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Direct Descent
Earth has become a library planet for thousands of years, a bastion of both useful and useless knowledge—esoterica of all types, history, science, politics—gathered by teams of “pack rats” who scour the galaxy for any scrap of information. Knowledge is power, knowledge is wealth, and knowledge can be a weapon. As powerful dictators come and go over the course of history, the cadre of dedicated librarians is sworn to obey the lawful government . . . and use their wits to protect the treasure trove of knowledge they have collected over the millennia.
186 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1980
79 people are currently reading
809 people want to read
About the author
Frank Herbert
549 books16.6k followersFranklin Patrick Herbert Jr. was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel Dune and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer.
The Dune saga, set in the distant future, and taking place over millennia, explores complex themes, such as the long-term survival of the human species, human evolution, planetary science and ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, economics and power in a future where humanity has long since developed interstellar travel and settled many thousands of worlds. Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, and the entire series is considered to be among the classics of the genre.
The Dune saga, set in the distant future, and taking place over millennia, explores complex themes, such as the long-term survival of the human species, human evolution, planetary science and ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, economics and power in a future where humanity has long since developed interstellar travel and settled many thousands of worlds. Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, and the entire series is considered to be among the classics of the genre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
January 3, 2023
I usually like to begin my year with some science fiction or speculative fiction so I chose this one. It's also good to have a bit of a change from my winter seasonal reads.
I really enjoyed this rather short tale where the librarians of the eighty-first century save Earth. It's a primarily hollowed-out shell with an interior archive and repository of copious information about the universe. Librarians go out on ships to gather information to add to the collection and are pretty universally referred to harshly by government entities who drop by as "pack rats".
The story has two parts where one thing remains true, a new government has come to power and wants to shut down the library. The librarians are pretty much oathed always to obey the government but are also set to preserve the library. The way this is achieved in both parts of the book is pretty well done. The best part was the pull between proud ignorance backed by brute force and the wiliness of the preservation and archival class and an unlikely ally. In the second part, the library is caught up in an accounting nightmare which was so sadly and believably bureaucratic, I had to laugh. The solution was well done with a group of people at the center of the accounting problem and the only part I didn't buy was an instalove situation but as it was apparently the only way to propel the story to the necessary end, and I liked the end, it wasn't a deal breaker for me.
Favourite quotes :
“We’ve a new government,” he said. “Is that why you called me in?” asked Coogan. He felt an upsurge of all the resentment he’d swallowed when he’d received the call-back message. “In a way, yes,” said Patterson. “The new government is going to censor all Library broadcasts. The censor is on that ship just landing.”
“The first rule of the Galactic Library Code is to obey all direct orders of the government in power. For the preservation of the Library, this must be the primary command.”
“When you’re as old as I am,” said Patterson, “you’ll realize that governments don’t know what they can’t do until after they cease to be governments. Each government carries the seeds of its own destruction.”
The new Grand Regent is the leader of the Gentle Ignorance Party. He says he’ll censor us. The trouble is, our information indicates he’s bent on destroying the Library as some kind of an example.”
No, general,” Coogan shook his head. “We’re not here to confuse people. We believe in our Code and live by it. That Code says we must obey the government. And that doesn’t mean we obey when we feel like it or when we happen to agree with you. We obey. Your orders will be carried out. It doesn’t pay us to lead you into confusion.”
“We don’t put out knowledge, general. We store information. That’s our first job.” “But you blat that information all over the universe!” stormed the general. “Then it becomes knowledge!” “That is under the Charter, not the Code,” said Coogan.
Perhaps if we seceded from… “ “Hah!” Tchung glowered at his subordinate. “And us a hollow ball of storage space full of records and artifacts! We’re completely dependent upon Galactic subsidy. We’ve nothing to draw upon to support ourselves or to fuel our collection ships. We’ve only one commodity— the stored knowledge and information. We’re mankind’s memory. It has suddenly been rediscovered that certain memories can be dangerous.”
“We return to the uneasy truce between ignorance and knowledge ,” Tchung murmured. He smiled. “And I suspect we will gain a sudden influx of students doing special research.”
Recommended.
I really enjoyed this rather short tale where the librarians of the eighty-first century save Earth. It's a primarily hollowed-out shell with an interior archive and repository of copious information about the universe. Librarians go out on ships to gather information to add to the collection and are pretty universally referred to harshly by government entities who drop by as "pack rats".
