The Desert Masterpiece: Why ‘Dune’ Is the Novel That Changed Sci-Fi Forever

Dune‘s place in literary history has been debated, but it is generally regarded as one of the first major science fiction epics. As reported by The Guardian, prior to Dune’s release in 1965, the sci-fi genre was mostly comprised of short stories, and Dune is anything but short. Perhaps as a result of its length, the novel is also credited as being the first sci-fi novel to do such extensive world-building and bring in more literary themes, such as social hierarchies, war and religion.

It’s not surprising, then, that Dune won the first-ever Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965. It also won the Hugo Award in 1966 for Best Novel, which recognizes the best of science fiction (it tied with the book …And Call Me Conrad by Roger Zelazny).

The book is also frequently compared to Lord of the Rings because of its scope and detail. In fact, per The Guardian, when it was first published in 1965, the book featured this quote from science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke: “I know nothing comparable to it except The Lord of the Rings.”

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