Dune, by Frank Herbert

It's amazing how some people seem to be able to create entire universes out of thin air. Frank Herbert clearly had this ability, and as a huge science fiction reader, Dune does not disappoint. His world is obviously well thought out and planned, and the imagination it probably took to both think of it and then describe it so well is astounding.

What is fascinating about Dune is that it could really be a story from anywhere: oppressed peoples, political infighting, religious fervor; all these things exist on our own planet, in our own time. Good science fiction does not necessarily involve that which is weirdest to us, but instead, often describes a world not so different from ours in all the most important ways.

It is easy to see how Herbert's books have gained such a huge following, and I know that I will join in to see how the world of Dune continues to unfold.