DUNE: The Prequel Books....

[DGTWoodward]

Are there any DUNE fans out there?

If so, have any of you read the recent DUNE prequels, written by Frank Herbert's son and Kevin Anderson? If so what was the general opinion?

I'd love to share thoughts...

[RangerSam]

Well I have read all the Six books by Frank Herbert, and have read all the prequels by Brain Herbert and KJA.

I really like the books by Frank Herbert.

I thought the Prequels were good.

[Harrdy]

They where OK, but do yourself a favor and don't compare them to the six "original" books, then they are bound to come short. Especially the Butlers Jihad book, I sat there reading and wondering if it really was a Dune book at all. Nice story nevertheless, but much "flatter" than the books of Frank Herbert. There was something to his writing that I cannot readily put in words, something giving you a scope of "wheels within wheels" or "a big universe". There where schemes and plots that escape when you read the books once, but they where entertaining on every level. The new books are nice, but much more "enforced", they don't hold back any secrets, they tell you flat out what the plots are. Can't describe it better, sorry.

PeAcE

[jcbatz]

I've only read House Atredies and I'm quite disappointed with it. I ended up scanning the last third of the book. I found that about 90% of the book was telling a story that I really didn't care about nor do I think it needed to be told. If the book was pared down to 300 pages instead of 600 it would be a good read. As it is, though, expect to skim over a bunch of it. I might change my mind after finishing the other books, but I doubt it.

All that being said, I'm commited to the Golden Path of reading all the prequels. Since these yahoos are writing Dune 7 (which they are turning into 2 books, *cash register sound*), I feel obligated to read the other books they have written first.

[DGTWoodward]

was it just me or was there ALOT of repetition...Renegade House, political marriage, Umma which means prohet in Fremen, and so on. It's almost as if they had divided the book into two halves, each electing to write their half, but finding the seams harder to disguise than they thought when combining the two efforts together into one.

Still, I am half way into HOUSE HARKONNEN so, we'll see.

I too am a little unsettled by the news of book 7 being made into book 7 AND 8. I get the overall impression that the stories are OK, but just OK. They are the work of two poeple - NOT Frank herbert. It is their work so I suppose it is not too bad. But to let them loose on the main (REAL) DUNE series...I don't know.

[Capt.Montoya]

I love Dune.
The true Dune, the Frank Herbert hexalogy.

The last book is certainly something I'd like to see continued.

I read the first prequel, very unconvincing for me, some interesting details filling up the background but nothing outstanding. It might also destroy the impact of some revelations on the original novels (e.g. knowing who was the grandfather of Paul Atreides).
For the most part the original novels included the necessary background info, the prequels are as unnecessary as reading The Silmarillion for Lord of the Rings.

My current interest in those prequels is that they finish them once and for all.
I'm not that interested in reading the rest.
I especially believe that the far-past prequels of the Butlerian Jihad period are unnecessary. I might read the rest of the Houses of Dune trilogy one day but the others don't interest me. Those really seem to me as attempts to cash in.
I remember a sarcastic comment by Norman Spinrad for a SF magazine book review column, where he mentioned that it had been a bad year, with many media tie-ins and "necrophiliac channeling acts" such as those of Herbert Jr. and KJ Anderson.

I do want to read the sequels. But I'm not interested in their current "necrophiliac channeling acts".

I understand that they can't write like Frank Herbert, that would be like having someone attempt to write stories like Cordwainer Smith, virtuosity is not inherited nor acquired. However, I think that part of the problem with House Atreides was that they tried to write like Herbert. Following on what jcbatz said, where Frank Herbert would write an intricate web of plots and schemes the first published prequel laid it all out while attempting not to do it.

I think is good that they are writing the prequels, as practice about writing in the Dune universe.
Hope that experience improves the sequels.
Which I'll buy even if they come in two books. Heck, if they pulled out of thin air a Dune 9 novel I'd give it a try (much as I'd prefer they delivered on the closure and conclusion promise). But I don't need a fill-in the blanks series of prequels.

