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Dune: Book One in the Dune Chronicles Audiobook
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Publisher Description
NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, and Charlotte Rampling.
Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad'dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family—and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.
A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction. Frank Herbert's death in 1986 was a tragic loss, yet the astounding legacy of his visionary fiction will live forever.
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"Dune came highly recommended to me from a number of friends and family. I had never read or listened to it, so decided to check it out. Overall, it was somewhere between okay to good, but not great. However, I can see why some people really like this book. Here are a few things I liked and didn't like. I really liked the setting for the book. The setting and environment is great and there is enough detail that you can really imagine and feel the world you're living in. Even the words the author chooses tells you a lot about the world and characters without explicitly telling you. I also really liked the audio production- top notch from all the voice actors. This is more of a "production" than a "reading" which really helps out the story. There were a few things that really made this book a struggle for me. This story is broken up into 3 "books" in this title. The first book is awfully slow until the very end and has a ton of detail that you will need to know and remember for the rest of the story to make sense. I was warned about this from family and friends, but it was still a really tough first 8hr or so. Secondly, the pacing in this story is all over the place. Some parts are really flying and jumping ahead and some the author stays in one conversation for seemingly forever. It was exhausting to try to keep up and adjust to the pacing. Third, this book is really pretentious- so much so that it's not entirely believable in some sections. The characters and the story are really full of themselves in a way that is hard to enjoy at times. Finally, one of the things that really annoyed me was the voice actors change based on the perspective of who is talking. For example, if Character #1 is speaking and it's from Character #1's perspective, it's one actor but if it's from Character #2's perspective, they use a different voice actor. This makes it unnecessarily difficult to follow at times and tripped me up, especially early on. With that being said, this is one of the grandfathers of scifi literature and in no doubt has had a significant impact on the world of scifi books and movies. I think it's worth checking out just for that sake, but don't expect to be blown away by the story telling compared to more modern stories."
— Chris E. (4 out of 5 stars)
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“This full-cast performance, augmented by sound effects and music, does justice to a classic of the science fiction genre…Euan Morton imbues Paul with an effective mix of vulnerability and conviction in his destiny…and others contribute to an engrossing presentation…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
"Names of planets in Herbert’s Dune universe are now nomenclature for geographic features on Saturn’s moon Titan…The book…is so action-packed that it barely gives you a moment to stop and catch your breath.”
— Paris Review -
“Unique...I know nothing comparable to it except Lord of the Rings.
— Arthur C. Clarke -
A portrayal of an alien society more complete and deeply detailed than any other author in the field has managed...a story absorbing equally for its action and philosophical vistas...An astonishing science fiction phenomenon.
— The Washington Post -
One of the monuments of modern science fiction.
— Chicago Tribune -
Powerful, convincing, and most ingenious.
— Robert A. Heinlein
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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A Paris Review Selection of Recommended Anti-Beach Reads
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Co-winner of the 1966 Hugo Award for Best Novel
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Winner of the 1965 Nebula Award for Best Novel
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A New York Public Library Staff Pick of Favorite Books of the Last 125 Years
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An Elle Magazine Pick of Best Audiobooks
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A New York Times Bestseller in Audio
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Among longlisted titles for Audible.com 100 Audible Essentials, 2007
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Winner of Audie Award Winner, 2008
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Among shortlisted titles for Audie Award Finalist, 2008
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Among longlisted titles for Audible.com Best of the Year, 2007
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Winner of Hugo Award - Winner
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Among longlisted titles for Audible.com 100 Audible Essentials, 2007
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Winner of Audie Award Winner, 2008
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Among shortlisted titles for Audie Award Finalist, 2008
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Among longlisted titles for Audible.com Best of the Year, 2007
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Winner of Hugo Award - Winner
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Among longlisted titles for Audible.com 100 Audible Essentials, 2007
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Winner of Audie Award Winner, 2008
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Among shortlisted titles for Audie Award Finalist, 2008
