A TALE IMMORTALIZED THROUGH SPACE AND TIME

One of the most influential science fiction novels of all time, Dune by Frank Herbert is known for its timeless story and world building. While on the surface one can see Dune as yet another “chosen one” story in the same vein as many other epic novels, the themes on display actually go against that notion, instead showcasing the dangers of blindly following self-proclaimed leaders and how power changes people.

The importance of Dune persists into modern day on the big screen as there have been multiple visual iterations of the story since it was published, most recently being the second installment in director Denis Villeneuve’s saga. The sprawling landscape seen on the cover of this first edition paperback, along with the orange tint on the paper, represent not only the overwhelming nature of the planet and the valuable resource known as “spice,” which almost act as characters in and of themselves, but can intrigue a reader, making it almost as iconic as the novel itself.

by Jakob Schnur, Broadcast Journalism, Class of 2024

Frank Herbert
Dune
Philadelphia: Chilton Books, 1965
Science Fiction Collection
Eberly Family Special Collections Library