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Dune by Frank Herbert
01/01/2008 . Source: Rod MacDonald 
audio CD. pub: Audio Renaissance. 22 hours. 18 CDs. Price: $59.95 (US), $74.95 (CAN) ISBN: 978-1-4272-0143-0) read by: Scott Brick, Orlagh Cassidy, Euan Morton Simon Vance and cast. Buy Dune in the USA - or Buy Dune in the UK  check out websites: www.audiorenaissance.com/www.hbpub.com and www.duneaudio.com
Although there isn't much you can say about 'Dune' that hasn't been said before, I'm going to try the impossible. Arthur C. Clark reputedly said that 'Dune' was on par with 'Lord Of The Rings'. Without any detriment to the latter, I think it's much better. 'Dune' and all its sequels is a complete alternative world, minute in detail, all compassing and yet, very much human. It was perhaps significant that in the story, Earth had been destroyed sometime in the past and the embodiment of mankind was playing out its eternal drama in another setting which, despite being alien, remained completely believable.
One of the problems concerning Dune is the movie. It was a bit of a beggar's muddle, much criticised over the last 20 years, but on reflection it must be realised that the impossibility of cramming everything into a couple of hours inevitably leads to denigration of the original. Perhaps at sometime in the future, an enterprising production company will produce a faithful replica of the book, possibly in an extended series, which will be viewed favourably by critics. Although there was a television series about six years ago, even at 4 1/2 hours, many still say it didn't do justice to the book. What we don't want, however, is an animated version as in the style of 'Beowulf'.
This audio version is very well done. Having listened to 'Dune Messiah', I've become accustomed to some of the narrators. They are actually good at their job and, in many respects, the audio version much in the same way as radio drama takes you via the imagination to scenes and settings that could never be portrayed on film. I have listened to some audio books in the past where the narrators, despite being of eloquent voice and delivery, were just going through the motions. These narrators, on the other hand, have obviously studied the book in detail and are able to bring out the dialogue with feeling and passion.
Is this worth the money? Well, you're getting entertained for a continuous day. While I don't suggest you listen to 'Dune' non-stop for a day, it would be easy enough to spread this out over a week, a week perhaps in dismal January when the weather is inclement. In this respect, it's certainly worth the money. My only suggestion is that, as with 'Dune Messiah', which I reviewed before, it would be helpful to produce a DVD version. 18 CDs can become a bit cumbersome.
In Dune, we have the planet Arrakis which is the source of the spice melange, the most valuable substance in the universe. Of course, one is tempted to think of the Middle East and oil but it's more complicated than that. There is something about a desert which is compelling. Minimalist in nature, a desert is yet enigmatic in that the relatively simplistic life chains it produces can often be extreme in character. A desert can be freezing at night and like an oven during the day. Creatures that survive this environment are not like the rest of us. The Fremen are such people. Despite all the other characters, they are the essence of the novel.
Of comfort to many people is the fact that in 'Dune' following the war with the 'thinking machines' which destroyed Earth, complex computers have been abandoned and human fecundity, versatility and ingenuity have empowered a vast empire, intricate in nature, which as with most human endeavours, is balanced on a knife edge. Perhaps it may be odd that in a book with fantastic names and settings, we find main characters with the names of Paul and Jessica. Could this be Frank Herbert's link to the past to remind us that these people, engaged in drama and strife some 20,000 years in the future, are essentially the same as ourselves? The drama of humanity has carried on from ancient times, through classical Greece, the Renaissance, 20th century turmoil to the problems we endure today. We've been playing the same game with different jerseys all this time and it will be no different in the future.
Yes, I know this audio version will cost a few dollars more than the book but, what the hell, as far as we know you can't take money with you. I'd recommend its purchase.
Rod MacDonald
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