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Among longlisted titles for Audible.com Best of the Year, 2007
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Winner of Hugo Award - Winner
Dune Listener Reviews
- — Gregory Ludlow, 12/1/2025
- — Chris E., 8/15/2025
- — Colder68, 4/13/2025
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" We enjoyed this book on a family road trip. It is a book full of politics, intrigue and mystery. "
— Apele, 1/8/2025 - — Sujin Kurup, 5/17/2024
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" A cast of readers .. roles for the cast, it's alive for me. "
— Mike, 11/18/2023 -
" I have read Dune several times over the years, especially when a new film/TV program version is released. This spoken version was the best. I heard things that I did not get in the reading. "
— Mir, 9/29/2023 - — Samuel Summers, 2/25/2023
- — Lennart Kulf, 1/24/2023
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" More details better version more of the author "
— Jim g, 10/4/2022 - — Ross Bartell, 10/1/2022
- — Salim Aroudj, 8/24/2022
- — Stephen Parsons, 8/28/2021
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" I'd seen the movie decades ago but, while I knew there was more to it, had never bothered to read the book. The book is so much better (it's hard to do justice to a 20hour audio book in 2hours). What surprised me was the changes and liberties they'd taken. The narration was particularly good. The different voices added immensely to my enjoyment. "
— Agent, 3/14/2021 -
" The quality of the record is excellent, it is not boring, they made a few background noises as well! "
— Tamás, 1/25/2021 -
" This book is so good, I enjoyed every word of it. The voices of the narrators are also amazing, wonderful job! I look forward to the film. But now I am gonna start the second book. Cheers "
— Arthur , 12/17/2020 - — Ryan Dolan, 11/24/2020
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" I read this book 30 years ago and forgot how influential it was on me. A lot of my core principles come from this story. so glad to re discover it. narration was fantastic big production. the themes it this book are mind expanding. every person should read Dune at least once. "
— scott, 10/15/2019 -
" Much has been said about Dune over the years. I enjoyed the narration of this book and the story line. I can recommend this to listeners. "
— Ron, 11/3/2017 - — John Atwood, 9/24/2017
- — Jjoe, 2/16/2017
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" Better than Wheel of Time, but, like that series, an incredibly rich world filled with characters I have a hard time caring about. Stuffy and humorless. If I hear the word "prescient" again it will be too soon. "
— Dave, 2/16/2014 -
" Dune ranks in my top three of favorite science fiction novels. The allure (at least for me) was the prospect of human evolution and how the one who achieved it first was a threat to some and a savior to others. The ultimate result was a Greek tragedy-because as humans we cannot be predictable and free of our own unique flaws and agendas.. Dune has a lot of depth including religious and feminist themes. Anyone who enjoys science fiction should read Dune. "
— Angela, 2/11/2014 -
" One of my absolute all-time favorites. "
— Jonathan, 2/3/2014 -
" The first book in this series is phenomenal. It makes you kind of understand Dune the movie. This book is unfilmable and I am not sure what Lynch was thinking. This book is a deep environmental novel that has political intrigue at its core. "
— Robert, 1/25/2014 -
" My first science fiction read. Absolutley brilliant! "
— Clare, 1/7/2014 -
" Best science fiction i ever read. My favorite of all time, read it 6 times. "
— Laetitia, 1/5/2014 -
" classic SciFi - great read. On to Dune Messiah... "
— Michael, 10/19/2013 -
" I was excited about reading Dune and thought some of the elements were fascinating - sand worms, Fremen culture, and so on - but the execution disappointed me. I need strong characterization. Long involved descriptions of Spice-harvesting machinery just aren't going to cut it. "
— Hannah, 10/11/2013 -
" Fantastic book, could have been one of my all time faves. But what brings it down from a 5 to a 3 star book is that the excessive mysticism really becomes annoying. What makes it an amazing book is the realistic play of politics, and then the mysticism has to go and make it all surreal. "
— Faysal, 9/28/2013 -
" I liked it - very different from a lot of the more modern scifi i've been reading in terms of the setting. I'm still confused about the life cycle of a sandworm even after reading the appendices and the wikipedia entry. Complicated. "
— Teresa, 9/12/2013 -
" This is one book I read 2 times. And I'll probably read it again. "
— Sandy, 8/21/2013 -
" Have read this book numerous times. One of my all-time favorites. "
— Skipp, 6/8/2013 -
" I tried reading this book a few times after seeing the David Lynch movie when it came out in the 1980's. I never made it much further than 100 pages into it. Years later I revisited it, and I did enjoy it. But, I think I like the extended version of the David Lynch movie better. "
— Mark, 6/8/2013 -
" One of the best science fiction/fantasy out there. A bit of an ecological thriller which I think may be based on the rise of Islam, to some extent. The later books in the series are a bit disappointing though. "
— Oisin, 2/7/2013 -
" A incredibly well done literary achievement as this author creates an entirely new world, and does it without boring the reader to death. There is an unsatisfactory ending, but I guess that's why the author wrote so many sequels. "
— John, 11/15/2012 -
" very entertaining. there's a reason this is one of the sci-fi classics. "
— Doug, 8/16/2012 -
" This book was recommended in H.S.by a friend. Bad friend, no cookie. "
— Tim, 8/6/2012 -
" One of my top five of all time. Everything you could want in a book. Incredible detail puts you in another world. "
— Gerald, 4/21/2012 -
" I read this during my science fiction phase. Very good creation of a believable other world. "
