Herbert Brian 04

Reviews & Overviews by Rod Cameron

Legends of Dune 1 - The Butlerian Jihad by Brian Herbert & Kevin J Anderson

The latest book from Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson is the prequel to the prequel (House Atreides, etc) of Dune, etc. It is the story (obligatory trilogy) of the Butlerian revolt against the computers, and ultimately how the civilisation described in Frank Herbert's Dune came to evolve.
Set some 10,000 years prior to the events in Dune, and 110 centuries from today, Omnius the super-computer controls a large proportion of the galaxy, the Synchronised Worlds. How it came to power was through general apathy on the part of the planetary rulers, the Tyrants who themselves had overthrown the Old Empire. Originally human, as the 20 Tyrants started to age they had their brains decanted into protective machines so that they could directly interface with, and became the immortal man-machines known as the Cymeks. Unfortunately through bad programming, the Cymeks allowed the planetary computers to seize control from their overlords and 1000 years of brutal rule by the thinking machines started.
On Salusa Secundus in the Free Worlds outside Omnius' sphere of influence, live the main protagonists. Xavier Harkonnen a hardworking and likeable soldier. And his fiancee Serena Butler, a hardworking idealist. The two dream of overthrowing the machines and freeing their human slaves. The son of the cymek Agamemnon is Vorian Atreides who is proud to serve Omnius. He flies between the planets upgrading versions of Omnius' software and memories. After an uneasy stalemate for many years, the book starts with the cymeks invading Salusa Secundus, but being repulsed. Later, they successfully invade Giedi Prime. In retribution for this, Serena organises and takes part in an invasion of Giedi Prime without her father's or Xavier's knowledge. The invasion although ultimately successful, goes disastrously wrong for her with her capture by Omnius' forces. She is imprisoned by the robot Erasmus, who maintains independent thought from Omnius. Here she lives with the robot and gives birth to Xavier's son.
Other threads illuminate the early days of the Fremen on Arrakis. The story starts with Selim the first worm rider, and a pirate slaver Tuk Keedair who starts to ship Spice. The early days of the Bene Gesserit and the Spacing Guild appear to come from the same planet. In fact they are a down-trodden husband Aurelius Venport who is interested in drugs and developing his mental talents in competition with his wife Zufa Cenva a natural telepath who doesn't need drugs to have considerable mental powers. She is training a team of accolyte Sorceresses. On the planet Poritin is Tio Holtzmann, a mad inventor who is responsible among others for developing the Holtzmann body shield. He works with Norma Cenva daughter of Aurelius and Zufa and a mathematical genius.
So, how was it? Any book requires an expenditure of effort, with the hope that the enjoyment gained outweighs the time invested in reading the work. On this occasion, I feel it was a plain draw. Yes, Herbert & Anderson do describe the early days of the Dune Universe, and we can begin to see how everything came to be. For example the origin of the Atreides Harkonnen hatred. But so what? Sadly, the expert characterisations that Frank Herbert produced are just not there. If you cannot get enough of the Dune cycle then this book is for you, but don't expect the seductive, addictive read that Dune gives.

Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton
Year: 2002
Pages: 616
Price: £18.99
Format: Hardback
ISBN : 0-340-82330-5
Date Reviewed: December 2002