I caught the new Dune teaser a few hours ago, which made my jaw drop a bit in surprise. Of course, being a teaser, it was damned confusing, too (and part of me wonders how much they paid Pink Floyd for that interesting slow cover of “Eclipse”).
That trailer prompted me to take out the Game of Thrones disc I was watching earlier and put in the blu-ray I got of Dune (1984). I find it funny how many folks seem to despise this movie, but I like it a lot. I would love to have seen more in the film, like more about Jessica and Alia and such (yes, I know there’s an expanded for TV version out there, but then it feels TOO damned long), but for the basic story, Lynch’s version worked out alright.
Of course, the book is what it is. I haven’t read any other Dune books than the first one. I wanted to know from the fans if the other books are worth it.
More than that, after Frank Herbert’s passing and his son got to writing the books, do they feel like a decent continuation or are they veering off into something else? I just saw a brief glimpse at the massive amount of books that came out in the Dune universe and considering how long the original Herbert books spread (thousands of years–sheesh, how the hell does THAT work with the timeline?), what the heck are these books about all these houses about, anyway, and how does that work with the timeline?
I just wonder if they’re even worth reading, because the first book was amazing. Wrote my own review of it a couple years ago. But I just haven’t met anybody who has read the rest of them, though I know they’ve sold.
So, a few questions, intrepid Dune fans:
- Are the sequels worth reading by Frank Herbert?
- Are the ones written by his son worth reading, too?
- What are the books you liked most in the series?
- I’m sure Frank Herbert’s books are rather linear as far as which to read first and whatnot. Does that apply with the son’s books, too, or are they more like companion books and it doesn’t matter which you read first?
Any help would be great. I’ve got too damn much to read as it is, but for some reason, I’m almost willing to take a stab at getting more sci-fi. I do have a book of collected works by Frank Herbert that I found at Barnes & Noble one day (total impulse buy–I’d never heard he’d written much of anything else other than Dune, or at least, never heard of anything beyond Dune being published beyond serials back in the day.). It’s on my read list, like two thousand other things, but I’ll get there eventually.
So, floor’s yours…
The Chatty Introvert 
Hello Chatty Introvert. I would love to help but I have never read the books. I enjoyed the first Dune movie and loved the Children of Dune TV series / movie. I have tried to find it to re-watch it but can not seem to yet. I have not seen the new trailer so I am off to look for it. Best wishes. Hugs
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Yes! The sequels and prequels fill in a huge universe on the same scale as Heinline’s future history, Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy and its sequels and prequels (starting with “I Robot” and “Caves Of Steel”.
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So, is there a specific order I should read these in, do you think? There seem to be so many books and lists all say different things. Any recommends on the order to read ’em in? All the lists seem to show publication order, but not the chronological order of the Dune Universe, so to speak. It would feel weird to pick up a book and realize I’m reading something that I should’ve read much sooner because I didn’t realize the one I’d just finished takes place AFTER this one, or whatever.
I’m still looking for a list, but no luck so far.
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okay, maybe I just found one. Figures it would be right when I was giving up:
https://www.dunenovels.com/articles/tags-blog/chronology
That look about right?
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Here is the official list [https://www.dunenovels.com/articles/tags-blog/chronology] I did not read the in order. I started with “Dune” when it was serialized in Analog magazine in 1965, and read the rest (though, I seem to have missed a few according to the list) as I found them. If you are going to watch any of the movie and TV versions, it helps to have read the book, even though one can find fault then with any of the productions. The Prequels do explain a lot about how the situation on the planet Dune came to be and the intertwined histories of the families involved, as well as why there are no computers. My favorite on-screen version was the 1984 TV movie. The cast looked like how I had pictured the characters (Sting was very good as one of the evil Harkonnen nephews.)
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folks knock the soundtrack as a totally 80s thing with the guitars, but Toto did a great job, I thought. I love listening to the music.
I’ll check out that link. I’m making up my wish list as I go. No room on my bookshelves right now (hee hee).
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I’m thinking of a Meme I saw: “It’s not hoarding if it’s books.”
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I’m almost at the point where my shelves are so packed that if I put a post-it note on a shelf, the whole thing might come down… but then again, there’s always stacks on the file cabinet, closet floor, chair…
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That’s the spirit! 🙂
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Brilliant review! I first heard of Dune through the 2021 movie ( I couldn’t watch the film without reading the book!) and I’m so glad I did. I think I had a similar experience to you, I enjoyed it even if it was a little longer than I normally read. I’ve heard a few mentions of the sequels… but I’ll have to have a bit of a break before I embark on another 500+ page book! Here’s my review 🙂 https://hundredsandthousandsofbooks.blog/2020/11/23/read-dune-soon-a-book-review/
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