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Prelude to Dune #1
House Atreides
Return to Dune
With Frank Herbert's death in 1986, the science fiction phenomenon known as the Dune series seemed fated to end with its sixth volume, Chapterhouse: Dune. However, Herbert's son Brian, working from his father's recently discovered files, now collaborates with bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson to give us the grand narrative themes, star-sweeping political tensions, and impassioned exploits of the original work in its prequel, Dune: House Atreides.
Some background -- or, depending on your current viewpoint, perhaps foreground -- first: Dune is the sprawling and intricate saga of the desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune, the very heart of a vast galactic empire and all its rebel factions. Dune is the only source of Melange, a spice that grants psychic powers and near-immortality to interstellar pilots. As per the Emperor's orders, Arrakis has traded hands from the violent Harkonnen to House Atreides. Led by the Baron, the Harkonnen scheme, subvert, and viciously murder most opposition in an effort to keep Arrakis for themselves. Eventually young Duke Paul Atreides is exiled on the planet's cruel surface and left to die. There he is rescued by the Fremen, a obscurely religious tribe of desert dwellers, is eventually renamed Muad'dib, and becomes the Fremen's leader in his attempt to regain the planet for House Atreides. Paul is not only mystically enhanced by the mysterious spice itself but might very well be a prophesied messiah.
Dune: House Atreides takes place four decades before the events of the first novel. Emperor Elrood IX of House Corrino, ruler of most of known space, sits upon the Golden Lion throne and orders planetologist Pardot Kynes to Arrakis to study the secrets of the addictive Melange. However, impatient to begin his own tyrannical reign, the Emperor's son, Shaddam, plots to kill his father with the aid of the assassin Hasimir Fenring. The Baron Harkonnen, still in charge of Arrakis and the production of Melange, must also counter the ploys of his enemies from the House Atreides. Paulus Atreides dispatches his teenage son, Leto (who will one day be father of Paul Maud'dib), to the mechanized planet Ix to learn what he can of advanced technology. The eight-year old Duncan Idaho, a slave who is stalked and tortured by his sadistic masters, eventually escapes and seeks his revenge. The religious order of Bene Gesserit "witches" works in secret to breed the "Kwisatz Haderach," a superhuman psychic child who can only be created through the manipulation of both Atreides and Harkonnen genes.
Few undertakings in the science fiction arena could present the formidable challenge that a prequel to Dune would pose. Frank Herbert's original novel won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, capturing the imaginations of readers all over the world and giving them a brand of SF that had never been known before. However, few could be better suited to accept the taxing trials than the team of Herbert and Anderson. Brian Herbert collaborated with his father on the elder's last published novel, Man of Two Worlds. Kevin J. Anderson, author of several Star Wars novels (Darksaber, The Emperor's Plague) and The X-Files novels (Ruins, Ground Zero), has already proven himself highly capable of writing within science fiction universes created by others. In finishing L. Ron Hubbard's Al! Pedrito! When Intelligence Goes Wrong, Anderson also confirmed that he could efficiently work from notes left behind by a true luminary of the science fiction genre.
The authors skillfully meet the demands set for them and continue the tradition of scope, complexity, and multilayered narrative threads. Dune: House Atreides manages to capture the majesty and intensity of Frank Herbert's fascinating and far-reaching epic. However, the authors are not merely expanding upon established story lines but are venturing forward into their own storytelling territory. Some of the series' most perplexing enigmas are answered, while other mysteries are uncovered. Adventurous, labyrinthine, and highly intriguing in its own right, Dune: House Atreides will garner a vast readership. Fans of the original novels will welcome any return to their beloved Arrakis, and new readers will wholeheartedly leap at the chance to delve into the mystical sands of Dune.
Tom Piccirilli
704 pages, Library Binding
First published October 5, 1999
1189 people are currently reading
12670 people want to read
About the author
Brian Herbert
238 books2,155 followersBrian Patrick Herbert is an American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of science fiction author Frank Patrick Herbert.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 873 reviews
December 30, 2017
At a meeting of the Jedi Council on Coruscant, the Masters discuss Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s 1999 novel Dune: House Atreides.
Yoda: Enjoy it I did.
Mace Windu: Yes, I felt that an exploration of the earlier generation was an excellent way to further develop the storyline.
Ki-Adi-Mundi: Absolutely, Herbert and Anderson’s collaboration did not try to copy or imitate the narrative style of Frank Herbert, but rather to give life and a new voice to his earlier vision.
Plo Koon: And sell some copy.
Kit Fisto: You are cynical Master Koon. Frank Herbert’s great vision was one in which his legion of fans longed to read and know more.
Lyn: True Master Fisto. Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson use the ambitious design of Frank Herbert to explore the origins of Leto, his father Paulus, the Bene Gesserit, the Bene Tleilax, the Spacing Guild, other houses in the Landsraad, and of course the Fremen on Dune.
Yarael Poof: Interesting that this prequel novel came out the same year another epic space fantasy trilogy started a prequel to further explore its roots and foundations.
Ki-Adi-Mundi: Herbert’s Dune is a unique creation because of the exhaustive detail he built into his universe, allowing his literary inheritors such a fertile ground of expansion.
Yoda: But 700 pages! Whaaa? Time for this who has? Too long it is. Too damn long.
Mace Windu: Yes, and the dramatic fecundity also leads the two new writers to slip into melodramatic space opera.
Lyn: But fans will love it and will want to read more and more.
Yoda: Enjoy it I did.
Mace Windu: Yes, I felt that an exploration of the earlier generation was an excellent way to further develop the storyline.
Ki-Adi-Mundi: Absolutely, Herbert and Anderson’s collaboration did not try to copy or imitate the narrative style of Frank Herbert, but rather to give life and a new voice to his earlier vision.
Plo Koon: And sell some copy.
Kit Fisto: You are cynical Master Koon. Frank Herbert’s great vision was one in which his legion of fans longed to read and know more.
Lyn: True Master Fisto. Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson use the ambitious design of Frank Herbert to explore the origins of Leto, his father Paulus, the Bene Gesserit, the Bene Tleilax, the Spacing Guild, other houses in the Landsraad, and of course the Fremen on Dune.
Yarael Poof: Interesting that this prequel novel came out the same year another epic space fantasy trilogy started a prequel to further explore its roots and foundations.
Ki-Adi-Mundi: Herbert’s Dune is a unique creation because of the exhaustive detail he built into his universe, allowing his literary inheritors such a fertile ground of expansion.
Yoda: But 700 pages! Whaaa? Time for this who has? Too long it is. Too damn long.
Mace Windu: Yes, and the dramatic fecundity also leads the two new writers to slip into melodramatic space opera.
Lyn: But fans will love it and will want to read more and more.
May 15, 2008
The entire "House" series is unreadable crap and an embarrassing exploitation of the author's father's name.
March 14, 2015
Buddy read with Athena!
Blindness can take many forms other than the inability to see. Fanatics are often blinded in their thoughts. Leaders are often blinded in their hearts.
