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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The new Dune universe lacks atmosphere, 13 Jan 2003
I first read Dune in 1974, some twelve years before Frank Herbert died. I was 13. A rather more intelligent and well-read friend loaned me the book. I found it hard going. Not only was it one of the first SF novels I had ever read, but it was a complex book with a whole new range of foreign terms and concepts (I had never before read a work of fiction requiring appendices, including a glossary and extensive notes!) I was fascinated; my imagination captured, but I didn't fully appreciate or understand the intricacies, breadth and scope of the Dune story. Even so, I struggled through the thick book (with frequent references to the notes), followed by Children of Dune and Dune Messiah in quick succession. Since then, of course, I have completed the epic series, re-reading them all several times, finding something new each time.Naturally, I always wondered about the events, characters and motivations which led up to Dune, and the universe sometimes only hinted at or briefly described as the backcloth to the story of Paul and his family. When Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson finally published the first in the Prelude to Dune series I was keen to enter this intriguing universe once more. Having read House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and started House Corrino, I can safely say that I would have greatly appreciated these books back in 1974. They are certainly more suited to a 13yr-old than the books that came before them. My apologies to Brian and Kevin, but these new prequels are a pale shadow of the master's work. Yes, they are quite exciting on occasion and, yes, they fill in a whole realm of gaps which Frank Herbert's legion of fans must have wondered about. Yet they seem shallow by comparison. Much like candy-floss, the stories lack substance and depth, leaving the reader somewhat dissatisfied, even though the yarns are enjoyable. I might also add that some of the edge is taken off the stories because we know what happens to the principal players. This detracts from most attempts at suspense. Incidentally, I can't help but wonder how much of this is Frank Herbert's unpublished material, and how much only based on his (rough) notes. I am also fairly convinced that in House Atreides there are discrepancies between what the original series tells us about Duncan Idaho's early years and the newly-narrated events. However, thanks to Frank Herbert's work, I am drawn to find out more about the universe he created, despite the relatively disappointing nature of this new series. No doubt I will purchase the Butlerian Jihad when it is available in standard paperback format. For those who have wondered about what went before Dune and can bear a version of events not told by Frank himself; and for those who are fresh to the characters and worlds he created, I recommend these books; just don't expect brilliance. They serve as a good appetiser before the Frank Herbert main course, but a poor dessert.
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by Brian Herbert
by Brian Herbert
by Brian Herbert
by Brian Herbert
by Brian Herbert