— Judy, 1/29/2012 -
" A big novel in every sense of the word. Just a pity there are so many sequels as it stands on it's own without the other books. "
— Richard, 6/13/2011 -
" I probably would have liked this novel more if I had read it when somebody gave it to me almost 40 years ago. Now I found it too much acid, too much Star Wars, which isn't really fair. "
— Mette, 5/22/2011 -
" I started reading it once...it was too strange at first. Then I got bronchitis and started reading it at 9 AM finished at 10 PM that night! <br/>Loved it!!!! "
— John, 5/21/2011 -
" Great read to start the Dune stories "
— Joe, 5/21/2011 -
" Dune still is one of my most favorite books I have ever read. "
— Gabriel, 5/20/2011 -
" One of my favorite sci-fi books. "
— James, 5/18/2011 -
" A long time favorite. Just the first few lines draw you in... "
— Natalie, 5/17/2011 -
" This is an epic SF book that is not easily forgotten. Probably should have 4.5 stars because the characters take themselves a little too seriously but on the desert planet there is no time for frivolity. Appropriate for all ages and highly recommended. "
— Troy, 5/17/2011 -
" Anyone who as any sort of interest in Science Fiction MUST read this book. A shining example for all SCI-FI that followed. "
— Nicolas, 5/14/2011 -
" Possibly the single most engrossing book I have ever read. It has a huge scope, great worldbuilding, and fantastic settings. The characters are so-so, motivations are strong but they rarely go past two dimensions. "
— Schwebs, 5/12/2011 -
" My fave book since age 11!!! "
— Mab, 5/12/2011 -
" One of the all-time great sci-fi stories. Being a PoliSci major, I particularly appreciate the complex political landscape that Herbert created. "
— Eric, 5/12/2011 -
" I was completely enthralled by this book. I can see why it is considered the best science fiction book ever written. Even though I have read few SciFi books I can't imagine a better one. "
— Steve, 5/12/2011 -
" still one of my favorite books. I love its epic scale and the complexity of Herbert's characters. His language is poetic and compelling. best of all the dune books. "
— Jackie, 5/11/2011 -
" Couldn't put it down. I never considered myself a sci-fi reader before but I loved this. "
— Emily, 5/10/2011 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of sci-fi and/or fantasy. It was really confusing for about the first 20 pages or so, getting familiar with the terms and whatnot, but after that it really picked up and had some really interesting story and scenery. "
— Laurel, 5/10/2011
About Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert (1920–1986), winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards and a #1 New York Times bestselling author, was born in Tacoma, Washington, and worked as a reporter and later as an editor for a number of West Coast newspapers before becoming a full-time writer. His first science fiction story was published in 1952, but he achieved fame more than ten years later with the publication of “Dune World” and “The Prophet of Dune” in Analog. The stories were amalgamated in the bestselling novel Dune in 1965.
About the Narrators
Byron Jennings is an American actor. He has appeared in over twenty films and television shows, including Quiz Show, The Ice Storm, A Civil Action, and Lincoln. He is married to the actress Carolyn McCormick.
Jason Culp, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, has been acting since the age of ten, and his credits include a variety of television, theater, and film roles. He is best known for his role as Julian Jerome on General Hospital. In addition to audiobooks and voice-over work in national commercials, he has also narrated documentaries for National Geographic and the History Channel.
Oliver Wyman is an actor and award-winning audiobook narrator. He has won five Audie Awards from the Audio Publisher’s Association, fourteen Earphone Awards, and two Listen Up Awards from Publisher’s Weekly. He was named a 2008 Best Voice in Nonfiction & Culture by AudioFile magazine. He has appeared on stage as well as in film and television, and he is a veteran voice actor who can be heard in numerous cartoons and video games. He is one of the founders of New York City’s Collective Unconscious theater, and his performances include the award-winning “reality play” Charlie Victor Romeo and A. R. McElhinney’s cult classic film A Chronicle of Corpses.
Scott Sowers is an actor and audiobook narrator. AudioFile magazine named him the 2008 Best Voice in Mystery and Suspense. He is the winner of seven Earphones Awards.
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.
Orlagh Cassidy, an American actress of stage, television, and film, is an audiobook narrator who has twice won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration, as well as many AudioFile Earphones Awards. She is a graduate of SUNY at Purchase and a recipient of the Princess Grace Foundation Scholarship. She has been seen on and off Broadway and in films, including Definitely Maybe and Calling It Quits. Her television credits include roles in Law & Order and Sex and the City and as Doris Wolfe on Guiding Light.
Euan Morton is an Earphones Award–winning narrator. As an actor and singer, he is best known for his role as Boy George in the musical Taboo, which earned him a Laurence Olivier Award nomination. He reprised the role on Broadway, earning him the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut, as well as nominations for the ony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League awards. His other stage performances include Leaves of Glass, Sondheim on Sondheim, and Cyrano De Bergerac.
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.
Ilyana Kadushin was born in Miami and raised in the rural cornfields of Maryland. She attended the Tisch School of Arts in New York City and has performed in many theater productions. Kadushin wrote and performed a one woman multimedia musical called Devour the Apple. Her narration of In the Age of Love and Chocolate won an AudioFile Earphones Award.