NationStates Jolt Archive

What was everyone's favorite Dune novel? I'm leaving the original off the list because I figure it'd have the overwhelming advantage over all subsequent works by Frank Herbert. Also, I lumped all of Brian Herbert's/Kevin J Anderson's works by trilogies because:

1. - Polls are limited to ten options.
2. - Most people don't like them more than the original chronicles.

I selected God-Emperor, primarily because Leto II is one of the most awesome characters ever created. I almost selected Children, because I love the parts where Leto first merges with the sandtrout, becoming Superleto. Compared to any other character in any other fiction, Leto II is simply the most badass. C'mon... a god-man-worm with telepathic powers, super speed, super strength, and an army of lesbians to do his bidding? What could be better?

I'm sure most people have better reasons for liking their choices than simply "The Main Character was Reeeeeeeally Cool," so feel free to share them.

I don't have a favorite written version, but I'll definitely tell you that the movie version where Alia was all grown up and BUILT was my favorite! :D

Edit: Can you say "Daniela Amavia" boys and girls? :D

The House prequels were well written, well tied together, made a lot of sense, and I really liked the characters, especially when the Baron is cursed...

I absolutely HATED God Emperor of Dune, so much that I gave up on the series until the prequels came along but was satisfied with Children of Dune and Dune Messiah

For the record, I've never actually met anyone who's read Heretics or Chapterhouse.

I agree that the House Trilogy was pretty well written, especially House Atreides, but each successive novel became more and more bogged down in recounting the events of the previous novel. By House Corrino, not one character could be introduced without three paragraphs explaining what had happened to that character in the preceding two novels.

I can understand not liking God-Emperor, it could be a bit dull at times, but it still had the greatest character I have ever read about.

For the record, I've never actually met anyone who's read Heretics or Chapterhouse.

I can understand not liking God-Emperor, it could be a bit dull at times, but it still had the greatest character I have ever read about.
I read Heretics, and I think I read Chapterhouse, but they weren't as good as the first four Dune books.

2. - Most people don't like them more than the original chronicles.

No offence, but I think this is not true. If the first set of prequeals hadn't done well, I doubt Herbert and Anderson would have keept going. Brian Herbert stated, he was VERY recullant to even touch DUNE, although many of his peers encourged him to keep it going. He felt it was just too large for him.

Anyway, I voted for the Jihad trilogy.

Before i had read The Butlerian Jihad, I had read DUNE books 1-3 and THe first 2 prequeal books. I decided to pick up Jihad and fell in love with the cast, and the history and the whole, "reprisal theme" of plans with in plans amongst many things. I loved the machines, and how huamnity lives in fera of them and the beginnings of the Freman.

The scary thing is how the first novel (I have book 2 and I still have to buy book 3) reflects both our history today, and our past. How people of different faiths are misused, made salves, spat on, by those who hate for no other reason then to hate them for who they are, and such.

But, to be honest, I see ALL the books as one story. Yes, there ARE holes, but not every writer is JRR Tolkien. I just voted for The Jihad, because I enjoyed the quotes for hte "chapaters" and the cast. And I'm a big fan of Anderson's work.(sorry about the spelling, I can't be bothered to spell check it all)

Frank Herbert's son is ruining the series. I think the House Trilogy completely lacked what made the original Dune books great. Of course, I think Frank was losing it a bit towards the end; the end of Children of Dune got too weird for me, and much as I like the ideas and concepts of God Emperor, it was just TOO out there for me. So I still think Dune is the best in the series, with Dune Messiah coming second, Children of Dune third, and so on.

Edit: I have some basic problems with the story of the Butlerian Jihad even being told. The way Frank Herbert always used it, it was this mysterious event in the past. No one alive knew what had happened, and this was intended, so that you had no frame of reference for where people had come from. He wanted a self-contained universe, one which arose from a mysterious fear of technology. Explaining the Jihad just seems wrong in many, many ways.

I think what happens with Herbert and Anderson is that they start with a pretty good story that gradually degrades as they add additional novels. The Jihad trilogy, to me, doesn't have a Dune feel to it. It would be unfair to demand the sort of ecological commentary that the original Herbert was placing in Dune, but the Jihad trilogy completely lacks the religious overtones that the original possessed - which is bad because it really should be full of them. The Jihad of the trilogy seems very much a political movement rather than a religious movement, and it differs greatly from the history implied by the original Dune.

Furthermore, setting Battle of Corrin in the time of the Jihad is anachronistic, as it occurs 20 years after the end of the Butlerian Jihad. My source is the glossary in the back of the first novel, and I was enough of a nerd to look it up. I admit it.

Don't get me wrong, the Jihad novels make for pretty good reading - but not great reading.

I think what happens with Herbert and Anderson is that they start with a pretty good story that gradually degrades as they add additional novels. The Jihad trilogy, to me, doesn't have a Dune feel to it. It would be unfair to demand the sort of ecological commentary that the original Herbert was placing in Dune, but the Jihad trilogy completely lacks the religious overtones that the original possessed - which is bad because it really should be full of them. The Jihad of the trilogy seems very much a political movement rather than a religious movement, and it differs greatly from the history implied by the original Dune.

Furthermore, setting Battle of Corrin in the time of the Jihad is anachronistic, as it occurs 20 years after the end of the Butlerian Jihad. My source is the glossary in the back of the first novel, and I was enough of a nerd to look it up. I admit it.

Don't get me wrong, the Jihad novels make for pretty good reading - but not great reading.

Call me crazy. Sad. Geekish, if you will. But When I fall for .. a "story," I fall hard. I see every inch of a big story as one, like these DUNE novels.

Like STAR WARS. Most people hate the new ones, say there is too much CGI or missing this and that or they hate Jar Jar and Anakian.. Well, to each their own yes. But, I like to see these things as one grand act. Also, if people hate the new books, well, don't read them. I mean, I hated the TV miniseries, I watched part one nad never bothered with it after that.

But to each their own.


I consider them to be "great reads."

Rule of books, I learend very early in High School, there is no right or wrong to one's opinion of a book (or anything else really for that matter). :)

There is Dune, the greatest science fiction novel written. Then there is the crap riding on its reputation. Read Dune and forget anything else that might have Dune written on the cover.