The story has two parts where one thing remains true, a new government has come to power and wants to shut down the library. The librarians are pretty much oathed always to obey the government but are also set to preserve the library. The way this is achieved in both parts of the book is pretty well done. The best part was the pull between proud ignorance backed by brute force and the wiliness of the preservation and archival class and an unlikely ally. In the second part, the library is caught up in an accounting nightmare which was so sadly and believably bureaucratic, I had to laugh. The solution was well done with a group of people at the center of the accounting problem and the only part I didn't buy was an instalove situation but as it was apparently the only way to propel the story to the necessary end, and I liked the end, it wasn't a deal breaker for me.
Favourite quotes :
“We’ve a new government,” he said. “Is that why you called me in?” asked Coogan. He felt an upsurge of all the resentment he’d swallowed when he’d received the call-back message. “In a way, yes,” said Patterson. “The new government is going to censor all Library broadcasts. The censor is on that ship just landing.”
“The first rule of the Galactic Library Code is to obey all direct orders of the government in power. For the preservation of the Library, this must be the primary command.”
“When you’re as old as I am,” said Patterson, “you’ll realize that governments don’t know what they can’t do until after they cease to be governments. Each government carries the seeds of its own destruction.”
The new Grand Regent is the leader of the Gentle Ignorance Party. He says he’ll censor us. The trouble is, our information indicates he’s bent on destroying the Library as some kind of an example.”
No, general,” Coogan shook his head. “We’re not here to confuse people. We believe in our Code and live by it. That Code says we must obey the government. And that doesn’t mean we obey when we feel like it or when we happen to agree with you. We obey. Your orders will be carried out. It doesn’t pay us to lead you into confusion.”
“We don’t put out knowledge, general. We store information. That’s our first job.” “But you blat that information all over the universe!” stormed the general. “Then it becomes knowledge!” “That is under the Charter, not the Code,” said Coogan.
Perhaps if we seceded from… “ “Hah!” Tchung glowered at his subordinate. “And us a hollow ball of storage space full of records and artifacts! We’re completely dependent upon Galactic subsidy. We’ve nothing to draw upon to support ourselves or to fuel our collection ships. We’ve only one commodity— the stored knowledge and information. We’re mankind’s memory. It has suddenly been rediscovered that certain memories can be dangerous.”
“We return to the uneasy truce between ignorance and knowledge ,” Tchung murmured. He smiled. “And I suspect we will gain a sudden influx of students doing special research.”
Recommended.
June 28, 2021
I am a highly plot driven reader, remembering the plot of just about every book I’ve ever read with very little difficulty. So it says a lot when I write, despite having read this book two times before (once in college and once a few years ago) I couldn’t remember the plot of the story. Perhaps the reason for that is that it feels so derivative. Direct Descent is two stories about a mammoth thousands-year-old library that really feels like it was written after Herbert read Isaac Asimov’s Foundation (written three years before this work was published in serial form). The whole thing really reads like an Asimov story instead of a Herbert one. Both stories in this collection have the same basic plot. The new galactic government has decided to shut down the library in their attempt to stop knowledge from being disseminated. In each case, the evil government operatives are outwitted by brilliant librarians. Asimov did it better.
Perhaps it is actually a good thing that this plot is so forgettable. Frank Herbert is one of my favorite authors of all time. His great books like The Godmakers and Whipping Star, and yes, of course, Dune, all deserve to be read a dozen or more times. But his “lesser” works like The Santaroga Barrier, The Heaven Makers, and the Green Brain (to name only three) both entertain me and make me think every time I reread them. I’d honestly rather forget a rare misfire like Direct Descent.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
Perhaps it is actually a good thing that this plot is so forgettable. Frank Herbert is one of my favorite authors of all time. His great books like The Godmakers and Whipping Star, and yes, of course, Dune, all deserve to be read a dozen or more times. But his “lesser” works like The Santaroga Barrier, The Heaven Makers, and the Green Brain (to name only three) both entertain me and make me think every time I reread them. I’d honestly rather forget a rare misfire like Direct Descent.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
August 6, 2021
Hard to believe this was written by the same Frank Herbert who wrote Dune.
July 22, 2021
I will admit that I have this title by another publisher (and one very much older than this edition - although at the time of typing this I for the life of me cannot find it) so I apologise if this is repeated in the future.
However the book contains two stories set generations apart about the challenges a planet sized library faces. And how the challenges to its safety and future are met with only information and the guile of its custodians to protect it.
there are some interesting and unique ideas presented here which along with the "gentleness" of the story create a subtle narrative I almost missed.
