Dune

[Tom]

I read the original Dune years ago, and I think I enjoyed it. Back then, my mother picked up the prequel trilogy written by Herbert's son, which I've only now just started reading.

They're ok. I find MiniHerb's writing style a bit too simplistic for me to really get into it (especially coming from the Hyperion books). I'm just about finished the second book, and I'm just having a hard time letting it gel.

Also, are the other books in the main story worth reading?

[adam]

I fucking told you. The six books written by Frank Herbert are incredible. I don't think they're entirely consistent (the fourth is weakest), but the others are must reads, in my opinion. I adore the way the series ends (though it's too bad he died without finishing his intended sequel), and, my god, Tom, if you liked Hyperion I think you have to get through his series. Fuck his son's books, though.

I've been thinking about reading them again.

[Rog]

All of Frank's Dune books are ace!:D

[patrick]

ya... some of the only books i could re-read....

dune, lotr's and any william gibson books...

[m.g.]

All of Frank's Dune books are ace!
Which is absolutely true...

If I may suggest something to all Herbert's fans, if you enjoyed Dune, then, you should read these (well, if you didn't already...) :

Isaac Asimov - the Foundation series
Philip Jose Farmer - The Riverworld saga
Alfred Bester - The Computer Connection

These are the best sci-fi books I've ever read (+ Dune & some by Philip K. Dick)

[Rog]

Which is absolutely true...

If I may suggest something to all Herbert's fans, if you enjoyed Dune, then, you should read these (well, if you didn't already...) :

Isaac Asimov - the Foundation series
Philip Jose Farmer - The Riverworld saga
Alfred Bester - The Computer Connection

These are the best sci-fi books I've ever read (+ Dune & some by Philip K. Dick)

I have read the foundation series which was great but i haven't read the others yet.....i will have to get hold of them......cheers m.g.!

[m.g.]

I have read the foundation series which was great but i haven't read the others yet.....i will have to get hold of them......cheers m.g.!

It's a pleasure.

If you are in a "saga" mood, try first the Riverworld books, if you want something else, try Bester, anything by Bester (The Demolished Man, The Stars My Destination, etc...). But The Computer Connection... mmm... one of the best thing i've ever read (and I've read it first time in... '85 probably).

Please tell me your opinion when you've read it...

[adam]

I liked the ideas in Foundation but find Asimov's writing to be ... not satisfying, to the point that I can't really read him. It's overly simplistic. Neat plot, poor execution.

[Dubnobasswithmyheadman]

ya... some of the only books i could re-read....

dune, lotr's and any william gibson books...

great books,i m just finishing rereading the whole series,i m about 1/2 through chapterhouse,and i m even more amazed this time through.i read one of his sons book "man of two worlds" it wasn t bad,and kind of similar.

[Dubnobasswithmyheadman]

ya... some of the only books i could re-read....

dune, lotr's and any william gibson books...

great books,i m just finishing rereading the whole series,i m about 1/2 through chapterhouse,and i m even more amazed this time through.i read one of his sons book "man of two worlds" it wasn t bad,and kind of similar.

[Tom]

I'm now a quarter-way through children of dune.

Me likes.

[King of Snake]

I picked up the original Dune recently. I read it once a long time ago, but i'm able to appreciate it a lot more now that my knowledge of the english language has increased a bit :)
What a great book it is! I'll definintely read up on the whole series now (at least the ones written by Frank Herbert)

[noisegeek]

the fourth is weakest
Yeah, "God Emperor" is a trial, but absolutely essential to understanding the overall themes of the series.
The prequels weren't great, but I think alot of that just comes from the differences in writting styles. I'm hoping it'll be a bit less noticable in the 7th book.

[adam]

Heretics of Dune was good, no?

[mmm skyscraper]

try Bester, anything by Bester (The Demolished Man, The Stars My Destination, etc...). But The Computer Connection... mmm... one of the best thing i've ever read (and I've read it first time in... '85 probably).