[Stunning_in_Purple]

As a stand alone series, the prequels are not bad. Compared to the original series, they're crap. It's not nearly as well written nor do the timelines make any sense. That was the most frustrating thing for me.

[frulad]

I read the first prequel, very unconvincing for me, some interesting details filling up the background but nothing outstanding. It might also destroy the impact of some revelations on the original novels (e.g. knowing who was the grandfather of Paul Atreides).

A variation on the Star Wars fan question as to what order to you watch the movies- starting at Episode 1 and ending at Episode 6 or Original Trilogy first followed by the prequel trilogy?

Ironic as Dune was definitely an influence of Star Wars.

[jcbatz]

A variation on the Star Wars fan question as to what order to you watch the movies- starting at Episode 1 and ending at Episode 6 or Original Trilogy first followed by the prequel trilogy?

Ironic as Dune was definitely an influence of Star Wars.

This is quite easy. Watch Episodes 4-6. Not the special edition/revisionist history junk, but the REAL Star Wars Trilogy.

Do not, under any circumstances, watch any other movie that claims to be of the Star Wars universe.

So say we all.

[Capt.Montoya]

A variation on the Star Wars fan question as to what order to you watch the movies- starting at Episode 1 and ending at Episode 6 or Original Trilogy first followed by the prequel trilogy?

Ironic as Dune was definitely an influence of Star Wars.

Well, it was a discussion on the Star Wars newbie watching order that got me thinking about that.

The prequels have to reveal some details that come as surprises in Dune, else they would look ridiculous, but I'm not sure I'd tell a Dune newbie to read the prequels... or maybe I might, else they'd find them as inferior as I do...

[phazedout]

Well, it was a discussion on the Star Wars newbie watching order that got me thinking about that.

The prequels have to reveal some details that come as surprises in Dune, else they would look ridiculous, but I'm not sure I'd tell a Dune newbie to read the prequels... or maybe I might, else they'd find them as inferior as I do...

Well I'll be honest, I've read House Horkonnen and House Atredies and I rather liked them,. They felt canon to me (and I've read the sxi-book series around 8 times, and played the Dune Mud for 2 - 3 years). haven't read house corrino or the Bilurtean Jihad stuff becvause I got an alistor reynolds trilogy for the same price House Corrino would have cost me so didn't bother with it, munching my way through Revalation Space at the mo and loving it.

I'd say read the six Frank books first, then the prequel House trilogy.
Phaze
on the "wasn't the sci-fi channel mini-series good" ID

[RangerSam]

I would say to newbie would be to read the first six books and then go back and read the prequels. Even though I am a person who likes to start from the beginning.

I thought that the Sci fi channel Mini series was good, but to me it lack something. What it lack I don't really know.

[Harrdy]

I thought that the Sci fi channel Mini series was good, but to me it lack something. What it lack I don't really know.

I think for me it lacked the *depth* of the novels. While Lynchs Dune was less based on the books I think he captured more of the feeling, the degeneration, the feuds, the family-based politics, the strange technology (as far as it was available), the scope of manipulation by the Bene Gesserit and the Corrinos. I liked the Lynch Dune better, when I watch it in original language (English is a foreign tounge for me *g*) I find myself in a kind of meditative trance from time to time; it "captures" me, the pictures and strange characters. All that is absent in the mini series, I sit there and ask myself: Would it been better if they stayed less with the original (books)? I like films which stay close to the source, but that mini series got me thinking...

While one can argue that Lynchs Designs (partly inspired by Geiger) where quite extreme, the also where quite "organic", rich with style elements, like from an old culture (compare to the Centauri and I think you know what I mean). The characters which took the spice where *strange*, changed by the substance or the passage of time, but you could *see* who took it. I think the designs are part of the success (for me), strange as they where.

PeAcE