Despite being one of the oldest scientific series, The Dune is one of the most complicated novel series that I have ever read. The character and story are complex, but the message is so ambiguous and mysterious at the same time. After reading the novel, I asked why Frank Herbert wrote this novel series and what message he intended. The idea of time (past, present, future), life, and religion in the Dune series were intertwined. As I wanted many readers to read the book itself and to read a summary of the book, I planned to write my book review based on the question and my interpretation of the Dune series. The question that I asked myself was “What did Frank Herbert want me to learn?”

The first concept that I analyzed after reading the Dune series was time and reality. The Dune series takes place in the distant future. At the planet Dune, the spices allow people to see an illusion that is interpreted as one of many possible futures. Paul Atreides and Leto Atreides II are surrounded by constant illusions in life. When someone asks how understanding and being knowledgeable about the future can be miserable, Paul tells them that his life no longer has a purpose, understanding his inevitable end and progress. Although this may not be the main message that Frank Herbert intended, this idea was really awakening for me. For a high school student, it is always typical to become anxious about the future when one would strongly desire to know my future. However, Frank Herbert implies that knowing the future will make every moment of the present and past meaningless as one knows their future is immutable. Therefore, Frank Herbert’s novel series taught me to focus on the present; he wishes the reader to understand how moments that we live by are unique and special.

Dune is a future society of humanity. However, ironically, everything seems so antique and corresponds with the past civilization of humanity. The people are obsessed with Muad'dib and religion. The fact that spices found in Dune (although used for space traveling) somewhat resemble the spice that has been a center of commerce in the Middle age. By portraying the irony in the future, Frank Herbert tries to inform the readers how humanity can’t progress further simply by developing technologies; he argues that humanity will only deteriorate and cycle back to the past with current ideals. This is the reason why the Dune series is so complicated and powerful. It is not a simple SF or fantasy novel that readers can read for pleasure. It questions the past, present, and future of humanity. Frank Herbert does not end his novel with an appealing or cliché ending. The unresolved, questioning ending of the novel causes the reader to look back and front of humanity, to find the solution that can lead to a better future for humanity.

Here I would be making a controversial comment. Personally, the Dune series was more enjoyable than the Harry Potter series. Just for sure, I have no intention to criticize or dishonor the achievements of the Harry Potter series. However, I believe the Dune Series would be more acknowledged by people and students because it is not a simple science fiction but a novel that questions the indeterminate history of humanity. The Dune series is being filmed and the second sequel is being released on November 3, 2023. If you are not still persuaded by my review, watch Part 1 of Dune in the movie which was released in 2021. After the film, you would be shouting “Atreides!” and find yourself buying the entire novel series as I did.