- The Orange Catholic Bible
Decades before the events of the Great Dune Trilogy, we go back to the blissful times in the reign of Emperor Elrood IX. Peace and prosperity rule in the Known Universe, and on the beautiful Atreides homeworld of Caladan, young Leto Atreides is being slowly, but steadily, groomed for command.
Forget all that.
The emperor is dying. The Imperial family is ravaged by rumours of poison and betrayal. On Arrakis House Harkonnen prepares its malicious plans to destroy all its rivals. On the mechanical world of Ix, the ruling class is swept away by a flood of revolution and religious war. On Kaitain itself, now the heart of the empire, the halls of the Landsraad are filled with conspiracies, plots and secrecy. And amidst all this stands House Atreides, lone paragon of virtue in a universe of greed and brutality.
It’s easy to be a bit skeptical when an immensely popular series is continued after the death of its author. Sometimes the result is wonderful, like in the case of Christopher Tolkien. And sometimes the result is a disastrous farce, which is the case in Sweden right now with the continuation of the Millennium trilogy. But most of the time, the series will in such a case take the leap from marvel to mediocrity. Fortunately, after having read only this one book, I firmly believe Brian Herbert (along with Kevin J. Anderson, of course) fits into the first category.
This book is soaked with references to the original Dune novels. It seems as if though the authors took every single sentence Frank Herbert ever wrote and started expanding upon it. And the result is marvelous. Within these pages are the background stories for some of the most memorable characters in science fiction.
An in addition to the characters, this is also a wonderful expansion of the setting. Whereas Frank Herbert mostly restricted himself to writing about events occurring on the planet Dune, which was kind of the point of his books, these prequels take us to Ix and Caladan, to Kaitain and Giedi Prime and to the ships journeying through space. One little detail I particularly enjoyed was when Duncan Idaho landed on Caladan at the wrong place entirely and had to walk for weeks to the castle of the Atreides. That’s a portrayal of scope that most sci-fi series tend to miss.
This is a brilliant prequel, in that it skilfully completes the task of expanding upon the stories, characters and locations of the original novels. That said, do not think this is an introduction to the Dune series. These books were written to be read after the original Dune novels. I would say that everyone would be better off reading all six originals before this, that everyone should read at least the first trilogy before this, and that everyone must read at least Dune itself before reading this.
House Atreides does not have the magic of the three first Dune novels. But that is to be expected. This book was never supposed to have an original and captivating storyline, but rather to expand upon what was already written. And it does a really good job of just that.
Blindness can take many forms other than the inability to see. Fanatics are often blinded in their thoughts. Leaders are often blinded in their hearts.
- The Orange Catholic Bible
Decades before the events of the Great Dune Trilogy, we go back to the blissful times in the reign of Emperor Elrood IX. Peace and prosperity rule in the Known Universe, and on the beautiful Atreides homeworld of Caladan, young Leto Atreides is being slowly, but steadily, groomed for command.
Forget all that.
The emperor is dying. The Imperial family is ravaged by rumours of poison and betrayal. On Arrakis House Harkonnen prepares its malicious plans to destroy all its rivals. On the mechanical world of Ix, the ruling class is swept away by a flood of revolution and religious war. On Kaitain itself, now the heart of the empire, the halls of the Landsraad are filled with conspiracies, plots and secrecy. And amidst all this stands House Atreides, lone paragon of virtue in a universe of greed and brutality.
It’s easy to be a bit skeptical when an immensely popular series is continued after the death of its author. Sometimes the result is wonderful, like in the case of Christopher Tolkien. And sometimes the result is a disastrous farce, which is the case in Sweden right now with the continuation of the Millennium trilogy. But most of the time, the series will in such a case take the leap from marvel to mediocrity. Fortunately, after having read only this one book, I firmly believe Brian Herbert (along with Kevin J. Anderson, of course) fits into the first category.
This book is soaked with references to the original Dune novels. It seems as if though the authors took every single sentence Frank Herbert ever wrote and started expanding upon it. And the result is marvelous. Within these pages are the background stories for some of the most memorable characters in science fiction.
An in addition to the characters, this is also a wonderful expansion of the setting. Whereas Frank Herbert mostly restricted himself to writing about events occurring on the planet Dune, which was kind of the point of his books, these prequels take us to Ix and Caladan, to Kaitain and Giedi Prime and to the ships journeying through space. One little detail I particularly enjoyed was when Duncan Idaho landed on Caladan at the wrong place entirely and had to walk for weeks to the castle of the Atreides. That’s a portrayal of scope that most sci-fi series tend to miss.
This is a brilliant prequel, in that it skilfully completes the task of expanding upon the stories, characters and locations of the original novels. That said, do not think this is an introduction to the Dune series. These books were written to be read after the original Dune novels. I would say that everyone would be better off reading all six originals before this, that everyone should read at least the first trilogy before this, and that everyone must read at least Dune itself before reading this.
House Atreides does not have the magic of the three first Dune novels. But that is to be expected. This book was never supposed to have an original and captivating storyline, but rather to expand upon what was already written. And it does a really good job of just that.
February 7, 2022
House Atreides
(Prelude to Dune #1)
by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson
I have read Dune a couple of times in my life and book 2 twice and book 3 once. Now having read this, I would advise everyone who wants to start the Dune series to start here first! If you watched the movie, well besides not getting the full book and some changes from the book, reading this now will help you understand many things.
This tell a lot of background info and not just that of Atreides. It includes all three houses and more. It follows Paul's father when he was a teenager. There was more to the bull fight than told in Dune.
It also follows Idaho Duncan from age 7. How he meets Leto, Paul's father. The Baron was once handsome with flawless skin but still cruel. We find out how he ended up with his disease.
The navigators have a secretive history which is told. They are guarded by an all woman army called Fish Talkers. There is just so much fascinating stuff in here! A long book but so good!
(Prelude to Dune #1)
by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson
I have read Dune a couple of times in my life and book 2 twice and book 3 once. Now having read this, I would advise everyone who wants to start the Dune series to start here first! If you watched the movie, well besides not getting the full book and some changes from the book, reading this now will help you understand many things.
This tell a lot of background info and not just that of Atreides. It includes all three houses and more. It follows Paul's father when he was a teenager. There was more to the bull fight than told in Dune.
It also follows Idaho Duncan from age 7. How he meets Leto, Paul's father. The Baron was once handsome with flawless skin but still cruel. We find out how he ended up with his disease.
The navigators have a secretive history which is told. They are guarded by an all woman army called Fish Talkers. There is just so much fascinating stuff in here! A long book but so good!
October 9, 2022
When I first encountered this new Dune book in a bookstore I was somewhat happy about it, weren’t it for the fact that another customer browsing in the English booksection told me that if I liked this new non-Frank Dune book I would be a traitor to the Frank Herbert Dune books. This attitude has always bothered me a lot improper reading books, the condescending attitude of reader towards another reader.
Certainly the new series by Herbert’s son and Anderson is less brilliant as the original series that left us with the greatest cliffhanger in book history. Which left the Dune fans hanging and they truly dislike the finish Brian & Kevin gave us, many claim it was not based on any of Franks ideas. I still have to read the two novels that finishes Franks tale.
