For the past 5 years I have been enthralled with the Dune Chronicles. Currently I'm reading through the prequel trilogy.
I know Frank Herbert also wrote another 4-part series called Destination Void (made up of Destination Void, The Jesus Incident, The Lazarus Effect, and The Ascension Factor [BTW, I have all four in TXT format (4 MB total) if would like me to send you a copy let me know]).
Are these books any good? Would you recomend reading them or deleting them?
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I read The Lazarus Effect a few years ago, and I really didn't like it so I never read the other 3 in the series. You might read thru part of the first book to see if you like it though.
I don't think FH's non-Dune books are to interesting. Even as far as his Dune series goes the best by far are Dune and Children of Dune The other's are interesting, but they don't seem to live up to the original book.
-------------------- I wish the expression 'free will' had never been invented. It is not recorded in Scripture either and should more justly be called self-will, which is worthless. --- Martin Luther
Nietzsche was stupid and abnormal --- Leo Tolstoy Posts: 8119 | From: Virginia Beach, Virginia | Registered: May 2002
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I agree, Shadow, though the only thing I've read of his aside from TDC is the Godmakers, which was awful, IMO. My dad says a book of his, called (I think???) the Dragon's Egg, is his only other decent one.
As far as TDC, this is where I wholeheartedly agree with you. IMO, the original Dune and CoD are the only two readable novels. The others lack, amongst other things, a sense of human emotion and sensibility. He became apparently so facussed on develloping a transcendental conciousness of all his human characters that I'm afraid they lost their humanity. It's understandable with Leto II, who after all was no longer human, but there is little excuse, IMO, for characters like Miles Teg, Darwi Odrade and Siyanna to be so one dementional. That and his preoccupation with the Duncan Idaho character knocks my oppinion of his later works into the dust, I'm afraid.
Still, though they lack the thoughtfulness, depth, and wonderful style of writing in the original Dune, the prequels are immensely entertaining. I do find a lot of inconsistancies with stated facts in the works of the elder Herbert, but overall I think he and KJA did an acceptable job of tying together things that were sloppilly strewn through six Frank Herbert novels. That the Baron's bloated form is the result of a concocted veneral disease created by Mohaim in revenge for being raped was brilliant, I think.
Anyone reading up on the Butlerian Jihad books? There's only the one out, I know, but it's not bad, though less well thought out than the other prequels. Anyways, the ironies present in this book were not lost on me, and upped my appreciation for it a good degree. I'm anticipating the second novel in September (I think???)
-------------------- ] Posts: 2953 | From: Indnpls., IN, USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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I got the first Butlerian Jihad book from the Science-Fiction Book Club, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet.
I did read the other Prequals though, there definitely enjoyable, though they do have some notable inconsistencies. [I believe that there are some difficulties in how the younger Herbert and KJA portrayed Leto I's becoming involved w/ Jessica.] But all in all I found the first prequal trilogy enjoyable, more so than the FH's last few DC books.
-------------------- I wish the expression 'free will' had never been invented. It is not recorded in Scripture either and should more justly be called self-will, which is worthless. --- Martin Luther
Nietzsche was stupid and abnormal --- Leo Tolstoy Posts: 8119 | From: Virginia Beach, Virginia | Registered: May 2002
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Yeah, I'd recommend Jihad, if merely for posterity's sake. I mean, it's a bit simplistic-the writers apparently took basic ideas of FH's but failed to breath much life into them. Though Serena Butler is an interesting, if Padme'esque character, and it's kind of cool how the projenators of Houses Atreides and Harkonnen started out morally opposite than the way their ancestors turned out. Actually, Vorian Atreides isn't bad, just naieve, in his service to the villains, but Xavier Harkonnen's character is an interesting twist in the Harkonnen mythos.
Jihad had what I took as a delightfully cheesy sixties SF feel to it, especially where the robot Erasmus is concerned. It also continues in the tradition of the prequel novels in what I see as blatant attempts to shock the reader, which I enjoy if it's not all and all done in bad taste. Overall, I'd say read it when you have time. I'd be definately interested to see what someone other than myself has to say about Jihad.
