The Winds of Dune.

Desert power.

I’ve just finished reading Dune by Frank Herbert for about the tenth time. The world building of this novel is wide and deep, and is filled with such rich detail that something new is likely to be found with each reading. My purpose here is not to offer a review, as plenty have been written in the past six decades.

Instead, I offer a novelty that occurred on this reading.

Most of this story unfolds on a planet called Arrakis, the entirety of which is a vast, arid desert. A harsh environment which exhibits extremes of temperature. The planet almost entirely lacks precipitation, making water an exceedingly precious resource.

The terrain is dominated by massive sand dunes that are whipped up into dangerous sandstorms that can strip flesh from bone.

The population of Arrakis includes the Fremen, a fiercely independent and resilient people who have adapted to the severe conditions of the planet.

Of note, that despite their nomadic and seemingly pre-industrial nature, to survive in this punishing environment the Fremen have developed sophisticated technologies.