Reading ‘Dune’ is a challenging sci-fi must: Here’s where to start

Like “Lord of the Rings” for the fantasy genre, the “Dune” series is foundational to the modern science fiction genre. It may have even inspired “Star Wars” – “Dune” author Frank Herbert once jokingly started a fake “We’re Too Big to Sue George Lucas Society.”
And though it’s been beloved for decades, the “Dune” fandom saw a 21st-century resurgence with the release of the screen adaptation directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Timothée Chalamet and the upcoming series “Dune: Prophecy.”
Thinking about revisiting the series or picking it up for the first time? Here’s a beginner’s guide.
Frank Herbert wrote six “Dune” books while he was alive, but there are actually 26 “Dune” books. After Herbert died, his son, Brian Herbert, and author Kevin J. Anderson collaborated on an additional 20 books to expand the “Dune” universe.
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The original “Dune” series includes the six books written by Frank Herbert as well as two stories by Herbert’s son and Anderson. Here they are in order: 
Or, if you’re feeling up to the challenge, check out the entire series in chronological order.
This list includes all of the novels published by both Herberts and Anderson but does not include the short stories found in the three collection books, which take place at various times in the “Dune” universe. The six original “Dune” books are listed in bold: 
The other three “Dune” books are collections. “Tales of Dune” includes eight short stories from the past, present and future of the “Dune” universe. “Sands of Dune” is a collection of novellas. And “The Road to Dune,” a posthumous collaboration between all three authors, includes never-before-seen manuscripts from Frank Herbert and a short story novel by Brian Herbert and Anderson.
“Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides (played by Chalamet in the movie adaptation), a boy born to a noble family who rules the desert planet Arrakis. Paul is heir to this inhospitable interstellar world, which is also the only source of “spice,” a drug that extends life, enhances consciousness and is necessary for safe space travel. But when his house is betrayed and his family destroyed, Paul sets out on a journey to set humanity right through an ancient and seemingly impossible dream. 
The first “Dune” came out in 1965. Herbert continued publishing in the “Dune” series through 1985. He died in 1986. 
Still, with 20 other works, the writings of the “Dune” universe extend nearly 60 years. The most recent expanded book was published in 2023 – “Princess of Dune.”
Dune is 658 pages, according to Goodreads. 
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