Please tell me your opinion when you've read it...

I'm having trouble getting in to The Computer Connection, it seems like bad Pynchon to me. I'm only about halfway through, maybe I'll like it better after I'm done.

I also started reading Dune and it's great.

[m.g.]

I'm having trouble getting in to The Computer Connection, it seems like bad Pynchon to me. I'm only about halfway through, maybe I'll like it better after I'm done. :eek: you're the 1st I know who's having this opinion about this book... don't know what to say, though... just hope you'll like it better later.

[Sinus]

I recently re-read Dune and I decided to read the series back-to-back-
I'm about 3/4 through Children of Dune.

Have you noticed the phrase "swallow in a dry throat"
repeated an outrageous amount of times?

It's that phrase, worded just that way. I've counted it 4 times so far in Children of Dune, and just as many times in the other books, if not more!

I find it bizarre,
especially since I've never encountered the phrase anywhere else.

[King of Snake]

can't say i noticed it in the first Dune...
I guess it fits the sort of environment they're in though.

*edit*
actually now that i'm looking for it, i spotted one near the end :)

[Tom]

Just an update: halfway through Heretics.

I actually kind of enjoyed the 4th book. Heretics is very nice so far.

Maybe spolier:









I like how the Duncan's are the one familiar thread throughout the books. I also like how everyone refers to them as 'the Duncans'.

[adam]

I don't mind the fourth one, but I feel it's the weakest. I love the direction the fifth and sixth go, and a particular character in them.

[Tom]

Just finished them all. Wow.

5 and 6 were very, very cool. Teg = Teh Bizniss.

[adam]

I fucking told you. When he first goes into slow motion realm I shit my pants.

[adam]

It absolutely a coincidence that I started my first post in this thread and the previous one with, "I fucking told you." I just flipped back to see if I referred to Teg in the first post, and lo and behold. I know I swear a lot, but that's still pretty weird.

[Tom]

I'd be quite happy to read an entire book dedicated to Teg kicking everything to bits.

[adam]

MINOR SPOILERS AHOY

One of the things that I love is the richness of the galaxy he's described. Like, you could just read the glossary to the first book and have some pretty interesting ideas. The Orange Catholic bible and all that.

It is a terrible pity he didn't get the chance to wind up the series himself. Supposedly his son is working on the final novel from his notes, but my instinct is to stay away. This isn't, perhaps, fair to his son, but it is out of respect for his father's work.

The thing about the first one is the sense it gives you of watching genius at work. I mean, through out the entire novel, you're getting glimpses of brilliance set against brilliance. Leto is involved in a chess game of such complexity you can barely grasp it. And the snatches of insight into their trains of thought, doom, I think, any translation into film to failure. They can grasp the surface of the book, but never the substance.

Paul's duel is riveting (He gives water to the dead!). As was his blinding. I loved The Prophet character.

I loved the descriptions of their hyper-senses, like when they're detecting secret passages by wind drafts and such.

And, the, of course, there is the litany against fear:

"I must fear. Fear is the mind killer. It is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will let my fear pass over me, and through me, and when it is gone I will turn the inward eye and see its passage, and only I will remain." <-- that's from memory, and I'm drunk, but it's pretty close, no?

[Tom]

More spoilers.


I really liked the Bene Tleilax. Especially in 5 and 6, where their inner workings are more explored. Fanatics, Immortality through cloned genetic memory - Awesome.

I also really liked the idea, and the implied results, of the scattering. Humankind expanding outward infinitely and evolving into new things.

After reading them in such rapid succession, it's kind of hard to recall specifics from the earlier books.

You're right when you talk about the richness in his work. It's a living galaxy.

His son best not fuck this shit up.

[King of Snake]

just finished book 4, and although I sort of had a hard time getting into it in the beginning (not entirely surprising since most of the main and supporting characters from the previous books are now long gone), I managed to grab me more and more as I kept reading.
I'm off to the bookstore for book 5 :)