Dune

Dune was written over forty years ago, but it still feels fairly relevant as far as science fiction goes. It's much more stately and intricately put together than most stuff that mimics it, and really is for its genre what The Lord of the Rings is for fantasy. It's an extraordinarily dense work, with tons of thought put into every detail and the plot sometimes moving at a glacial pace, but sticking with it results in a very rewarding, entertaining read. The attention to detail is obvious in the setting; when the novel you're reading has a glossary in the back, you know the author put a lot of time into crafting the world his characters inhabit.

The setting is interesting in its mix of old and new ideas. There's lots of forward thinking technology and sci-fi trappings to be found like interstellar travel, energy shields, and sophisticated equipment to make living on a desert planet possible. There's also combat mostly relying on blades and other old weaponry, and a ton of cultural influence taken from our Middle East. Arrakis is definitely not the average place for a story like this to take place; a desolate world of sand and caves instead of sterile space stations. One might have an idea where George Lucas got the idea for the jumping-off point of his famous trilogy. The story of Paul Atreides, his rise to power, and the people around him is an intriguing one, although the pacing seems like it could have used some work. It takes most of the story for him to finally come into his own and then the real conflict happens quite quickly. The ending also seemed to be one only in name, making the reader want to know what happened next, although it took Herbert four years to finish the next book. I'm not sure when I'll get around to tackling it, but I'm looking forward to it.