I have to admit that it has been some time since I have read any Frank Herbert and this book all be it rather short has reminded how much I enjoyed his work.
However the book contains two stories set generations apart about the challenges a planet sized library faces. And how the challenges to its safety and future are met with only information and the guile of its custodians to protect it.
there are some interesting and unique ideas presented here which along with the "gentleness" of the story create a subtle narrative I almost missed.
I have to admit that it has been some time since I have read any Frank Herbert and this book all be it rather short has reminded how much I enjoyed his work.
April 10, 2008
I didn't hate it, like everyone else seemed to have.
It is possible that there are a lot of people out there who don't understand one of the primary roles of SciFi: to tell a story about the future that teaches a lesson. In this case, the lesson was about the dangers of isolationism to the point of denying reality, which is exactly what Earth's inhabitants in "Direct Descent" did. Well, most of them. Part of the fun of this story was discovering the other group on the planet, forgotten by the deluded, over-educated, "superior" types. The "barbarians," though isolated, were well connected with reality.
The story, while not Herbert's best as far as character development, still taught some important lessons.
I recommend it.
It is possible that there are a lot of people out there who don't understand one of the primary roles of SciFi: to tell a story about the future that teaches a lesson. In this case, the lesson was about the dangers of isolationism to the point of denying reality, which is exactly what Earth's inhabitants in "Direct Descent" did. Well, most of them. Part of the fun of this story was discovering the other group on the planet, forgotten by the deluded, over-educated, "superior" types. The "barbarians," though isolated, were well connected with reality.
The story, while not Herbert's best as far as character development, still taught some important lessons.
I recommend it.
September 11, 2022
Not the best offering by Frank Herbert, I suppose everything he did other than Dune will be considered inferior. This one didn't grab me but I will still be interested to try some more non Dune works at some point...
January 2, 2023
This small book felt like a pair of short stories connected by a huge time jump and the well used themes of political power and the use of knowledge as a bargaining chip.
With a good little twist, a strange instant-relationship that came out of nowhere, some interesting sci-fi ideas and a library planet that felt like, considering when this was written, a blatant clone of Asimov's Foundation books - it all ended up being quite middle of the road for me. Not bad, but I am certain it's far from the best Herbert has to offer.
With a good little twist, a strange instant-relationship that came out of nowhere, some interesting sci-fi ideas and a library planet that felt like, considering when this was written, a blatant clone of Asimov's Foundation books - it all ended up being quite middle of the road for me. Not bad, but I am certain it's far from the best Herbert has to offer.
March 23, 2022
I think the concept was interesting and the book had pretty pictures, but the story wasn't all that interesting.
January 11, 2008
An absolute stinker from Herbert. And coming from me, that is saying a lot. I love just about everything he's written.
This is not one of them. This is absolutely horrible.
I think there are actually drawings in the copy I used to own.
Not good ones.
If you see this in a used book store you have my permission to drop it behind the shelf.
This is not one of them. This is absolutely horrible.
I think there are actually drawings in the copy I used to own.
Not good ones.
If you see this in a used book store you have my permission to drop it behind the shelf.
May 4, 2020
This book is about librarians who always obey the government.
Hooked yet? You should be. Because it's actually a really good story.
Direct Descent reminds me a lot of Asimov's Foundation books. It's about solving problems with intelligence when the only alternative seems to be violence.
It is very short but every book doesn't have to be 500 pages.
Hooked yet? You should be. Because it's actually a really good story.
Direct Descent reminds me a lot of Asimov's Foundation books. It's about solving problems with intelligence when the only alternative seems to be violence.
It is very short but every book doesn't have to be 500 pages.
September 17, 2011
Much too short! Read this in less than 2 hours through the course of a lunch hour that turned into two! Perfect length for me, but need lots of those two hour spasms of intellectual imagery and escapism!
Read
August 25, 2025This is one of the few times I feel like a review can help improve your experience with a book. I listened to the audiobook in one evening as I went for a long Sunday walk. (The audiobook is 3 hours and I listened at double speed)
I was enjoying it, but then I started losing track of some of the characters. This is not unusual for me. I generally blame myself if I forget who a character is, so I just did what I always do and kept listening figuring I’d figure it out from context clues.
Then I finished and couldn’t help but think “it was like the end of that book was a completely different story.”
