Daily puzzle #5

The answer: Dune

Book · 1965 · Frank Herbert

Frank Herbert spent years researching desert ecology and religion before writing this, and it shows: the planet itself is the most memorable character. It reads as a warning about charismatic leaders as much as an adventure, a point the sequels make even more directly. Denis Villeneuve's two films are a strong companion, but the novel's inner voices and politics are worth the slower start.

The six clues

1. A science fiction novel first published as a book in 1965.
2. It won the first Nebula Award for Best Novel and shared that year's Hugo Award.
3. A noble family takes over a desert planet that is the only source of the most valuable substance in the universe.
4. Its young hero learns the ways of the Fremen and rides giant sandworms.
5. The spice melange extends life and makes travel between the stars possible.
6. Paul Atreides becomes Muad'Dib on the planet Arrakis.

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Read more

• Dune in order: where this fits and what to start next.