The sophisticated blend of ideas, characters, and plot makes Dune an excellent novel for study. It and its sequels are thoughtful examinations of important human concerns, such as the role environment plays in shaping society and the responsibilities of its individual citizens. These and other concerns are worked out in entertaining narratives of palace intrigue, wars, and love affairs.

Reviewers in the 1960s generally faulted Dune for being naive about both planetary ecology and anthropology. In recent years commentators have come to regard Dune and its sequels as extraordinarily complete portraits of an alien planet and a space-faring society.

In the 1960s, American society — its young people in particular — was becoming aware of the environmental problems created by modern technology. Also during the 1960s there was a growing interest in mysticism and religions of the Far East (many nonfiction books about these subjects were...