Dune released as an unabridged audiobook

If you're looking forward to SFX 174's book club page - Liz Williams writing about 1965's classic SF novel Dune - but haven't got round to reading (or re-reading) the story yet, you might like to know that it's available to purchase as an aubiobook CD... in its entirety.

Whole Story Audio Books, publishers of unabridged audio books, have announced that for the first time Frank Herbert’s magnum opus is available to buy as a complete unabridged audiobook on CD.

Winner of the 1966 Hugo Award and the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel, Dune is widely considered to be one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time. It tells the sweeping tale of a desert planet called Arrakis, which is the source of melange: the spice necessary for interstellar travel, psychic powers and longevity.

Narrated by a cast of 16 actors, complete with sound effects and a dramatic soundtrack, the production clocks in at a massive 21 hours across 18 CDs, so it's not for lightweights. If you've got a day to spare to listen to a masterpiece, you can get it exclusively from Whole Story Audio Books at www.wholestoryaudio.co.uk for £29.99.

We've not heard this recording yet, but you can read what Liz Williams and SFX readers think of the original source material when SFX 174 hits the shelves on Wednesday 27 August 2008.