I didn't get around to reading the first book until I had seen the David Lynch film and had also been hearing about it for years from a buddy of mine (thanks Lance). The movie whetted my appetite for more and WOW!
I rather quickly read all of the available books in the series, and re-read them from the start all over again. What did and do I like so much? He did a lot of research, put a lot of work into creating a very complete environment for the novels, and this thoroughness is a great reward for the reader.
The concept is simply this, he said that he wanted to explore the Messiah complex, in an enviornment stressed to its limits, with water being the element of pressure. He added an interesting product no one cares to live without that is also a poison and an element of religion. Politics on the galactic scale are added finally to polish this potentially cumbersome set of circumstances.
Herbert is quite a writer, but as a writing tactitian, a master. The pieces and parts and roles of all of these elements and easily 20+ main characters is handled so very well that it is very deceptive. The one concession to the complexity of the story is the glossary, which is an entertaining read in and of itself.
This is not a whiz-bang read, commonly found in the post-Star Wars era, this series owes more to the idea of sustained interest and personal relations carrying the plot than space ships and weaponry. The steady popularity of the series is a happy sign that reading is not dead, and the revisiting of the novels on TV certainly adds credence to this. There's hope for us yet, Long live the Fighters!