That’s because it is. The plot summary on Wikipedia describes this as “two stories”. I went back and scrubbed through the audiobook and realized I missed 2 crucial words—“Part Two”
And then I realized that was exactly where I remember thinking “this feels like the end. I can’t believe there’s still almost 2 hours left in this audiobook.”
None of the other reviews I read mention the fact that it’s two stories. And there are some pretty negative reviews. There’s a chance people just didn’t like this, but I’m curious if anyone who disliked it would like it more if they thought of it as two separate stories. It *definitely* changed my perspective and made me appreciate it more. Even if you do catch that it says “Part Two”, that doesn’t quite seem like enough to signal that you should think of it as a different story.
I was enjoying it, but then I started losing track of some of the characters. This is not unusual for me. I generally blame myself if I forget who a character is, so I just did what I always do and kept listening figuring I’d figure it out from context clues.
Then I finished and couldn’t help but think “it was like the end of that book was a completely different story.”
That’s because it is. The plot summary on Wikipedia describes this as “two stories”. I went back and scrubbed through the audiobook and realized I missed 2 crucial words—“Part Two”
And then I realized that was exactly where I remember thinking “this feels like the end. I can’t believe there’s still almost 2 hours left in this audiobook.”
None of the other reviews I read mention the fact that it’s two stories. And there are some pretty negative reviews. There’s a chance people just didn’t like this, but I’m curious if anyone who disliked it would like it more if they thought of it as two separate stories. It *definitely* changed my perspective and made me appreciate it more. Even if you do catch that it says “Part Two”, that doesn’t quite seem like enough to signal that you should think of it as a different story.
May 1, 2021
I’ll start by suggesting this story deserves a better rating. Unfortunately, it was far too short and lacking to come to fruition. The story, halved into two portions, could each represent a novel in themselves. That being applied, I enjoy the concept of Earth or Terra in the 81st century as an evolution of the Library of Congress on a planetary scale. The harrowing experience of Vincent Coogan was exciting with many turns that were never elaborated upon and drove a story past a dozen small dead ends. Running down a hallway with small dead ends makes it difficult to focus on whats in front of you. After the abrupt ending, part two sends the reader into a completely different, vaguely related story. This second tale, while exciting in its own terms continues to leave dozens of unanswered questions by the page. This pile of insurmountable questions leads me to the conclusion that it it a wonderful and amazing story, but not the greatest book. This is thoughts on paper in need of expansion. I thoroughly enjoyed this narrative.
September 7, 2022
This is the first book I’ve read from Frank Herbert that’s not related to Dune…and I really liked it! His concepts are SO interesting. This one especially, since it deals with a library and knowledge. I am so excited to find more of his books in thrift stores because I want to continue reading from him.
February 5, 2023
Not Amazing.
There was a lot of potential but the story was very under developed and even quite disjointed. Character development was minimal and overall story plotting stuttered. This is basically a story about knowledge and power and who decides. It is about corruption and blind obedience. I wanted it to be so much better.
There was a lot of potential but the story was very under developed and even quite disjointed. Character development was minimal and overall story plotting stuttered. This is basically a story about knowledge and power and who decides. It is about corruption and blind obedience. I wanted it to be so much better.
January 18, 2025
En artig liten bok om et bibliotek som dekker en hel planet
December 14, 2021
Frank Herbert napsal nejen Dunu, ale i další příběhy, např. tento o planetě, kde se nachází centrální galaktická knihovna. Tato instituce funguje již několik tisíc let a má jedno zásadní pravidlo - slouží vládě. To fungovalo do doby, než se politici, účetní a vojáci rozhodli, že je knihovna příliš drahá a zbytečná. Knihovníci se sice důsledně drží svého základního pravidla, ale také si je vykládají poněkud pružně a kreativně, tak aby bylo možno knihovnu zachránit.
December 21, 2020
I hope nobody ever thinks libraries are useless in this time-space continuum!!!
November 19, 2023
Frank Herbert began somewhere. I uncovered this obscure, early work from the 1950s showcasing a lot of Herbert's future themes. Here, he speculates on the saying "knowledge is power" with a warring dichotomy, knowledge and power. There's so much Herbert was still taking from Golden Age science fiction, many aging like room temperature milk, like the idea of femininity being rooted in domesticity and childbearing (that sort of never left in Herbert's mind). Direct Descent interests those interested in Herbert's writing, his development as an author, but nothing more.