-------------------- ] Posts: 2953 | From: Indnpls., IN, USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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I got Butlerian Jihad for Christmas and I've only got about 120+ pages into it. The prequels just don't live up to the original series. And KJA... I'm not gonna get started on him... he's a hack.
Posts: 273 | Registered: Apr 2002
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Well, I'll have to take your word on that, Stormy. I haven't read anything by KJA before these, having heard all sorts of negative things about his contributions to the Star Wars EU. While I won't say these books are terribly written (they aren't) the elder Herbert has, I think, a much more textured and rich writing style that neiter prequel novelist comes close to. That being said, IMO there are only two Frank Herbert novels I've read that I don't think are crap-those being Dune, and to a lesser degree Children of Dune. Whereas, the prequels, while not as well written, are much more enjoyable than books 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the Dune Chrinicals, IMO.
-------------------- ] Posts: 2953 | From: Indnpls., IN, USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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KJA's SW's novels aint worth metioning but the Dune Prequels are highly entertaining.
I remeber thinking when I first read the Dune Prequels how it seemed that Frank Herberts Estate in seeing Lucas, who had been inspired by the original Dune, continuing his saga felt they needed to get in on the acton and grabbed the first available Star Wars writer to help them out.
I'm glad they did because I enjoy anything that continues the Dune saga. I saw the Butlerian Jihad in hardback and decided to wait for it to come out in paperback. I will certainly be getting it when it does. Dune is the written equivelant of Star Wars for me. I will read anything going and watch anything produced for the screen. the original Dune novel has never been surpassed in terms of quality but I enjoy visiting that particuar universe from time to time.
Posts: 1411 | From: Sydney, NSW, Australia | Registered: Sep 1999
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Djo, what did you think of Sci-fi channel's COD miniseries?
I wish I could contribute to the discussion more, but I've only read the first four Dune novels, myself. I really like them, though God Emporer of Dune was a little over the top, for me.
-------------------- Destroy the art. Posts: 528 | From: Searcy, AR | Registered: Sep 2001
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Heritics of Dune is my least favorite. His writing style is just different in that book. It makes me wonder if someone helped him write it.
Posts: 8910 | Registered: Feb 2002
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It's my understanding, Joey, that Herbert suffered from whatever illness it was that killed him increasingly over the years, and it progressively effected his writing style. Which is not surprising to me, as, as I've said, his stories get progressively worse, IMO.
It surprises me how many Herbert fans there are, though, when there are an assortment of SF authors who are, IMO, much better. Heinlenn, for example, ot H. Beam Piper, ot Poul Anderson. I have trouble finding P. Anderson books that I don't have, and yet every crappy Dune novel there is is always right there, in full assortment, at the bookstore.
-------------------- ] Posts: 2953 | From: Indnpls., IN, USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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I watched the Sci-fi Miniseries so much that I just knew I had to read the books. I'm usually not one for fiction, but I was hooked 100 pages in. I'm about 100 pages from finishing Messiah and i'm pleased with it. I'm glad everyone is telling me that Children is good because I don't plan on reading past the original trilogy. I've read the synopsies of the last 3, and i'm just not looking forward to it. I might become interested enough to read up on the Butlerian Jihad, but i'm not holding my breath.
For Dune ALONE, Frank Herbert was a master of his craft.
Posts: 8 | From: Saint Cloud, Fl | Registered: Mar 2006
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I haven't read anything by KJA before these, having heard all sorts of negative things about his contributions to the Star Wars EU. While I won't say these books are terribly written (they aren't) the elder Herbert has, I think, a much more textured and rich writing style that neiter prequel novelist comes close to. That being said, IMO there are only two Frank Herbert novels I've read that I don't think are crap-those being Dune, and to a lesser degree Children of Dune. Whereas, the prequels, while not as well written, are much more enjoyable than books 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the Dune Chrinicals, IMO.
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