Set within the feudal interstellar society of the far future of the human race, Dune tells the story of the struggle for control of the desert planet Arrakis (otherwise known as Dune) and it's production of "spice" (also known as melange), an extremely valuable psychoactive substance used for several purposes. Duke Leto Atreides, the ruler over the House Atreides on the water-covered planet of Caladan, is granted control of the planet Arrakis in exchange for Caladan by the Emperor Shaddam IV of the ruling house Corrino. The granting of Arrakis to Atreides is a politically-motived move by the emperor to destroy the duke, who has gained popularity in the Landsraad, an alliance of houses whose power rivals that of the imperium. The emperor provides house Harkonnen, a rival to Atreides led by the devious Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, with powerful Sardaukar imperial troops in an effort to destroy Atreides before the house is given sufficient time to organise defences after moving in on Arrakis. Harkonnen and Sardaukar troops are aided by a traitor within house Atreides and take control of the planet, killing the Duke while his son Paul and lover, concubine and mother to his only son and heir Lady Jessica escape into the desert. Jessica is a member of the Bene Gesserit, an ancient order of women trained in the art of mental power over others. Myth tells that a Bene Gesserit will eventually give birth to a male Bene Gesserit known as the "Kwisatz Haderach", a kind of prophet with the power to see past, present and future all at once. Paul is believed by some to be the Kwisatz Haderach, and has already shown promise through the Bene Gesserit training received by his mother. Jessica and Paul are greeted and taken in by the Fremen, native desert-dwellers on Arrakis that are fierce fighters and hold strong ties to the native giant sandworms of Arrakis whose movement and breeding cycle and responsible for producing the spice on the planet. The Fremen ingest spice as part of their diet and it plays an important role in religious ceremony, granting a degree of prescience to those who use it. The myth of the Kwisatz Haderach spreads amongst the Fremen and they rally behind Paul, believing he will lead them to victory against the occupying force of House Harkonnen. Paul consumes the Water of Life, an essence of spice in a test of whether he really is the Kwisatz Haderach and gains the power to see future events. He witnesses the Fremen defeating the Harkonnens, regaining control over Arrakis and going on to wage a terrible interstellar Jihad against the imperium and the rest of known space. Led by Paul, the Fremen attack the Harkonnen stronghold on the planet defeating the overlords and capturing the emperor himself, who was on the planet to oversee the final destruction of the Fremen and gain ultimate control over the production of spice. The emperor is forced to abdicate and grant control over the imperium to Paul when he threatens to use his control over the Fremen to destroy all of the spice of Arrakis, which would have devastating consequences for the rest of the galaxy.
Dune is a dense and complex book that knits together a tapestry of invented ancient history, myths, rituals, language, cultural and religious references. The novel describes in rich detail the environment and ecology of the Arrakis desert and marries this to the detailed culture of desert-dwelling Fremen to who water is valued above all else; all daily activities revolve around it's conservation and the water in one's body is considered the property of the group in which one travels. The book also explores the complex political life of the great houses and the imperium with rivalries, back-stabbing, double-crossing and "Kanly", a system of strict rules and customs pertaining to feuds or vendettas. Between the chapters, the novel is filled with passages taken from invented historical texts that exist in the time following the events of the novel, written by the Princess Irulan, the emperor's daughter who was betrothed to Paul Atreides after the emperor was forced to abdicate.
A quote by Arthur C. Clarke about the novel "I know nothing comparable to it except Lord of the Rings" really rings true; it is unique in it's construction of such a detailed world with it's own style that I've not seen anything else like in all I've read. Admittedly I don't read a lot of fantasy, and I assume that the level of detail of these aspects in Dune is perhaps more commonplace within this genre. I really liked the vivid picture of the desert world and the associated ecology; I think this must have had at least some influence on other authors' work such as Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy. I think one of the main reasons for the book's success and popularity is that it creates a very engaging "hero's journey" in Paul's ascendancy from young prince in exile to all powerful ruler of Arrakis. It's interesting that Herbert has stated that he wanted his story to carry the message "beware of heros" and to provide a sort of critique to the classic version of the hero's journey. This is probably something that comes out more in the sequels set in the same universe.
Overall a great book and easy to see why it's considered on some lists to be the most popular science fiction novel of all time.
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