# Dune by Frank Herbert 82 Hacker News commenters recommended Dune by Frank Herbert and 25 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 12 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** Influential science fiction admired for its deep world-building, fresh voice and ideas about power and machines. Critics find it long and dense, and say the later books decline. ## Why people recommend it - Deeply developed world and societies (3 comments): "the joy of the books was developing a deep understanding of the societies and their norms" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49154013)) "the biggest plot hole in Dune, but I deeply appreciate the world and narrative it enabled" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47802348)) "I liked the book a lot, and had a very personal image of what the world looked like" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49058983)) - Fresh, influential science fiction (3 comments): "It's one of the best SF books of all time, with a voice that still seems fresh today." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48930027)) "Dune is a landmark work that still influences modern writers" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48930237)) "I was properly blown away. Started me on a lifetime of loving SciFi." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45945628)) - Ideas about machines and power (3 comments): "Herbert's point about dependence on machines creating machine-dependent humans, trapped in a deterministic arc of evolution" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50128000)) "Prefer Herbert's simpler, more self-reflective, nuanced warning to not desecrate the divine mystery of mind." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47458171)) "Very interesting reflections in those books on power/human nature" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46056432)) - Strong film and TV adaptations (3 comments): "the 4K Dune and few other titles looks absolutely stupendous" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47711114)) "I really enjoy watching Dune (or Openheimer, or even less bombastic movies) on my 65" TV" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46938915)) "The dialogue in Dune and Dune part 2 was very clear in theater." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46430692)) ## What people warn about - Plot hole around superintelligent AI (2 comments): "the biggest plot hole in Dune, because a superintelligent AI would have precluded a lot of the dynamics in the stories" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50133735)) "the biggest plot hole in Dune, but I deeply appreciate the world and narrative it enabled" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47802348)) - Dense and long to finish (4 comments): "Though Dune is highly acclaimed for its concepts, I couldn't quite get into it personally." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47806068)) "Whatever virtues you care to ascribe to Dune, “succinct” is not one of them." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48445852)) "I didn't like that it was so thick, but it was a small book dimensionally." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49725679)) - Later books decline (2 comments): "I love Dune personally, but it definitely doesn't get better after that." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48963972)) "Dune (just know it goes downhill fast after the first book)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46388167)) - Kindle edition misprints (2 comments): "for a long while in e-book editions on Amazon Kindle the word "pogrom" was rendered as "program"" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50130303)) ""pogrom" was mis-spelled as "program" and there was an error in formatting in the glossary" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46220175)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir](https://hackerapproved.com/p/project-hail-mary.md): 117 recommend - [There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm](https://hackerapproved.com/p/there-is-no-antimemetics-division.md): 98 recommend - [Blindsight by Peter Watts](https://hackerapproved.com/p/blindsight.md): 96 recommend - [Accelerando by Charles Stross](https://hackerapproved.com/p/accelerando.md): 71 recommend - [Hyperion by Dan Simmons](https://hackerapproved.com/p/hyperion.md): 66 recommend ## Where to get it - [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0441172717?tag=YOURTAG-20) (affiliate link) - [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/YOURID/9780441172719) (affiliate link) ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Dune by Frank Herbert", https://hackerapproved.com/p/dune/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).