Books

First UK editions, first impressions, inscribed by the author beneath his name, struck through, on the title pages, "For Peter". The set consists of the first omnibus edition of the first three Dune novels, The Great Dune Trilogy, and the final three novels. Laid in is a flyer for a signing event at Forbidden Planet, London, on 4 July 1981. Dune, the opening novel in Herbert's (1920-1986) monumental saga, won the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965, jointly won the Hugo Award the following year, and in 1987 topped Locus magazine's poll of all-time best novels. Herbert was explicit in his hopes that his writing would raise environmental awareness, and Dune can be considered the "first planetary ecology novel on a grand scale" (James & Mendlesohn, p. 183). After Herbert's death, the Dune saga was continued by his son, Brian Herbert, and the author Kevin J. Anderson. It was adapted for film in 1984 by David Lynch and in 2021 by Denis Villeneuve. Four works, octavo. The Great Dune: Original red leatherette, spine lettered in gilt, map endpapers, top edge red. God Emperor: Original orange boards, spine lettered in gilt. Heretics: Original red boards, spine lettered in gilt. Chapter House: Original purplish-brown boards, spine lettered in gilt. All with dust jackets. Playing card and receipt loosely inserted. Edges and occasional contents lightly foxed, small mark to title page of The Great Dune; jackets not price-clipped, spines gently faded, occasional minor creasing to extremities: a near-fine set in like jackets. Edward James & Farah Mendlesohn, eds., The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction, 2003.

In Frank Herbert's seminal science fiction novel "Dune," the intricate tale unfolds across a distant future where noble families vie for control over the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the highly coveted spice melange. The Atreides family, led by Duke Leto Atreides and his son Paul, assumes stewardship of Arrakis, navigating a perilous political landscape rife with treachery and ambition. As Paul adapts to the harsh desert environment, he encounters the Fremen, Arrakis's indigenous people, and discovers his latent abilities tied to their prophecy of a messianic figure known as the Kwisatz Haderach. Paul grapples with his destiny, mastering the complexities of politics, religion, and warfare while confronting personal struggles and ethical dilemmas. The novel explores themes of power, ecology, religion, and the human condition, set against a richly imagined backdrop of a desert planet teeming with political intrigue and mystical intrigue.