Coming back to this first prequel trilogy which basically tells the story of how Leto Atreides started his reign and how Shaddam started his and how baron Harkonnen pissed of the Bene Gesserit and became diseased.
It is an excellent and a good read and opens up a whole new chapter of the Duniverse, with this first installment of the House trilogy that started the continuation bookseries of Dune.
Is it Frank Herbert heck no. Is it Dune?- yes it certainly is and with Brian Herbert keeping his father’s legacy alive I personally enjoy the newer books. I am certain that his father would be pleased with the product his son and Kevin J. Anderson has delivered.
For people who enjoyed the Dune series it is an excellent book to enhance your reading fun.
Certainly the new series by Herbert’s son and Anderson is less brilliant as the original series that left us with the greatest cliffhanger in book history. Which left the Dune fans hanging and they truly dislike the finish Brian & Kevin gave us, many claim it was not based on any of Franks ideas. I still have to read the two novels that finishes Franks tale.
Coming back to this first prequel trilogy which basically tells the story of how Leto Atreides started his reign and how Shaddam started his and how baron Harkonnen pissed of the Bene Gesserit and became diseased.
It is an excellent and a good read and opens up a whole new chapter of the Duniverse, with this first installment of the House trilogy that started the continuation bookseries of Dune.
Is it Frank Herbert heck no. Is it Dune?- yes it certainly is and with Brian Herbert keeping his father’s legacy alive I personally enjoy the newer books. I am certain that his father would be pleased with the product his son and Kevin J. Anderson has delivered.
For people who enjoyed the Dune series it is an excellent book to enhance your reading fun.
September 3, 2009
I felt so dirty after reading this "novel" that I felt compelled to re-read the entirety of the actual Dune series.
May 17, 2019
I don't understand why people hate these books so much. Frank Herbert was best at writing political/philosophical conversations that kept you entertained without the need of typical action scenes that make the Sci-Fi genre what it is. Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson seem to be taking the safe way and use a lot of action scenes/storytelling to avoid butchering Frank's legacy by trying to mimick his writing style.
The original Dune books are dense and make you think, make you change views on a lot of things. This one gives you backstory on your favourite (and not so favourite) characters, as well as the story of Space Guild Navigators, the baron's descent into *disgusting bloated gravity free fatness*, and Duncan's awesomeness, as well as the origin of Leto Atreides. If you go into these books with realistic expectations, you'll be pleased with the result. If you go into these books thinking you'll be experiencing another Frank Herbert mind-blowing novel, you'll be disappointed. Read it for what it is, and keep an open mind
The original Dune books are dense and make you think, make you change views on a lot of things. This one gives you backstory on your favourite (and not so favourite) characters, as well as the story of Space Guild Navigators, the baron's descent into *disgusting bloated gravity free fatness*, and Duncan's awesomeness, as well as the origin of Leto Atreides. If you go into these books with realistic expectations, you'll be pleased with the result. If you go into these books thinking you'll be experiencing another Frank Herbert mind-blowing novel, you'll be disappointed. Read it for what it is, and keep an open mind
November 10, 2007
Terrible. A few interesting moments but it's diluted with too much that's simply boring.
There's a few ways to do a good prequel. The easiest is to throw it back so far in time that pretty much *anything* could result in the world your readers are expecting. The second way is to hit the nail perfectly, making the one obvious lead-in to your source material. Thirdly, you can start of with a completely unexpected plot and through Herculean loose-end-tying make it mesh in an interesting way.
This is why I really wish they'd just released Frank Herbert's "mysterious notes" instead of turning them into 50 gigantic phonebooks. Notes are interesting, you can see the different directions an author is torn in as he fleshes out plot and characterization. Furthermore notes are generally recognized as non-canon, although they may influence the interpretation of the setting. I'm a big geek for the Dune universe, so I'm saddened that its history is now saddled with this stuff.
Reading this book, I was reminded strongly of a watered-down grade school historical play. You know, the kind where Christopher Columbus sets out on his grand mission, maybe has a scene where he talks his sailors out of heading back, and finally lands on the promised shore and makes friends with Squanto. All the hero characters are so gosh-darned nice, while the antagonists are pretty one-dimensionally scheming. The whole damn beauty of Dune is that freaking *everybody* is complicated. Well, okay, the Harkonnens are pretty much pure evil I'll admit. But there are lots and lots of sympathetic antagonists, which are completely absent here. I found it difficult to even respect most of these guys. Fenring especially (such a mysterious figure in the original!) is being written straight out of Masters of the Universe.
Pah, I say. Although it'll probably take me at least one more of these to be completely turned off. Maybe I'll try one of the Butlerian Jihad series instead.
There's a few ways to do a good prequel. The easiest is to throw it back so far in time that pretty much *anything* could result in the world your readers are expecting. The second way is to hit the nail perfectly, making the one obvious lead-in to your source material. Thirdly, you can start of with a completely unexpected plot and through Herculean loose-end-tying make it mesh in an interesting way.
This is why I really wish they'd just released Frank Herbert's "mysterious notes" instead of turning them into 50 gigantic phonebooks. Notes are interesting, you can see the different directions an author is torn in as he fleshes out plot and characterization. Furthermore notes are generally recognized as non-canon, although they may influence the interpretation of the setting. I'm a big geek for the Dune universe, so I'm saddened that its history is now saddled with this stuff.
Reading this book, I was reminded strongly of a watered-down grade school historical play. You know, the kind where Christopher Columbus sets out on his grand mission, maybe has a scene where he talks his sailors out of heading back, and finally lands on the promised shore and makes friends with Squanto. All the hero characters are so gosh-darned nice, while the antagonists are pretty one-dimensionally scheming. The whole damn beauty of Dune is that freaking *everybody* is complicated. Well, okay, the Harkonnens are pretty much pure evil I'll admit. But there are lots and lots of sympathetic antagonists, which are completely absent here. I found it difficult to even respect most of these guys. Fenring especially (such a mysterious figure in the original!) is being written straight out of Masters of the Universe.
Pah, I say. Although it'll probably take me at least one more of these to be completely turned off. Maybe I'll try one of the Butlerian Jihad series instead.
November 8, 2009
*Same review for the Dune Universe*
GREAT books! VERY time consuming! Worth the time!
Ok here is the deal. If your not sure about starting a series this big, here is what I would do.
1. -- Read the 1st one by Frank Herbert "Dune" if you like it...
2. -- Read the "Legends Of Dune" series. Its 3 books written by Frank's son Brian and a author I really like by the name of Keven J. Anderson. Its a prequel that is so far in the past that it doesn't spoil the Original Dune series in any way, and you could stop after that series and be done with Dune.. but if your not done....
3. -- Go and read the "House Trilogy" series its also 3 books and is a prequel to the original dune series but just prior so you will learn about some of the characters in the 1st book you read "Dune".
4. -- By now you have committed enough time in the series that you probably NEED to finish it. Go back and re-read Dune, (trust me you will want to) then go on and read the rest of the original Dune series (Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, Chapterhouse Dune) Your devotion to the series will help push you through some of the parts that I think are slightly. Its worth it though!
