Review of "Dune" by Frank Herbert

Published in 1965, Frank Herbert’s Dune is considered not only a grandfather, but by many the greatest sci-fi novel of all time.  A fully realized world that fascinates for the imaginative creatures and civilizations that inhabit it, the novel’s greatest appeal remains the base social circumstances motivating the plot’s quest for political power.  Space opera of the xth degree, this formula inspired generations of books and films to come, including George Lucas and Star Wars, not to mention myriad sequels and prequels in the Dune universe. (The latest number of books stands at seventeen and counting.) The original, however, remains the best.  

In the Duniverse (sorry, couldn’t resist), Arrakis occupies a unique position.  The substance ‘spice’ is found and mined on the planet’s endless deserts, unavailable anywhere else in the galaxy.  Spice enhancing the powers of the mind as well as the length of one’s life, he who controls Arrakis controls the universe.  The politics of power playing out against this interstellar premise, Dune tells the story of the Atreides family and their struggles for position amidst realpolitik.  Coups, assassination attempts, and outright military attacks are par for the course in the planet’s capital.  Trained in the arts of physical combat as well as mind reading, the son of House Atreides, Paul, soon finds himself embroiled in the fight for planetary power in ways he can never imagine, the inhospitable desert calling his name as events escalate.  

The imagination invested in Dune is its strongest aspect.  The Arab-esque cultures vibrating on the streets, the intrigue of court life in the palace, the technology skimming the deserts and mining spice, the stillsuits the people of Arrakis’ deserts live in daily, the constant threat of sand worms just below the surface—in all of these ideas Herbert displays no shortage of imagination detailing the world he envisions.  Everything fresh and original, the only derivative aspect of the novel’s setting and motifs is the Middle Eastern feel of naming and religion.

Likewise suitable to such a desert setting, the theme of environmentalism finds a prominent position in the novel.  The Fremen who inhabit the desert live in rhythm with nature as opposed to those living more technologically advanced lives in the scattered cities of the desiccated world.  Herbert’s emphasis on the sacrifices these people make in order to survive has real meaning in our world today.  The Middle East of the 21st century, particularly the water soaked oases being developed in the middle of deserts, should take note of the restraint and wisdom the Fremen exhibit facing their environmental circumstances.

Possibly pinched from a daytime series, the storyline of Dune is not unique, however.  Melodrama off the charts, Herbert will not win any awards for originality in plot.  Though effectively drawn, Dune’s characters serve the story, i.e. pawns to be moved rather than personalities to be sympathized with.  As Darth Vader would later become, the story contains some evilly evil bad guys who exist for none other than evil reasons.  Events and plot outcomes sensational as result, space opera is a more than suitable tag for the book.  

Dune’s writing is also problematic at times. Its rough edges, while carrying the story, must be handled with patience.  Herbert’s agenda for discussion, primarily the politics of power, has a harshness over-emphasized by occasionally digressive philosophizing.  An aspect that becomes exponentially worse in the sequels, it rears its ugly head on few enough occasions in Dune that it can be glossed over, however.  Neither beautiful nor prosaic, Herbert’s tale remains intriguing for the aforementioned reasons.

In the end, Dune’s reputation as one of science fiction’s greatest books is grounded.  Combining uniquely fantastic and futuristic ideas with mainstream plotting, its readership grows while continuing to inspire generation after generation of space opera.  Writers like Dan Simmons, Alastair Reynolds, or Iain M. Banks would not have such an easy time in the business, perhaps not even an impetus for their ideas, were it not for Herbert’s universe.  While lacking consistent style and smooth characterization, Dune remains great entertainment that scratches at the surface of something deeper.

Review of "The Fall of Hyperion" by Dan Simmons

Simmons having carefully woven each strand in Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion braids them together into a singular narrative that fantastically concludes the tale.  Whip-crackling energy throughout, the fate of the Hegemony, Ousters, and the Shrike are revealed.  All of the questions created—what will happen to Sol’s daughter?  Will Kassad get his revenge on the Shrike?  Will the Consul be able to open the time tombs?  And ultimately, what is the Shrike?—are answered in more than satisfying fashion.  Moreover, the mysterious disappearance of the tree-ship captain, Het Masteen, is not only explained, but fits perfectly within the framework of Hyperion to affect things as no reader could foresee.  With this and other details, Simmons shows the subtlety of his story’s design, and proves himself a master storyteller at work.

The narrative structure of Hyperion would be possible to duplicate in the sequel only if there were to be no resolve of the pilgrims’ stories.  All having converged at the time tombs, The Fall of Hyperion is where the rubber hits the road—a single road.  Told from two settings, one the galactic center at Tau Ceti and the other the tombs, the fate of the universe is finally decided.  Readers bounce back and forth between the two locations, learning the pilgrim’s fates on one hand and how the Hegemony is preparing for the imminent Ouster invasion on the other.  Action and plot non-stop, Simmons never takes his foot off the gas the length of the novel, driving the story all the way to a heart pounding climax that satisfies all of the build up of Hyperion. 

The players established and positions known, The Fall of Hyperion works within the parameters of Hyperion to conclude the story.  Save a second version of the android Keats (named Severn), Simmons avoids a major weak point of storytelling by springing nothing new—game changers or plot altering surprises—on readers.  There are no new overlords or super-weapons to step in and change the rules or extend the limits of possibility.  Everything fits perfectly within the playing space delimited in the first novel, and move by move, each piece works its way toward a showdown of colossal proportions—human, Ouster, AI, Shrike, and otherwise.

Hyperion such powerful storytelling, it’s unfortunate that The Fall of Hyperion must stand aside and be judged.  Like a meeting of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, everyone considers one better than the other, though both are mammoth.  Were it not for one’s brilliance, the other would be considered mightiest.  As such, the recent publication of the Hyperion omnibus editions is welcome.  The story able to be read from start to finish as Simmons envisioned it, readers do not feel such a sharp transition between the two halves, the need for comparison eliminated.  

Hyperion such a tour de force, most readers will find something amiss in The Fall of Hyperion, though they know not what.  The answer is: the end of the story.  With such a vast number of creative elements at play and interest generated in the characters and story, nobody wants the enjoyment to end.  However, it must, and Simmons finishes the tale in suitably epic fashion.  The good news is, the author also recognized the wealth of possibilities available and wrote a second duology in the Hyperion universe, Endymion and The Rise of Endymion.  

In the end, The Fall of Hyperion is a grand finale built on the solid foundation of  Hyperion.  The only disappointment readers could feel would be that the story comes to an end.  Epic in nature and epic in feel, Simmons has set a very high bar for sci-fi.  Readers who enjoy Iain Banks or Peter Hamilton but have not read the Hyperion Cantos will find upon reading it that many ideas are in common, particularly the scope of their universes, love of interesting tech, and the possibilities of far future.  Despite having source material of its own, Hyperion is the inspiration of space opera in the 21st century and beyond.