Although the trappings of Dune were those of science fiction, in substance and form the book resembled fantasy, and the Tolkien books of Middle Earth more than the standard classics of sf. The society of Arrakis represented feudalism on a grandiose scale; science and technology, while not quite nonexistent, were totally secondary to the metaphysical aspects of this desert planet and its vaguely Arabic culture.
Like Tolkien, Herbert showed himself to be a master world builder. He used a strong narrative—a struggle for political control of Arrakis—almost solely as framework for presenting the marvelous details of his creation (most memorably the giant sandworms, the mysterious Bene Gesserit sisterhood, and the Fremen, a desert people who use moisture suits to conserve their perspiration). His characters were not really memorable as individuals, but were vital components of the fascinating, waterless world in which they lived.
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