4. -- You will notice the series ends up in the AIR! Frank Herbert died before finishing the series. The authors of the prequel series (his son Bryan Herbert and Keven J. Anderson) finished the series from compiled notes from Frank, Brian's experience talking to his father about the series and both Brian and Kevin's love of the Dune universe. It is very well done. Its two books (Hunters of Dune, and Sandworms of Dune.)
OK so sum up here is the order I would do the series. (which ends up being chronological except for the 1st book, even though it wasn't published this way.
Dune (to make sure you like it.)
Legends of Dune (series of 3 books)
House Trilogy (series of 3 books)
Dune (again since your restarting the original series)
The rest of the Dune series
Hunters of Dune
Sandworms of Dune
Ok have fun.
GREAT books! VERY time consuming! Worth the time!
Ok here is the deal. If your not sure about starting a series this big, here is what I would do.
1. -- Read the 1st one by Frank Herbert "Dune" if you like it...
2. -- Read the "Legends Of Dune" series. Its 3 books written by Frank's son Brian and a author I really like by the name of Keven J. Anderson. Its a prequel that is so far in the past that it doesn't spoil the Original Dune series in any way, and you could stop after that series and be done with Dune.. but if your not done....
3. -- Go and read the "House Trilogy" series its also 3 books and is a prequel to the original dune series but just prior so you will learn about some of the characters in the 1st book you read "Dune".
4. -- By now you have committed enough time in the series that you probably NEED to finish it. Go back and re-read Dune, (trust me you will want to) then go on and read the rest of the original Dune series (Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, Chapterhouse Dune) Your devotion to the series will help push you through some of the parts that I think are slightly. Its worth it though!
4. -- You will notice the series ends up in the AIR! Frank Herbert died before finishing the series. The authors of the prequel series (his son Bryan Herbert and Keven J. Anderson) finished the series from compiled notes from Frank, Brian's experience talking to his father about the series and both Brian and Kevin's love of the Dune universe. It is very well done. Its two books (Hunters of Dune, and Sandworms of Dune.)
OK so sum up here is the order I would do the series. (which ends up being chronological except for the 1st book, even though it wasn't published this way.
Dune (to make sure you like it.)
Legends of Dune (series of 3 books)
House Trilogy (series of 3 books)
Dune (again since your restarting the original series)
The rest of the Dune series
Hunters of Dune
Sandworms of Dune
Ok have fun.
March 11, 2015
Buddy read with Markus
Dune 5*****
Dune Messiah 5*****
Children of Dune 4****
God Emperor of Dune 2**
Heretics of Dune 4****
Chapterhouse: Dune 3***
Dune 5*****
Dune Messiah 5*****
Children of Dune 4****
God Emperor of Dune 2**
Heretics of Dune 4****
Chapterhouse: Dune 3***
I must rule with eye and claw-as the
hawk among lesser birds.
-Duke Paulus Atreides,
The Atreides Assertion
August 29, 2024
*** 3.65 ***
I can see why so many of the fans of the original series might feel this book doesn't live up to it. I understand their point, but I actually enjoyed it. There were discrepancies, the philosophy was not present, but there was an engaging plot and interesting characters. I liked being back in this Dune world and plan to continue with the prequels 😊👍
I can see why so many of the fans of the original series might feel this book doesn't live up to it. I understand their point, but I actually enjoyed it. There were discrepancies, the philosophy was not present, but there was an engaging plot and interesting characters. I liked being back in this Dune world and plan to continue with the prequels 😊👍
February 6, 2012
This the first in the Prelude to Dune series of novels that provide the back story to Frank Herbert's DUNE.
The series consists of:
House Atreides
House Harkonnen
House Corrino
Plot ***Spoilers***
House Atreides
The novel begins on the planet of Arrakis, 35 years before the events of the original novel Dune. The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen has just taken over the governorship of Arrakis (also called Dune) from his younger brother Abulurd, who has allowed spice production to decrease heavily. The Baron sees an opportunity for large profits and begins to store up illegal spice hoards.
On the Imperial Capital planet Kaitain, the young planetologist Pardot Kynes has just arrived from his homeworld of Salusa Secundus for an audience with the Padishah Emperor Elrood Corrino IX. The old Emperor is giving Kynes the mission of going to the only known source of melange, Arrakis, in order to find out how the precious substance is produced. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince Shaddam and his minion Hasimir Fenring are plotting against Elrood. Shaddam is not getting any younger, and it seems that the already 157-year-old Emperor could rule for another 50 years. Shaddam decides to poison his father in order to speed up his succession to the throne.
Duke Paulus Atreides of the planet Caladan is planning on sending his young son and heir Leto to the court of Earl Dominic Vernius on Ix in order to study politics with the Earl's son Rhombur. Leto's mother, the Lady Helena, does not like the idea. Not only is she a very religious woman, but her father is also the Count Richese, who is the main rival of the Earl Vernius.
The Bene Gesserit are getting closer to their quest to breed the Kwisatz Haderach; only three generations remain. The next step is to send the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam to Giedi Prime, the Harkonnen home world, in order to conceive a child with the Baron Vladimir. This child would in turn be married to Leto Atreides to produce the eventual mother of the Kwisatz Haderach. The Baron is initially not interested, but after being blackmailed with the secret of his spice hoards, he has sex with Mohiam and a daughter is conceived.
Meanwhile, the young Harkonnen slave boy no. 11368, Duncan Idaho, is trying to escape the forests of Giedi Prime, where the na-baron Glossu Rabban is trying to kill him as a part of a game he and his friends are playing. Duncan finally manages to escape the planet, boarding a heighliner en route to Caladan.
Pardot Kynes arrives on Arrakis and begins his duties there. He starts to dislike the Harkonnen rule there, and is getting more and more interested in the native Fremen of the desert and the possibility of terraforming the planet. Pardot is discovering more and more proof that some time, long ago, Arrakis was covered with giant oceans, and gets curious about what changed the climate to what it is today.
Leto finds himself at home at the Earl's home at the Grand Palais of Ix. Not only has he found an equal in Prince Rhombur, but he has also fallen in love with the Earl's daughter, Kailea. But all is not perfect on the planet Ix. The suboids building the heighliners in the depths of the cave cities of Ix are becoming more unsatisfied with their living conditions and the blasphemy of their work.
Emperor Elrood himself is beginning to show signs of senility from the slow-acting poison Fenring had administered. A Tleilaxu delegation arrives and they begin discussing the possibility of producing melange in laboratories; Elrood becomes very interested in this "Project Amal". The Tleilaxu have one demand in exchange for allowing the Emperor to invest in the project: he must give them military support in their takeover of the planet Ix, which they claim has the technological and industrial resources necessary for their experiments. The Emperor, who is already feuding with the Earl of Ix, is willing to give them a hand.
After saving three Fremen youths in the desert from Harkonnen troops, Pardot is taken to a Fremen sietch. The leaders (naibs) decide after a long debate to execute him. But as the chosen assassin encounters Pardot and hears about his plans for a possible terraformation of the planet and the hope this vision gives, the would-be assassin kills himself instead. Seen as a sign, the Fremen name Pardot a prophet. Pardot stays with the Fremen, marries a Fremen woman and together they have a son named Liet.
