Books

London: Victor Gollancz. 1966. First UK edition, first printing. First UK edition, first printing. Publisher's original black cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. A very good copy, the binding firm with some bumping to the extremities, the cloth a little dustmarked. The contents, toned to the text block edges and with a few small marks to the endpapers are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the good, rubbed, nicked and chipped dustwrapper that has a couple of short closed tears and a little loss at the head of the spine. Both the printed and underside show evidence of old tape at the edges, no longer present. Not price-clipped (30/- net to the lower front flap). A highlight of 20th century science fiction. The first title in Frank Herbert's enduringly popular space-opera was winner of the first ever Nebula Award (1965) and joint winner of the 1966 Hugo Award. It forms the basis for several film adaptations, most…

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.

The First Edition (but also second printing) of Dune has blue boards. If the boards are red or dark brown, this is the Book Club Edition (and not as valuable). On the inside of the rear flap look for these text lines at the bottom: CHILTON BOOKS (a thick horizontal black line) A division of Chilton Company Publishers Philadelphia and New York Inside the book look for: Copyright © 1965 by Frank Herbert First Edition All Rights Reserved Published in Philadelphia by Chilton Company and simultaneously in Toronto, Canada, by Ambassador Books, Ltd. The original dust jacket of the first edition features a design by John Schoenherr, depicting a giant sand-worm against a desert landscape. Also, check for the price listed on the front flap, which should be $5.95 for the first edition. The flap has a blue tone to it as opposed to a red tone for the Book Club version. Be aware of 'Book Club Editions'. The book club editions look similar to the real first editions but are smaller. Look for any indications that it might be a book club edition. These typically mention the book club edition on the jacket or the copyright page. The original cover of the real first edition was bound in blue cloth with gold lettering on the spine. The First Edition book weighs approximately 928 grams. The First Edition will NOT have an ISBN number.