Dune

Frank Herbert

Dune follows the story of a prophet like figure, Paul Atreides and his journey in a desert planet named Arrakis, also known as Dune. It takes place in a universe roughly 20,000 years after today. Paul’s family is sent here by the emperor to rule the planet taking it over from another prominent family, Harkonnens. However it’s quickly revealed this is a trap and his millennia spanning dynasty is toppled and destroyed. The story is how he is forced to escape to the desert. And how he turns into a prophet like figure there by conquering the hearts of the desert people known as Fremen, and retaking the city (and control of the planet). 

It has very obvious similarities with the story of Muhammed and early Islam. But beyond this it has very good attempts at anthropological story writing, for instance we see how Fremen really are a product of their environment, philosophical inquiry, for instance one of the countless side-stories is how humans stopped using computers due to a history of thinking machines corrupting the human mind, and Machiavellian international relations theory through the politics of The Imperium and Dune.

It was the best science-fiction story I’ve seen so far. Will continue to read the rest of the books in the series.