The Harkonnen offspring born on Wallach IX is not at all what the Bene Gesserit were expecting, and is too weak to produce the mother of the Kwisatz Haderach. They have no other choice but to go back to Giedi Prime to blackmail the Baron for another Harkonnen daughter. The Baron is ready for them and impregnates Mohiam through a violent rape. Mohiam avenges the assault by giving the Baron an incurable disease which over time will make the Baron obese, destroying his beautiful body.
Ix is suddenly attacked by a joint Tleilaxu/Sardaukar army. Leto, Rhombur and Kailea manage to escape in the nick of time and make it back to the Atreides homeworld of Caladan. To divert attention away from the children, Earl and Lady Vernius disappear into obscurity, becoming renegades from the Imperium. The Tleilaxu establish a new government on Ix, renaming the planet Xuttuh.
Leto and the Vernius heirs are welcomed on Caladan by Duke Paulus. Lady Helena, however, is bitterly opposed to giving the Ixian children sanctuary due to her hatred of House Vernius and her belief that Ixian technology is blasphemous for having violated the most sacred commandment that arose from the Butlerian Jihad: Thou shall not build a machine in the likeness of the human mind. She begins plotting against her husband, the Old Duke. Meanwhile, the young Idaho has reached the grand Ducal Capital of Cala City on the West Continent. After an audience with the Duke Paulus, the boy is welcomed in his Court to work in the stable.
Back at Wallach IX, another Harkonnen daughter is born. She is given the name Jessica, meaning wealth in an ancient language. She is to be the grandmother of the Kwisatz Haderach if the breeding program goes as planned.
One evening at a bullfight, the Duke's favorite game, the Old Duke is killed by a drugged Salusan bull. Duncan is accused as a Harkonnen spy of having drugged the bull. Leto knows of course that it is his own mother, Helena, who was behind the assassination, and sends her to the monastery of The Sisters In Isolation on the Eastern Continent to avoid gossip. Leto becomes the new Duke Atreides.
On the other side of the galaxy, the Padishah Emperor Elrood IX has died. Shaddam has finally reached the Golden Lion Throne and is soon to be crowned Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV of the Known Universe. He plans a grand coronation ceremony on Kaitain and invites nobles from across the Imperium, among them the new Duke Leto and his guests the Vernius heirs, but also Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
The Baron, however, has a plan. A Richese scientist in his service has just discovered a new function of the Holtzman effect that can make a ship totally invisible, and undetectable by sensors. With this new technology, the Baron sends his nephew Glossu Rabban to attack a Tleilaxu delegation and make it look like an attack from the Atreides. To avoid a disastrous armed confrontation that could spark an interstellar war, Duke Leto opts for a trial by his peers before the Landsdraad council of nobles. This appears, initially, to be a suicidal course as only one noble has ever been acquitted through this procedure in the history of the Imperium.
The Bene Gesserit, however, determine to save Leto as they need him for their breeding program. They provide him with evidence they discovered that suggests some connection between the soon-to-be-crowned Emperor and the Tleilaxu. Leto uses this to blackmail Shaddam. While Shaddam has no interest in the outcome of Leto's trial, he can't risk exposure of his involvement in the takeover of Ix and the artificial spice-production experiments being carried out there. Therefore, he uses his influence to convince the court to summarily find Leto innocent before any testimony is heard. After Shaddam is crowned Emperor, Leto, again uses threat of revealing his knowledge to blackmail Shaddam into granting amnesty for Rhombur and Kailea. Shaddam grudgingly agrees. But, the repeated blackmail attempts begin to breed enmity between him and Leto.
Meanwhile, on Dune, the Fremen are uniting in ways never seen before behind their "Umma" (prophet), Pardot Kynes and his dream of making their home into a lush, green paradise.
House Harkonnen
Eighteen years have passed since Shaddam Corrino IV succeeded his father as Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe. However, his rule is precarious as his wife Anirul has been instructed by her Bene Gesserit sisterhood to bear him only daughters. Shaddam's authority is also challenged by the powerful House Harkonnen, whose illegal stock-piling of melange is of great concern to the Emperor. In order to monopolize the spice, Shaddam and his trusted advisor and friend, Hasimir Fenring, plan to synthesize the substance with the help of Hidar Fen Ajidica, a Tleilaxu Master Researcher. Ajidica sets up laboratories to accomplish this purpose on the newly conquered planet of Ix, formerly the home of House Vernius. By the end of the novel, Ajidica tells Fenring that the manufacture of synthetic spice has been a success, although the validity of his claim is highly dubious.
Meanwhile, on Caladan, Duke Leto Atreides bids Duncan Idaho farewell. Duncan is headed for Ginaz, where he will study to become a swordmaster. Leto and his friends, Kailea and Rhombur Vernius, are still struggling to liberate the siblings' former homeworld, but they have made little progress so far. Kailea becomes Leto's concubine, though he refuses to marry her for obvious political reasons. Rhombur seeks out a companion from the Bene Gesserit order and is matched with a young woman named Tessia who gives him a new sense of drive and purpose. After receiving a plea for help from C'tair Pilru, an Ixian rebel, Rhombur begins supplying the Ixian resistance with limited aid, though his attempts are greatly hindered by the Emperor's Sardaukar. Kailea soon gives birth to Leto's son, Victor. After the child's birth, she becomes increasingly dissatisfied with her role as Leto's concubine, wanting the Duke to marry her so that their son can succeed his father someday. Kailea's lady-in-waiting, Chiara, is actually a Harkonnen agent sent to poison Kailea's mind against Leto.
Matters are complicated further with the arrival of Jessica, a Bene Gesserit and the secret daughter of Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam and Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (though Jessica herself is unaware of her parentage). Jessica is presented to Leto as a gift from the Bene Gesserit, although the sisterhood has the ulterior motive of using the pair in their breeding program. At first, Leto refuses to have much to do with Jessica and tries to remain faithful to Kailea. However, as he and Kailea grow farther apart, he begins to seek out Jessica's company. Finally, Kailea is driven to make an attempt on Leto's life by having an explosive device planted on his skyclipper. At the last minute, Leto decides to take Victor and Rhombur along with him, and the boy dies instead. Leto is relatively unharmed, but Rhombur is reduced to little more than a charred lump of flesh. Fearing that Leto will guess that she is responsible for the death of their son and driven by guilt, Kailea kills her lady-in-waiting and then commits suicide by jumping out a window. The Tleilaxu offer to grow a ghola of Leto's deceased son in exchange for the barely alive body of Rhombur Vernius. Leto ultimately refuses, after much soul-searching, knowing that the Tleilaxu intend only harm towards House Vernius. Instead, Leto hires Dr. Wellington Yueh, an expert in the field of cybernetics, to fashion a cybernetic replacement body for Rhombur. Leto and Jessica fall deeply in love, leading Jessica to decide to conceive a son for Leto's sake, directly disobeying the Bene Gesserit's order that she have a daughter.
