Herbert Frank 01

Reviews & Overviews by Rod Cameron

Author Title Overviewed

Frank Herbert The Dune Novels July 2000

What do you mean you have never read Dune?
Dune the classic book, was written by Frank Herbert and published in 1968. Since then it has always remained in print. I am addressing two questions this month, because "Prelude to Dune : House Atreides" by Brian Herbert (Frank’s son) and Kevin J. Anderson has recently been published in paperback. Both are acknowledged science fiction authors.
Before proceeding any further, I had better clear up any misconceptions you may have regarding the book because of David Lynch’s film. If you have seen the film, but never read the book, then all I can say is that the film was directed by an obvious lover of the book who when editing had to cut out a lot of explanatory film to make it an acceptable length. As a result it is at best disjointed, and at worst totally incomprehensible to someone unfamiliar with the book. As a fan of Lynch and Dune, all I can say is that I love the film but accept the criticisms lodged against it.

Dune chronicles the struggle for power between two powerful families : the House of Atreides and the House of Harkonnen in a universe ‘controlled’ by a number of power bases. Taken from the glossary at the back of Dune, which is worth referring to whilst reading the text, they are in alphabetical order :

The Bene Gesserit – an ancient school of mental and physical training established primarily for female students after the Butlerian Jihad destroyed the so-called ‘thinking machines’ and robots.

CHOAM – acronym for Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles – the universal development corporation controlled by the Emperor and Great Houses with the Guild and Bene Gesserit as silent partners.

The Emperor – His Royal Highness, the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, Ruler of the Known Universe.

The Guild – the Spacing Guild, one leg of the political tripod maintaining the Great Convention. The Guild was the second mental-physical training school (with the Bene Gesserit) after the Butlerian Jihad. The Guild monopoly on space travel and transport, and upon international banking is taken as the beginning point of the Imperial Calendar.

Houses Major – holders of planetary fiefs; interplanetary entrepreneurs; idiomatic for the Ruling Clan of a planet or planetary system.

The ethos behind the universe is Melange or Spice, the Spice of Spices, a wonder drug which enables gifted people to see the future and hence enable starship navigators to see what is ahead and avoid crashing into stars at faster than light speeds. Spice is also mildly addictive, extends life and can only be ‘mined’ on one planet – Dune, the desert world of Arrakis, which is inhabited by a race of desert people who are fiercely independent.

At the start of the first novel, Arrakis has been managed (continuously raped) by the Harkonnen family for generations to the extent that the Emperor has finally kicked them out. He has asked the Atreides family to take over the running of the planet. However, this is very much a poisoned chalice, as it is a deliberate ploy by the Harkonnens to make the Atreides look bad, and for themselves to come out of it smelling like roses. Arrakis is one gigantic trap designed to engineer the fall of the House of Atreides. The hero is Paul Atreides, heir to Duke Leto. At its most basic, the book is a ‘rite of passage’ novel. However it is much more than this, Herbert has succeeded in incorporating not only intergalactic politics with a feudal Arabic civilisation, but also a religion involving occult forces, and a Holy War. This is space opera at its best. I cannot recommend it too highly.

Frank Herbert wrote five further volumes concerning the same universe :

Dune Messiah (1974)

The plot continues in unexpected directions as Paul’s enemies attempt to remove him. The book is not as easy to read as Dune, but stick with it.

Children of Dune (1978)

Arrakis has become green, but the presence of water threatens the very existence of the giant sandworms. Paul’s children are threatened by fanatics. With Dune, these two books are a reasonably tight trilogy.

God Emperor of Dune (1982)

Set more than 3000 years later. The God Emperor in question is Leto, Paul’s son who has now grown into a grotesque mixture of human and sandworm. A complex book, I feel that it is the weakest of the six, but worth persevering with if only because the last two are back on form :

Heretics of Dune (1985)

The planet of Dune has turned from desert to garden, and back to desert again. The cycle is complete. The people of the Scattering are returning. Amongst them, mysterious and threatening, are the women who call themselves the Honoured Matres, adepts of an ecstatic cult. And on Rakis, become Dune, an ancient prophecy is fulfilled with the coming of the she-seer, Sheeana.

Chapterhouse: Dune (1986)

The long established galactic order is passing. The Honoured Matres, ruthless and all-conquering, have destroyed the planet Dune. In opposition, hard pressed but still fighting back, the Bene Gesserit sisterhood co-ordinate their resistance from their as yet undiscovered home world, Chapterhouse. Now as a new Scattering is planned, they still have one carefully nurtured asset : the sandworms, offspring of the only giant worm salvaged from Dune. Chapterhouse is to be the new vital home for the cycle that will turn it into a barren wasteland. Chapterhouse will be the new Dune.