October 24, 2015
I didn't enjoy part one of this book but part two was much more relatable. I think Herbert gets carried away on tangents and I lose the story but I didn't get lost all the way this time. Perhaps it was keeping this a novella that worked in its favor. I liked the small details where you could really see Herbert's fantastic imagination. For some reason he always reminds me of Aldous Huxley but not in the good way.
August 4, 2020
Direct Descent is a collection of 2 novellas (if that; they are very short) that take place around a galactic library that comes under scrutiny because its broadcast-randomizer has put out the wrong thing heard by the wrong people. Or, I guess, just another piece of collected information that happens to be read by someone who happens to view it as a threat. The people of the library are derogatorily called 'pack-rats' because the collection includes... everything. From all time.
If you have a love of learning and information, the issues of these stories will certainly jive with you.
The library has a rule that it must always obey the government, even if that government has decided the library is a drain on resources (or, a threat) and should be destroyed. The Director of the library must find a way to follow the rules so as to not invite war (which would end in destruction), but protect the library planet.
This edition is full of illustrations that don't particularly add to the story, but they are kind of fun.
Honestly I hadn't read anything of Herbert outside of Dune so it was a nice surprise to find this little book.
If you have a love of learning and information, the issues of these stories will certainly jive with you.
The library has a rule that it must always obey the government, even if that government has decided the library is a drain on resources (or, a threat) and should be destroyed. The Director of the library must find a way to follow the rules so as to not invite war (which would end in destruction), but protect the library planet.
This edition is full of illustrations that don't particularly add to the story, but they are kind of fun.
Honestly I hadn't read anything of Herbert outside of Dune so it was a nice surprise to find this little book.
September 16, 2021
Two episodes in the millenia-spanning history of The Galactic Library. One was written in 1954 and is typical pulp science fiction of the era, and the other feels like it was dashed off in an afternoon to make up enough content to sell as a book.
Completely absent are the interweaving plotlines and the thought-provoking issues raised by Herbert's better works. There is no connection between the two episodes other than that they both have exactly the same plot: representatives of the Empire arrive to shut down The Library, but they are outwitted by one clever man who single-handedly engineers an apparently instantaneous change in Galactic leadership, each time replacing the Library-hating leader with one more sympathetic. The hero of the second episode is the thirty-times-removed grandson of one of the minor characters in the first episode, but they share nothing more than a name. The characters have no character.
They read like Scooby-Doo adventures.
Completely absent are the interweaving plotlines and the thought-provoking issues raised by Herbert's better works. There is no connection between the two episodes other than that they both have exactly the same plot: representatives of the Empire arrive to shut down The Library, but they are outwitted by one clever man who single-handedly engineers an apparently instantaneous change in Galactic leadership, each time replacing the Library-hating leader with one more sympathetic. The hero of the second episode is the thirty-times-removed grandson of one of the minor characters in the first episode, but they share nothing more than a name. The characters have no character.
They read like Scooby-Doo adventures.
May 25, 2022
( Format : Audiobook )
" First rule: obey the government."
Two stories, essentially, the first set in the 81st century, the second several generations later, both set on the library planet housing the accumulated wisdoms and knowledge of the universe. It is dependent on the galactic governments for it's ongoing so as the first rule is to a large obey whatever the government orders. In both stories, when the decision had been made to end the library, a way had to be found to protect it without breaking the prime order to obey.
Narration is by the excellent Scott Brick, whose reading is well paced and modulated, though sadly not at his best as he sounds slightly downbeat and depressed. Still a fine pperformance, though.
Good, old fashioned (ideas rather than characterisation) S.F., Asimov style, visual and easy to read. Well worth a listen.
" First rule: obey the government."
Two stories, essentially, the first set in the 81st century, the second several generations later, both set on the library planet housing the accumulated wisdoms and knowledge of the universe. It is dependent on the galactic governments for it's ongoing so as the first rule is to a large obey whatever the government orders. In both stories, when the decision had been made to end the library, a way had to be found to protect it without breaking the prime order to obey.
Narration is by the excellent Scott Brick, whose reading is well paced and modulated, though sadly not at his best as he sounds slightly downbeat and depressed. Still a fine pperformance, though.
Good, old fashioned (ideas rather than characterisation) S.F., Asimov style, visual and easy to read. Well worth a listen.
January 9, 2018
I finished up my audiobook and needed another ... this was available for instant download from my library and it was a quick read. Really quick. It was over before I knew it. Not because it was great, but because it's really short.