On the Harkonnen homeworld of Giedi Prime, the Baron Harkonnen grows weaker and more corpulent due to a strange disease which, unbeknownst to him, was inflicted upon him by a vengeful Mohiam. After killing a slew of doctors who fail to diagnose or alleviate his condition, he hires Dr. Yueh for a massive price. Yueh reveals to the Baron that Mohiam is responsible for his ailment. In response, the Baron attempts to take revenge against the Bene Gesserit, but fails miserably. Meanwhile, the Baron's brother, Abulurd, uncovers an illegal stockpile of spice on Lankiveil. Rather than turn his brother in to the Emperor, Abulurd, a benevolent ruler and the polar opposite of his brother Vladimir, uses the stockpile to benefit his people. Upon discovery of this, Glossu Rabban, Abulurd's firstborn son, strangles his father to death, an act which earns him the nickname of "Beast." Baron Harkonnen also kidnaps Abulurd's other son, Feyd-Rautha, and tries to raise him as his own.
Young Liet Kynes comes of age and continues the realization of his father Pardot Kynes's dream of taming the hostile conditions on Arrakis. Also on Arrakis, the Lady Margot Fenring seeks out the Fremen in order to explain the disappearance of several other members of the Bene Gesserit order, including the Reverend Mother Ramallo. She finds that the Bene Gesserit have already integrated themselves into Fremen society and implanted the myths of the Missionaria Protectiva into Fremen culture.
Gurney Halleck, a farm laborer on Giedi Prime, witnesses the capture of his sister Bheth at the hands of Harkonnen agents. Halleck fights for his sister's release and is savagely beaten by the Harkonnen. After four years of searching for Bheth, Gurney receives a note from her that tells him she is still alive. A Harkonnen census taker tells Gurney that Bheth paid him to smuggle Gurney's family the note. The man gives Gurney information that leads him to a pleasure house near Mount Ebony. He infiltrates the pleasure house and finds his sister tied to a bed, entwined with two Harkonnen soldiers. Bheth's larynx has been cut out so that she cannot speak. Gurney is again beaten to a pulp by the soldiers, and when he regains consciousness he is in a Harkonnen slave pit, where he is forced to mine and polish obsidian ore. The Harkonnen overseers repeatedly try to break Gurney's spirit through a variety of means: forcing him to watch while his sister is raped and finally murdered, drugging him, and beating him. Gurney finally manages to escape by stowing himself away in a shipment of the ore, which happens to be a gift from Leto Atreides to his concubine Kailea. Gurney leaves the shipment before it arrives at his final destination and joins the renegade Earl Dominic Vernius. After the Earl is killed on Dune, Gurney travels to Caladan to find the Vernius heirs, and swears his loyalty to House Atreides.
House Corrino
One year after the War of Assassins, Duke Leto Atreides sponsors an assault on Ix to reclaim the planet for House Vernius, while his concubine Jessica is pregnant with his son. Emperor Shaddam IV commences his Great Spice War to create a dependency on his soon-to-be-released synthetic melange, ajidamal. The Bene Gesserit eagerly await the birth of the Kwisatz Haderach's mother by Jessica; little do they know that things are not going to turn out exactly how they intend.
The series consists of:
House Atreides
House Harkonnen
House Corrino
Plot ***Spoilers***
House Atreides
The novel begins on the planet of Arrakis, 35 years before the events of the original novel Dune. The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen has just taken over the governorship of Arrakis (also called Dune) from his younger brother Abulurd, who has allowed spice production to decrease heavily. The Baron sees an opportunity for large profits and begins to store up illegal spice hoards.
On the Imperial Capital planet Kaitain, the young planetologist Pardot Kynes has just arrived from his homeworld of Salusa Secundus for an audience with the Padishah Emperor Elrood Corrino IX. The old Emperor is giving Kynes the mission of going to the only known source of melange, Arrakis, in order to find out how the precious substance is produced. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince Shaddam and his minion Hasimir Fenring are plotting against Elrood. Shaddam is not getting any younger, and it seems that the already 157-year-old Emperor could rule for another 50 years. Shaddam decides to poison his father in order to speed up his succession to the throne.
Duke Paulus Atreides of the planet Caladan is planning on sending his young son and heir Leto to the court of Earl Dominic Vernius on Ix in order to study politics with the Earl's son Rhombur. Leto's mother, the Lady Helena, does not like the idea. Not only is she a very religious woman, but her father is also the Count Richese, who is the main rival of the Earl Vernius.
The Bene Gesserit are getting closer to their quest to breed the Kwisatz Haderach; only three generations remain. The next step is to send the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam to Giedi Prime, the Harkonnen home world, in order to conceive a child with the Baron Vladimir. This child would in turn be married to Leto Atreides to produce the eventual mother of the Kwisatz Haderach. The Baron is initially not interested, but after being blackmailed with the secret of his spice hoards, he has sex with Mohiam and a daughter is conceived.
Meanwhile, the young Harkonnen slave boy no. 11368, Duncan Idaho, is trying to escape the forests of Giedi Prime, where the na-baron Glossu Rabban is trying to kill him as a part of a game he and his friends are playing. Duncan finally manages to escape the planet, boarding a heighliner en route to Caladan.
Pardot Kynes arrives on Arrakis and begins his duties there. He starts to dislike the Harkonnen rule there, and is getting more and more interested in the native Fremen of the desert and the possibility of terraforming the planet. Pardot is discovering more and more proof that some time, long ago, Arrakis was covered with giant oceans, and gets curious about what changed the climate to what it is today.
Leto finds himself at home at the Earl's home at the Grand Palais of Ix. Not only has he found an equal in Prince Rhombur, but he has also fallen in love with the Earl's daughter, Kailea. But all is not perfect on the planet Ix. The suboids building the heighliners in the depths of the cave cities of Ix are becoming more unsatisfied with their living conditions and the blasphemy of their work.
Emperor Elrood himself is beginning to show signs of senility from the slow-acting poison Fenring had administered. A Tleilaxu delegation arrives and they begin discussing the possibility of producing melange in laboratories; Elrood becomes very interested in this "Project Amal". The Tleilaxu have one demand in exchange for allowing the Emperor to invest in the project: he must give them military support in their takeover of the planet Ix, which they claim has the technological and industrial resources necessary for their experiments. The Emperor, who is already feuding with the Earl of Ix, is willing to give them a hand.
After saving three Fremen youths in the desert from Harkonnen troops, Pardot is taken to a Fremen sietch. The leaders (naibs) decide after a long debate to execute him. But as the chosen assassin encounters Pardot and hears about his plans for a possible terraformation of the planet and the hope this vision gives, the would-be assassin kills himself instead. Seen as a sign, the Fremen name Pardot a prophet. Pardot stays with the Fremen, marries a Fremen woman and together they have a son named Liet.
The Harkonnen offspring born on Wallach IX is not at all what the Bene Gesserit were expecting, and is too weak to produce the mother of the Kwisatz Haderach. They have no other choice but to go back to Giedi Prime to blackmail the Baron for another Harkonnen daughter. The Baron is ready for them and impregnates Mohiam through a violent rape. Mohiam avenges the assault by giving the Baron an incurable disease which over time will make the Baron obese, destroying his beautiful body.
