The term SCI-FI BOOK SET ON A DESERT PLANET is best summarized by the four letter word DUNE. DUNE is a 1965 science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert and is set in the distant future on the desert planet Arrakis. It is the first installment of the DUNE saga, which has since become one of the best-selling science fiction series of all time. The novel explores themes of politics, religion, ecology, and human evolution, and has been adapted into several films, television series, and video games.