Frank Herbert's "Dune" is one of the biggest and most influential sci-fi books of all time. It has inspired everything from Hayao Miyazaki's "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" to "Star Wars," and so much more.

Though the "Dune" book series is full of fascinating, bizarre, influential ideas, the first book in particular remains a masterclass in telling a simple story that nevertheless contains a wealth of lore and world-building. It's a lived-in and fleshed-out universe where you get a sense of history, politics, characters, and plots moving independently of the main story. The story of Paul Atreides may also appear simple at first: a coming of age tale about a teenage boy finding his destiny and becoming a leader. For movie fans who have only seen the messy yet ambitious David Lynch version, you might think Paul is a clean-cut Campbellian hero who avenged his father...