must-read’.