Books Discussed :

By Frank Herbert –

The Dune series

1 Dune

2 Dune Messiah

3 Children of Dune

4 God Emperor of Dune

5 Heretics of Dune

6 Chapterhouse: Dune

By Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson –

Prelude to Dune

1 House Atreides

2 House Harkonnen (to be published in 2000)

3 House Corrino (to be published in 2001)

Enjoy,

Rod

Author	Title	Overviewed
Frank Herbert	The Dune Novels	July 2000
What do you mean you have never read Dune? Dune the classic book, was written by Frank Herbert and published in 1968. Since then it has always remained in print. I am addressing two questions this month, because "Prelude to Dune : House Atreides" by Brian Herbert (Frank’s son) and Kevin J. Anderson has recently been published in paperback. Both are acknowledged science fiction authors. Before proceeding any further, I had better clear up any misconceptions you may have regarding the book because of David Lynch’s film. If you have seen the film, but never read the book, then all I can say is that the film was directed by an obvious lover of the book who when editing had to cut out a lot of explanatory film to make it an acceptable length. As a result it is at best disjointed, and at worst totally incomprehensible to someone unfamiliar with the book. As a fan of Lynch and Dune, all I can say is that I love the film but accept the criticisms lodged against it. Dune chronicles the struggle for power between two powerful families : the House of Atreides and the House of Harkonnen in a universe ‘controlled’ by a number of power bases. Taken from the glossary at the back of Dune, which is worth referring to whilst reading the text, they are in alphabetical order : The Bene Gesserit – an ancient school of mental and physical training established primarily for female students after the Butlerian Jihad destroyed the so-called ‘thinking machines’ and robots. CHOAM – acronym for Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles – the universal development corporation controlled by the Emperor and Great Houses with the Guild and Bene Gesserit as silent partners. The Emperor – His Royal Highness, the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, Ruler of the Known Universe. The Guild – the Spacing Guild, one leg of the political tripod maintaining the Great Convention. The Guild was the second mental-physical training school (with the Bene Gesserit) after the Butlerian Jihad. The Guild monopoly on space travel and transport, and upon international banking is taken as the beginning point of the Imperial Calendar. Houses Major – holders of planetary fiefs; interplanetary entrepreneurs; idiomatic for the Ruling Clan of a planet or planetary system. The ethos behind the universe is Melange or Spice, the Spice of Spices, a wonder drug which enables gifted people to see the future and hence enable starship navigators to see what is ahead and avoid crashing into stars at faster than light speeds. Spice is also mildly addictive, extends life and can only be ‘mined’ on one planet – Dune, the desert world of Arrakis, which is inhabited by a race of desert people who are fiercely independent. At the start of the first novel, Arrakis has been managed (continuously raped) by the Harkonnen family for generations to the extent that the Emperor has finally kicked them out. He has asked the Atreides family to take over the running of the planet. However, this is very much a poisoned chalice, as it is a deliberate ploy by the Harkonnens to make the Atreides look bad, and for themselves to come out of it smelling like roses. Arrakis is one gigantic trap designed to engineer the fall of the House of Atreides. The hero is Paul Atreides, heir to Duke Leto. At its most basic, the book is a ‘rite of passage’ novel. However it is much more than this, Herbert has succeeded in incorporating not only intergalactic politics with a feudal Arabic civilisation, but also a religion involving occult forces, and a Holy War. This is space opera at its best. I cannot recommend it too highly. Frank Herbert wrote five further volumes concerning the same universe : Dune Messiah (1974) The plot continues in unexpected directions as Paul’s enemies attempt to remove him. The book is not as easy to read as Dune, but stick with it. Children of Dune (1978) Arrakis has become green, but the presence of water threatens the very existence of the giant sandworms. Paul’s children are threatened by fanatics. With Dune, these two books are a reasonably tight trilogy. God Emperor of Dune (1982) Set more than 3000 years later. The God Emperor in question is Leto, Paul’s son who has now grown into a grotesque mixture of human and sandworm. A complex book, I feel that it is the weakest of the six, but worth persevering with if only because the last two are back on form : Heretics of Dune (1985) The planet of Dune has turned from desert to garden, and back to desert again. The cycle is complete. The people of the Scattering are returning. Amongst them, mysterious and threatening, are the women who call themselves the Honoured Matres, adepts of an ecstatic cult. And on Rakis, become Dune, an ancient prophecy is fulfilled with the coming of the she-seer, Sheeana. Chapterhouse: Dune (1986) The long established galactic order is passing. The Honoured Matres, ruthless and all-conquering, have destroyed the planet Dune. In opposition, hard pressed but still fighting back, the Bene Gesserit sisterhood co-ordinate their resistance from their as yet undiscovered home world, Chapterhouse. Now as a new Scattering is planned, they still have one carefully nurtured asset : the sandworms, offspring of the only giant worm salvaged from Dune. Chapterhouse is to be the new vital home for the cycle that will turn it into a barren wasteland. Chapterhouse will be the new Dune. Books Discussed : By Frank Herbert – The Dune series 1 Dune 2 Dune Messiah 3 Children of Dune 4 God Emperor of Dune 5 Heretics of Dune 6 Chapterhouse: Dune By Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson – Prelude to Dune 1 House Atreides 2 House Harkonnen (to be published in 2000) 3 House Corrino (to be published in 2001) Enjoy, Rod