Ix is suddenly attacked by a joint Tleilaxu/Sardaukar army. Leto, Rhombur and Kailea manage to escape in the nick of time and make it back to the Atreides homeworld of Caladan. To divert attention away from the children, Earl and Lady Vernius disappear into obscurity, becoming renegades from the Imperium. The Tleilaxu establish a new government on Ix, renaming the planet Xuttuh.
Leto and the Vernius heirs are welcomed on Caladan by Duke Paulus. Lady Helena, however, is bitterly opposed to giving the Ixian children sanctuary due to her hatred of House Vernius and her belief that Ixian technology is blasphemous for having violated the most sacred commandment that arose from the Butlerian Jihad: Thou shall not build a machine in the likeness of the human mind. She begins plotting against her husband, the Old Duke. Meanwhile, the young Idaho has reached the grand Ducal Capital of Cala City on the West Continent. After an audience with the Duke Paulus, the boy is welcomed in his Court to work in the stable.
Back at Wallach IX, another Harkonnen daughter is born. She is given the name Jessica, meaning wealth in an ancient language. She is to be the grandmother of the Kwisatz Haderach if the breeding program goes as planned.
One evening at a bullfight, the Duke's favorite game, the Old Duke is killed by a drugged Salusan bull. Duncan is accused as a Harkonnen spy of having drugged the bull. Leto knows of course that it is his own mother, Helena, who was behind the assassination, and sends her to the monastery of The Sisters In Isolation on the Eastern Continent to avoid gossip. Leto becomes the new Duke Atreides.
On the other side of the galaxy, the Padishah Emperor Elrood IX has died. Shaddam has finally reached the Golden Lion Throne and is soon to be crowned Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV of the Known Universe. He plans a grand coronation ceremony on Kaitain and invites nobles from across the Imperium, among them the new Duke Leto and his guests the Vernius heirs, but also Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
The Baron, however, has a plan. A Richese scientist in his service has just discovered a new function of the Holtzman effect that can make a ship totally invisible, and undetectable by sensors. With this new technology, the Baron sends his nephew Glossu Rabban to attack a Tleilaxu delegation and make it look like an attack from the Atreides. To avoid a disastrous armed confrontation that could spark an interstellar war, Duke Leto opts for a trial by his peers before the Landsdraad council of nobles. This appears, initially, to be a suicidal course as only one noble has ever been acquitted through this procedure in the history of the Imperium.
The Bene Gesserit, however, determine to save Leto as they need him for their breeding program. They provide him with evidence they discovered that suggests some connection between the soon-to-be-crowned Emperor and the Tleilaxu. Leto uses this to blackmail Shaddam. While Shaddam has no interest in the outcome of Leto's trial, he can't risk exposure of his involvement in the takeover of Ix and the artificial spice-production experiments being carried out there. Therefore, he uses his influence to convince the court to summarily find Leto innocent before any testimony is heard. After Shaddam is crowned Emperor, Leto, again uses threat of revealing his knowledge to blackmail Shaddam into granting amnesty for Rhombur and Kailea. Shaddam grudgingly agrees. But, the repeated blackmail attempts begin to breed enmity between him and Leto.
Meanwhile, on Dune, the Fremen are uniting in ways never seen before behind their "Umma" (prophet), Pardot Kynes and his dream of making their home into a lush, green paradise.
House Harkonnen
Eighteen years have passed since Shaddam Corrino IV succeeded his father as Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe. However, his rule is precarious as his wife Anirul has been instructed by her Bene Gesserit sisterhood to bear him only daughters. Shaddam's authority is also challenged by the powerful House Harkonnen, whose illegal stock-piling of melange is of great concern to the Emperor. In order to monopolize the spice, Shaddam and his trusted advisor and friend, Hasimir Fenring, plan to synthesize the substance with the help of Hidar Fen Ajidica, a Tleilaxu Master Researcher. Ajidica sets up laboratories to accomplish this purpose on the newly conquered planet of Ix, formerly the home of House Vernius. By the end of the novel, Ajidica tells Fenring that the manufacture of synthetic spice has been a success, although the validity of his claim is highly dubious.
Meanwhile, on Caladan, Duke Leto Atreides bids Duncan Idaho farewell. Duncan is headed for Ginaz, where he will study to become a swordmaster. Leto and his friends, Kailea and Rhombur Vernius, are still struggling to liberate the siblings' former homeworld, but they have made little progress so far. Kailea becomes Leto's concubine, though he refuses to marry her for obvious political reasons. Rhombur seeks out a companion from the Bene Gesserit order and is matched with a young woman named Tessia who gives him a new sense of drive and purpose. After receiving a plea for help from C'tair Pilru, an Ixian rebel, Rhombur begins supplying the Ixian resistance with limited aid, though his attempts are greatly hindered by the Emperor's Sardaukar. Kailea soon gives birth to Leto's son, Victor. After the child's birth, she becomes increasingly dissatisfied with her role as Leto's concubine, wanting the Duke to marry her so that their son can succeed his father someday. Kailea's lady-in-waiting, Chiara, is actually a Harkonnen agent sent to poison Kailea's mind against Leto.
Matters are complicated further with the arrival of Jessica, a Bene Gesserit and the secret daughter of Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam and Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (though Jessica herself is unaware of her parentage). Jessica is presented to Leto as a gift from the Bene Gesserit, although the sisterhood has the ulterior motive of using the pair in their breeding program. At first, Leto refuses to have much to do with Jessica and tries to remain faithful to Kailea. However, as he and Kailea grow farther apart, he begins to seek out Jessica's company. Finally, Kailea is driven to make an attempt on Leto's life by having an explosive device planted on his skyclipper. At the last minute, Leto decides to take Victor and Rhombur along with him, and the boy dies instead. Leto is relatively unharmed, but Rhombur is reduced to little more than a charred lump of flesh. Fearing that Leto will guess that she is responsible for the death of their son and driven by guilt, Kailea kills her lady-in-waiting and then commits suicide by jumping out a window. The Tleilaxu offer to grow a ghola of Leto's deceased son in exchange for the barely alive body of Rhombur Vernius. Leto ultimately refuses, after much soul-searching, knowing that the Tleilaxu intend only harm towards House Vernius. Instead, Leto hires Dr. Wellington Yueh, an expert in the field of cybernetics, to fashion a cybernetic replacement body for Rhombur. Leto and Jessica fall deeply in love, leading Jessica to decide to conceive a son for Leto's sake, directly disobeying the Bene Gesserit's order that she have a daughter.
On the Harkonnen homeworld of Giedi Prime, the Baron Harkonnen grows weaker and more corpulent due to a strange disease which, unbeknownst to him, was inflicted upon him by a vengeful Mohiam. After killing a slew of doctors who fail to diagnose or alleviate his condition, he hires Dr. Yueh for a massive price. Yueh reveals to the Baron that Mohiam is responsible for his ailment. In response, the Baron attempts to take revenge against the Bene Gesserit, but fails miserably. Meanwhile, the Baron's brother, Abulurd, uncovers an illegal stockpile of spice on Lankiveil. Rather than turn his brother in to the Emperor, Abulurd, a benevolent ruler and the polar opposite of his brother Vladimir, uses the stockpile to benefit his people. Upon discovery of this, Glossu Rabban, Abulurd's firstborn son, strangles his father to death, an act which earns him the nickname of "Beast." Baron Harkonnen also kidnaps Abulurd's other son, Feyd-Rautha, and tries to raise him as his own.
