NationStates Jolt Archive

So for those who have read both the original 6 Frank Herbert books and the prequels/book 7 and 8 from brian Herbert/Kevin Anderson:

What do you think, has the torch been passed, or is Anderson/Herbert's collaboration not up to the standard?

Poll inc

I loved Frank Herbert's writing. I think Brian has improved on his dad's work. I also think Michael Shaara's son, Jeff has improved his father's work.

Brian Herbert is a heretic.

I cannot express in words how utterly horrible the prequels are in comparison to the originals.

It is like comparing champagne to kool-aid. The prequels are typical, mundane, formulaic and predictable. The fact that they take place in the same universe as the originals is merely an insult to the original works.

I find the new Dune books are a mixed lot. Sometimes they tend to resemble pure entertainment moreso than the originals (which borked my head to this day), but I just finished the Battle of Corrin the other day and aside from the abrupt and unfulfilling ending, the majority of the book had me quite enthralled. In retrospect I should have known it was going to be as open-shut as it was, but when reading it I could definitely let my imagination run wild with the possibilities of the beginnings of all the major groups like the Suk, Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild, Tleilaxu, Mentats, so on so forth. I just wish they had spent some time fleshing out these organizations or factions instead of ending it as they did.

At any rate, I am alot less keen on reading the two that 'finish' the Dune series. It will be with great caution that I pick them up, but I remain hopeful that they won't butcher them and perhaps will surprise me.

The problem is not that he writes about what his father started but that he constrains himself to the source material. I think it is bad that the whole thing throughout it all comes down to Harkkonen and Atreides. I would have preferred to learn about other houses so as to make them more interesting than a retread of what Frank Herbert already gave us. Just seems like the son is cashing a paycheck not writing a book. Don't get me wrong if I hadn't read the originals I would have considered them a decent read, not great but decent.

So for those who have read both the original 6 Frank Herbert books and the prequels/book 7 and 8 from brian Herbert/Kevin Anderson:

What do you think, has the torch been passed, or is Anderson/Herbert's collaboration not up to the standard?

Poll inc

I only really enjoyed the first four originals...I didn't care for the last two very much.

As for the prequels and Brian Herbert's work? I only have one word.

*Thhhhhhhhhhbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb*

I cannot express in words how utterly horrible the prequels are in comparison to the originals.

It is like comparing champagne to kool-aid. The prequels are typical, mundane, formulaic and predictable. The fact that they take place in the same universe as the originals is merely an insult to the original works.


I tend to agree. I read the all of Herbert's Dune Chronicles, then later picked up Butlerian Jihad and it just....wasn't as good. I read about a hundred pages then put it down. It didn't capture me like Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune did, not to mention his others.

I think for the most part they're good, but as has been said, aren't breaking any new ground.

I am glad they've done the last 2 books to finish the original Dune Chronicles, and am gratified that they're based on Frank Herbert's notes. Maybe that's why we're not seeing new houses or other new stuff... if it's all based upon the original notes. (Including the requels.)

One notable exception is House Vernius of Ix, which was created for the prequels.

Having read them all this year, I can't express in words how utterly horrible the three Butlerian Jihad prequels were, how badly written, how formulaic, what a pitiful shadow of the father's work they are.

The Battle of Corrin is the only book with any redeeming features, and even here the shift in character of Vorian Atreides in the final chapters is handled so poorly and abrubtly that it completely undermines the (very) minor achievement that's come before.

The best I can say is that they're efficiently written, and despite the fact that I was angry and irritated at them throughout, I still finished them. In that way, they're a bit like a Big Mac meal next to a classical Thai banquet. The Big Mac's unhealthy, you know it's inferior, and you hate yourself for eating it, but there are still times you might find it easier to wolf down quickly than the infinitely more complex and interesting Thai cuisine.

I haven't read the other prequels. But after the Butlerian Jihad books, I'm unlikely to try.

The spice must flow! (http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/spicekitty.jpg)