A mother and her son trek  across an endless desert. Wearing special skin-tight suits  to dissipate heat and recycle moisture, the travelers aren’t worried  about dying of thirst. Their fears are much greater. The pair try to walk without rhythm, letting the vibrations of their footsteps  blend into the shifting sands. But soon, the sound of the desert  is drowned out by a louder hissing. As a mound of sand races towards them, the pair’s unnatural gait  turns into a sprint. The two clamber into a nearby rock face, as a sandworm 400 meters long  bursts from the desert floor. This is the world of "Dune." Written by Frank Herbert  and published in 1965, "Dune" takes place  in a far-flung future, where humanity rules the stars  in a giant feudal empire. This medieval motif goes beyond  just the government. Unlike most interstellar sci-fi, Herbert's humans conquered  the stars without any computers. Following an ancient war with robots, humanity has forbidden  the construction of any machine “in the likeness of a human mind.” But rather than stifling their expansion, this edict forced humans  to evolve in startling ways— becoming biological computers, psychic  witches, and prescient space pilots. Members of these super-powered factions are regularly employed  by various noble houses, all competing for power and new planets  to add to their kingdoms. But almost all these superhuman skills  rely on the same precious resource: the spice. This mystical crop also known as “melange” is essential for all space travel, making it the cornerstone  of the galactic economy. And it only grows  on the desert planet Arrakis, a dangerous and inhospitable world  whose native inhabitants have long rebelled against the empire. Arrakis, also called Dune,  is the setting for Herbert’s novel, which follows Paul  of the noble House Atreides. The book begins with Paul’s family being assigned control of Dune as part of an elaborate plot  by their sworn enemies: the sadistic slave drivers  of House Harkonnen. The conflict between these houses upends  the delicate political balance on Arrakis. Soon, Paul is catapulted into the middle of a planetary revolution, where he must prove himself capable  of leading— and surviving— on this hostile desert world. But Arrakis is not simply  an endless sea of sand. Herbert was an avid environmentalist, who spent over five years creating  Dune’s complex ecosystem. The planet is checkered with climate  belts and wind tunnels that have shaped its rocky topography. Different temperate zones produce  varying desert flora. And almost every element of Dune’s  ecosystem works together to produce the planet’s essential export. Herbert’s world building also includes  a rich web of philosophy and religion. Paul’s mother Jessica, is a member  of the Bene Gesserit, an ancient cult  of spice-assisted psychics. Sometimes called “witches”  for their mysterious powers, the Bene Gesserit have operated  as a shadow government for millennia in an effort to guide society  towards enlightenment. Similarly ancient are the Mentats— human computers capable  of processing incredible amounts of data. While the Mentats are bastions  of logic and reason, their results are not mere calculations, but rather, streams of constantly  shifting possibilities. However, no group is more central  to "Dune" than the Fremen. Natives of Arrakis, they are the keepers  of the planet’s many secrets. Paul’s journey takes him deep  into the Fremen’s exclusive brotherhood, where he must prove himself trustworthy in a series of increasingly  deadly challenges. All these factions have deep histories  that pervade the text, and Herbert also incorporates that  sense of scale into the book’s structure. Each chapter begins with a quote  from a future history book, recalling elements of the events  that are about to unfold. The book also contains in-universe  appendices that further explore the Empire’s history; alongside a glossary of words like  “Gom jabbar” and “Shai-Hulud." Dune’s epic story continues to unfold  over a six-book saga that spans millennia. But every story of Arrakis’  future begins here: as Paul pursues a path  that is dangerous, demanding, and always on the verge of being  consumed by the oncoming storm.