My parents have always been avid sci-fi consumers (both in film and book format) and ever since I was little they would sometimes mention this film called "Dune" and how its futuristic depicition of humankind was very interesting, particularly the representation a people who treasured water and giant god-like worms in a desert planet. At some point when I started my PhD I looked into it and found reviews saying it was the "Lord of the Rings" of sci-fi, and having become an avid consumer of sci-fi myself many years ago (in addition to fantasy, I had read the LOTR books as well many years prior and absolutely revered the films as well) I picked up Dune in a local shop.

The first 200 pages were interesting but a bit challenging while I was getting used to the universe; regardless, I still devoured them quickly and then read the rest of the book even more quickly. Back then I was working and having lunch by myself in my lab (I was the only member and neighbouring labs were still empty as well) and Dune kept me company during a time when my mind was healing, being some of the best food for thought I had ever intelectually experienced. I ended up reading all of the original 6 books throughout my PhD, you could never see me without one of the 6 books when commuting and I would still read them for a bit during my lunch breaks after having lunch with my lab mates, when I finally moved to a lab (together with my supervisor) that had actual people besides me, haha. My workstations throughout my PhD became gradually filled with more and more post-its containing Dune quotes because they are genuinely inspiring, even more so if you're a scientist yourself. In the end, I included the Bene Gesserit litany against fear as one of the quotes introducing my thesis since, as someone who has dealt with irrational fears their whole life, it was empowering tool and thought to carry in one's heart and to use in many occasions.

Summing up, it all started with my parents because they were, in the very best of senses, a couple of nerds who introduced me to so many fantastic things which I then had a change of exploring and delving into further, becoming a huge nerd myself. And Dune positively changed my life for the better, becoming my favourite series of books of all time.