This starts the beginning to one of the most memorable worlds in Science Fiction. Arrakis or Dune is the creation of SF author Frank Herbert. It is a world and universe full of complex cultures, histories and interactions. This world belongs in the same class as Larry Niven's Ringworld. Isaac Asimov's Foundation, Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld and many others. Mr. Herbert created a world inhabited with complex characters and ideas as well. He explores Arrakis through several books in a connected series.
The exploration of this world begins with the author. Frank Herbert was born and lived throughout the Pacific states during his life time. He had several jobs in his life, but was primarily a journalist and photographer. Most of his knowledge was self-acquired in subjects like geology, marine biology and many others. His knowledge found its way into many of his books and stores. Mr. Herbert had a prolific writing career that ended in 1986 upon his death. Though he wrote many other books, the Dune books were his most famous works.
The idea for Dune came in 1958 when Mr. Herbert worked on a report to control sand dunes in Oregon. From this report, he came up with the concept of an entire planet covered by desert. He considered the science of ecology as "the understanding of consequences." His novels are layered with the interactions of politics, religion, society and the environment, and the consequences of these influences on life. This led to a richly dense series of books that are classics to this day.
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