As this was a random grab, I really had no idea what I was getting into. Apparently this is older than most of my reads, and it did come across differently. Not dated really, as it was set in a future still a future today. It was just odd. Stilted. It had two parts, related but separated by years. The story was a little hard to follow. Didn't really feel like it had much story.
I didn't dislike it ... I'm just not sure I could even try to tell what it was about!
As this was a random grab, I really had no idea what I was getting into. Apparently this is older than most of my reads, and it did come across differently. Not dated really, as it was set in a future still a future today. It was just odd. Stilted. It had two parts, related but separated by years. The story was a little hard to follow. Didn't really feel like it had much story.
I didn't dislike it ... I'm just not sure I could even try to tell what it was about!
August 1, 2021
The first non-Dune book of Frank's that i ever read. And what did i think?
It ain't Dune, that's for sure. But, then, what is?
But it could have been better written. It just all seems rushed to fit into a 100page novella kind of thing when it could have been written really well as a full length trilogy.
The Earth has become humanity's library, the place where all the knowledge of human history is kept for anyone in the galaxy wishing to access it, it's like a galactic wide Wikipedia and then some.
And all Frank could think to do is to write a novella sized rushed thing out about it? Disappointing: not because it's bad, but because it could have been so much more.
It ain't Dune, that's for sure. But, then, what is?
But it could have been better written. It just all seems rushed to fit into a 100page novella kind of thing when it could have been written really well as a full length trilogy.
The Earth has become humanity's library, the place where all the knowledge of human history is kept for anyone in the galaxy wishing to access it, it's like a galactic wide Wikipedia and then some.
And all Frank could think to do is to write a novella sized rushed thing out about it? Disappointing: not because it's bad, but because it could have been so much more.
October 24, 2020
A book of two halves... or perhaps two related short stories.
I very much enjoyed the first story as an exploration of the value and power of information:
A library planet that survives by holding the principle, “Obey the government”... but would that be enough to save them from an existential threat?
I really enjoyed the first story and, had the second story continued in the same vein, my rating would have been four or possibly even five stars. But story two had a different existential threat and a very different solution... one which, I admit, I didn’t really understand.
I very much enjoyed the first story as an exploration of the value and power of information:
”Information is the tool and the goad of intelligence.”
A library planet that survives by holding the principle, “Obey the government”... but would that be enough to save them from an existential threat?
I really enjoyed the first story and, had the second story continued in the same vein, my rating would have been four or possibly even five stars. But story two had a different existential threat and a very different solution... one which, I admit, I didn’t really understand.
May 10, 2023
I have to admit that I didn't really... get it? It consists of two stories, both featuring the custodians of the world's greatest library who have to withstand the political turmoil and ignorant rulers of their time. The first story was considerably better, I thought, it was even a little witty, but the second one lost me completely. I think it tried to be too clever for its own good and there really wasn't any hare-outsmarting-the-fox kind of effect that the author was (probably) going for. I mean, it was there, sort of, but it didn't have any impact. All in all, I wasn't too impressed with this.
June 23, 2023
I am legitimately disappointed in this book. I know it was never meant to be grand in scope, but it just didn't work for me. It's too short, confusing, and the characters are stiff as a board.
I love Herbert's other works of course, and this is probably one of his only "not good" novels.
I'm still trying to figure out where he was going with this story, but alas I don't think I'll know. I won't read it again. It is not often I feel this way about a novel, and it's sad that it's from such a revered author.
I love Herbert's other works of course, and this is probably one of his only "not good" novels.
I'm still trying to figure out where he was going with this story, but alas I don't think I'll know. I won't read it again. It is not often I feel this way about a novel, and it's sad that it's from such a revered author.
October 3, 2017
To quote another, this feels as a "literary doodle" by Herbert. I've liked some of Herbert's other non-Dune works, but this one felt "off". More a means of communicating some ideas (most of which I rather enjoyed) than a work of it's own. With Whipping Star, the name itself was a clever little hint. And it feels like Herbert tried that with this, but I don't get the "punch-line" of what the name means.
September 14, 2021
This was fairly good although it felt like nothing more than an attempt to write something similar to Asimov's Foundation series. Similar plot, similar theme of scholars vs government. Similar method of telling the tale over multiple generations in separate but connected stories. It even had a seemingly (but not quite) less advanced society as its saviors.
Overall I enjoyed it as a decent story well told but was a bit disappointed in it's lack of originality.
Overall I enjoyed it as a decent story well told but was a bit disappointed in it's lack of originality.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews