Dune is a glorious mess.

The plot is incoherent. Characters appear and disappear in the narrative randomly and change personalities from scene to scene. Simple concepts are elaborated lengthily and repeatedly. It's often dull to read.

But the slog is worth it, since this book is studded with ideas both crazy and brilliant: personal energy shields making knife fights a common concern for space travelers, a galactic economy based on an addictive drug that grants psychic powers, secretive organizations cultivating human bloodlines over thousands of years, and of course the famous sandworms of the titular planet.

These ideas (and more) fascinated me, so I'm glad I read Dune despite the many tedious passages. It's a vision that will stay with me.