Dune

I usually don’t like sci-fi stories. While they often feature settings that deeply interest me such as the future of mankind or space exploration, many of them get lost in their own context, adding scientific-looking explanations that normally fail to sound believable and break my suspension of disbelief. For me, it is easier to enjoy a story that does not attempt to explain how things work and focus on its consequences on the universe rather than one that tries and fails to do so.

For this reason, I was reluctant to engage with the Dune series, only doing so after Dune: Part Two came out. I was pleasantly surprised by both movies, especially the second one, which felt like a cinematic masterpiece. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to give it a shot and read the original book trilogy. Unfortunately, I did not like the books as much as I did the movies.

The first book starts strong and is, in my opinion, the best of the trilogy. It succeeds in building an alien world, unwelcoming to human life through both its climate and the lifeforms, and shows the effects such a harsh environment has on the people of Arrakis. Some of the problems that later become more prevalent in the series are already present (the heavy use of jargon, the weird explanations to some phenomena) but they can be overlooked given how interesting Arrakis is as a setting.

Dune Messiah does the right thing by skipping ahead to when Paul’s grip on the empire has consolidated, focusing on the consequences of his rule. Because the story can no longer rely purely on the novelty of its worldbuilding, the narrative cracks become more apparent. The book centers heavily on a conspiracy against Paul, yet it is entirely unclear what the conspirators' actual objectives are or why they are working together; they seem to have no plan other than to conspire. This is made worse by strange pacing. The narrative drags with very little of substance happening in the first 80% of the book, only to rush through the resolution in the final 20%.

These pacing issues make the heavy use of jargon even more detrimental. For example, when the “Stone burner” is used, I was not immediately aware of what it was or its consequences. My initial reaction was simply, “Stone what?” and I had to stop and consult the glossary to understand the weapon. This completely broke the flow of what should have been one of the most impactful scenes in the book.

In comparison, Children of Dune has better pacing, but the subplots are immersion-breaking. Orchestrating a murder plot using tigers from a foreign planet that also requires two children to walk alone in the desert wearing specific clothes? Jessica returning to the Bene Gesserit after they played a major part in the plot that blinded her son? All of these subplots were too unbelievable to me, not just because of the absurd events themselves, but how they were presented. For example, no characters question the convoluted nature of the tiger murder plot, nor does it make sense that Jessica would suddenly return to a Sisterhood she had previously defied. This pains me because the book has great moments, such as when Alia makes an attempt on her mother’s life or Duncan sacrificing himself to protect Stilgar, but they all serve a story that was lost on me.

The immersion-breaking elements of the franchise make me appreciate the movies even more. Denis Villeneuve masterfully stripped down the stories to the strongest points, making them better and more impactful. While the sci-fi element is there, the movies are clearly more focused on the fantastical and its presentation.

For example, while “The Voice” is explained as a psychological manipulation in the books, the movies (with their incredible sound design) make “The Voice” sound like a trick of magic that goes beyond any explanation. You can feel the power and how the listeners are compelled rather than having it explained to you. This makes this element a lot stronger and one of the highlights of the movies.

Dune: Part Three was confirmed for later this year, which should adapt Dune Messiah. The book, as said before, has its flaws as a story, however, the trailer for the movie seems to show that Denis Villeneuve is following the right direction by leaning on the spectacle and the consequences for Paul. It remains to be seen how the book’s more convoluted plot elements will be handled and made easier to follow. This will probably be the end of my experience with the Dune series, as I do not intend to read the second trilogy nor do I expect Children of Dune to be adapted into a movie anytime soon. Let’s hope that Dune: Part Three is able to finish the trilogy on a high note.