- Mass Market Paperback: 704 pages
- Publisher: Spectra Books; Reprint edition (Aug 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0553580272
- ISBN-13: 978-0553580273
- Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 2.9 x 17.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,499,512 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
The New York Times bestselling prequel to the classic award-winning saga by Frank Herbert.
Frank Herbert's award-winning Dune chronicles captured the imagination of millions of readers worldwide. By his death in 1986, Herbert had completed six novels in the series, but much of his vision remained unwritten. Now, working from his father's recently discovered files, Brian Herbert and bestselling novelist Kevin J. Anderson collaborate on a new novel, the prelude to Dune—where we step onto the planet Arrakis...decades before Dune's hero, Paul Muad'Dib Atreides, walks its sands.
Here is the rich and complex world that Frank Herbert created, in the time leading up to the momentous events of Dune. As Emperor Elrood's son plots a subtle regicide, young Leto Atreides leaves for a year's education on the mechanized world of Ix; a planetologist named Pardot Kynes seeks the secrets of Arrakis; and the eight-year-old slave Duncan Idaho is hunted by his cruel masters in a terrifying game from which he vows escape and vengeance. But none can envision the fate in store for them: one that will make them renegades—and shapers of history.
Frank Herbert's award-winning Dune chronicles captured the imagination of millions of readers worldwide. By his death in 1986, Herbert had completed six novels in the series, but much of his vision remained unwritten. Now, working from his father's recently discovered files, Brian Herbert and bestselling novelist Kevin J. Anderson collaborate on a new novel, the prelude to Dune—where we step onto the planet Arrakis...decades before Dune's hero, Paul Muad'Dib Atreides, walks its sands.
Here is the rich and complex world that Frank Herbert created, in the time leading up to the momentous events of Dune. As Emperor Elrood's son plots a subtle regicide, young Leto Atreides leaves for a year's education on the mechanized world of Ix; a planetologist named Pardot Kynes seeks the secrets of Arrakis; and the eight-year-old slave Duncan Idaho is hunted by his cruel masters in a terrifying game from which he vows escape and vengeance. But none can envision the fate in store for them: one that will make them renegades—and shapers of history.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Prequels are unusual novels. They should be written to introduce a book and series for someone who has not yet read any of the material. Yet their prime readership will be from those who have already read the series and want more. So you have to evaluate prequels from both prespectives. Usually, they favor one dimension or the other.
As is the usual case for prequels, Dune: House Atreides will primarily appeal to those who have read the Dune novels. The Harkonnens are beautifully cast as thoroughly nasty, despicable, and incompetent. The tension between the religion of not having thinking machines and the potential to create new technology is nicely developed. You will also get a good sense of Emperor Shaddam IV. Duke Paulus Atreides is a very enjoyable character, and you will delight in the places where he comes into the story.
I found much of the novel to be competent, rather than compelling. Unfortunately, these sections included Duke Leto Atreides, Duncan Idaho, and Pardor Kynes. These characters could have been magnificent, and provided much more fascination for the series. They come across as attractive, but not as people you want to grasp and hold onto because they are so appealing.
As a result, interesting, additional details comprise a reasonably small part of this book.
For those who have not yet read Dune, I felt that the book had one mistake in it. Readers will discover a bit more about physical changes that Guild navigators experience than is desirable for enjoying the whole series. In all other ways, this book will help the new reader anticipate and enjoy the beauties of the Dune series more. The background of much of what is happening will still seem mysterious after reading about it in this book, which is good. The origins of the key power groups are alluded to, but left murky. I think that approach was a good decision, because it encourages the reader to move on to other books in order to learn more.
The lack of illustrations was a missed opportunity. Many of the concepts in Dune lend themselves to pictoral explanations. In fact, each of the covers of the later novels added to my enjoyment.
I do encourage all fans of science fiction to read this book. It is a worthy volume in one of our greatest series.
After you finish reading this book, I suggest that you think about what really is most important to you in your life. As this book shows, you can achieve fame, friendship, wealth, power, family closeness, or prescience. The more someone focuses on one, the less they have of the others. How will you make your choice?
Look forward to enjoying more of what provides the most meaningful satisfaction!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Maybe it was the spelling errors, maybe it was the grammatical errors, maybe it was the shallow plot, but this book was fairly disappointing as a prequel to the great Dune series. I lost count of how many times the authors told us that the spice was only found on Arrakis. I expected more from the authors as Anderson's Star Wars novels were quite book, I I was hoping Brian Herbert learnt something from his Dad. Luckily this book was a present and I didn't have to pay for it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
When I first heard about the prequels being written, I felt slightly reserved as to how the earlier lives of characters like Leto and the Emperor , characters who only appeared very slightly in the original "Dune" would be developed.However after reading "House Atreides" I was very impressed as to how Frank Herbert's son,Frank and Kevin J Anderson were able to create even more depth to the Dune series by not only explaining things never fully developed in Frank Herberts life,such as Duncan Idaho's escape from the Harkonnen but also creatind new ideas such as the revolution on Ix. Not only have Brian Herbert and Anderson shown significant imagination almost to the same scale as Frank Herbert himself but also being able to express their ideas in a clear manner unlike the complicated and often confusing manner of Frank Herbert(no offense to the man, he did write excellant novels).
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not the Presquel to Dune.
I always treat presequels and follow ups with some suspicion because the magic of the first book can not always be repeated. Some work, this one didn't. Read more
Published on 18 Jan 2001 by elekton@tesco.net
Disappointing
Maybe it was the spelling errors, maybe it was the grammatical errors, maybe it was the shallow plot, but this book was fairly disappointing as a prequel to the great Dune series. Read more
Published on 2 Jan 2001 by adam.begley@gni.co.uk
A nice fat space opera
I got a lot more than I expected out of this book and its sequel "House Harkonnen". It sets the scene for "Dune", but it's a fine saga in its own right. Read more
Published on 23 Oct 2000
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