Young Liet Kynes comes of age and continues the realization of his father Pardot Kynes's dream of taming the hostile conditions on Arrakis. Also on Arrakis, the Lady Margot Fenring seeks out the Fremen in order to explain the disappearance of several other members of the Bene Gesserit order, including the Reverend Mother Ramallo. She finds that the Bene Gesserit have already integrated themselves into Fremen society and implanted the myths of the Missionaria Protectiva into Fremen culture.
Gurney Halleck, a farm laborer on Giedi Prime, witnesses the capture of his sister Bheth at the hands of Harkonnen agents. Halleck fights for his sister's release and is savagely beaten by the Harkonnen. After four years of searching for Bheth, Gurney receives a note from her that tells him she is still alive. A Harkonnen census taker tells Gurney that Bheth paid him to smuggle Gurney's family the note. The man gives Gurney information that leads him to a pleasure house near Mount Ebony. He infiltrates the pleasure house and finds his sister tied to a bed, entwined with two Harkonnen soldiers. Bheth's larynx has been cut out so that she cannot speak. Gurney is again beaten to a pulp by the soldiers, and when he regains consciousness he is in a Harkonnen slave pit, where he is forced to mine and polish obsidian ore. The Harkonnen overseers repeatedly try to break Gurney's spirit through a variety of means: forcing him to watch while his sister is raped and finally murdered, drugging him, and beating him. Gurney finally manages to escape by stowing himself away in a shipment of the ore, which happens to be a gift from Leto Atreides to his concubine Kailea. Gurney leaves the shipment before it arrives at his final destination and joins the renegade Earl Dominic Vernius. After the Earl is killed on Dune, Gurney travels to Caladan to find the Vernius heirs, and swears his loyalty to House Atreides.
House Corrino
One year after the War of Assassins, Duke Leto Atreides sponsors an assault on Ix to reclaim the planet for House Vernius, while his concubine Jessica is pregnant with his son. Emperor Shaddam IV commences his Great Spice War to create a dependency on his soon-to-be-released synthetic melange, ajidamal. The Bene Gesserit eagerly await the birth of the Kwisatz Haderach's mother by Jessica; little do they know that things are not going to turn out exactly how they intend.
September 3, 2008
Anderson appears to have written books for a lot of different sci-fi worlds, and this gives me the impression that it has given him a sort of writing ADD. Everything in Dune: House Atreides and Dune: House Harkonnen was just stated straight out, and then the plot moved on, nice and orderly, with no expansion, no flavor, no life: march, words, march! Some important event has occured here, moving on!
Look at the rate the books are churned out: Oct 99, Oct 00, Oct 01, Sep 02, Sep 03, Aug 04, Sep 05, Aug 06, Aug 07, and Paul of Dune due out Sep 08. These are all 5-600 page books. A little time spent on quality over quantity would be welcome, though I'm afraid it's far to late for that.
Really wanted this to be good. Sadly it read like the rush job it was. As did the next, and so, twice burned, I will never touch a book by either of these two again.
Look at the rate the books are churned out: Oct 99, Oct 00, Oct 01, Sep 02, Sep 03, Aug 04, Sep 05, Aug 06, Aug 07, and Paul of Dune due out Sep 08. These are all 5-600 page books. A little time spent on quality over quantity would be welcome, though I'm afraid it's far to late for that.
Really wanted this to be good. Sadly it read like the rush job it was. As did the next, and so, twice burned, I will never touch a book by either of these two again.
September 29, 2009
Jesus, what a drubbing of his father's legacy.
August 24, 2011
Well after I finished Chapterhouse Dune, I was pretty sure I was done reading anymore Dune books, but I decided I would give Herbert's son and Anderson a chance to wow me with the their writing, imaginations and notes left behind from Frank Herbert.
Needless to say I love Herbert's Dune series, it really blew my mind on many levels. Inventiveness, technology, cutting edge class, philosophy I don't know where to stop really.
So when I picked up these prequals, they really had quite a bit to overcome to satisfy my craving for more Dune.
Somehow though they have done just that. As I read the books, I feel like the only thing that has changed is the director. So meaning the camera angles and perhaps some of the sketchy nature of Herbert's writings have actually cleared up to some degree. I always saw strange sketches and oblong un symetric rooms with Herbert, or chisseled poorly drawn faces. None of that mattered as it added to the depth and brevity of his novels.
Anyhow so now the characters just come out smoother, almost like the ideas are flowing with even more grace. There are still some new concpets thrown in as well, and I believe these come from the notes, so it keeps things exciting. I think I did spot a few anachronisms through, but oh well it cannot be perfect. I am excited to continue reading through these novels....
Also did you think it was even possible for Duncan Idaho to be even more awesome than he allready was?
Needless to say I love Herbert's Dune series, it really blew my mind on many levels. Inventiveness, technology, cutting edge class, philosophy I don't know where to stop really.
So when I picked up these prequals, they really had quite a bit to overcome to satisfy my craving for more Dune.
Somehow though they have done just that. As I read the books, I feel like the only thing that has changed is the director. So meaning the camera angles and perhaps some of the sketchy nature of Herbert's writings have actually cleared up to some degree. I always saw strange sketches and oblong un symetric rooms with Herbert, or chisseled poorly drawn faces. None of that mattered as it added to the depth and brevity of his novels.
Anyhow so now the characters just come out smoother, almost like the ideas are flowing with even more grace. There are still some new concpets thrown in as well, and I believe these come from the notes, so it keeps things exciting. I think I did spot a few anachronisms through, but oh well it cannot be perfect. I am excited to continue reading through these novels....
Also did you think it was even possible for Duncan Idaho to be even more awesome than he allready was?
April 13, 2010
I had to put this down after the second or third chapter. It was too painful.
The audio-book as read by Tim Curry, however, was somewhat curiously entertaining. Likely because Tim Curry could make a curiously entertaining reading of a telephone directory if he really wanted to. Come to think of it, that might be a more constructive expenditure of time and money.
Frankly, I'd skip the entire "House" series entirely if I were you. I rather wish I had.
The audio-book as read by Tim Curry, however, was somewhat curiously entertaining. Likely because Tim Curry could make a curiously entertaining reading of a telephone directory if he really wanted to. Come to think of it, that might be a more constructive expenditure of time and money.
Frankly, I'd skip the entire "House" series entirely if I were you. I rather wish I had.
January 8, 2011
These are, of course, horrifically bad. I read them one Christmas break when I was stuck in a house in the middle of Missouri with nothing to do but read these or watch ER. Last time I forgot to take a book with me to that house!
July 1, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
Приятна и интересна предистория на „Дюн“, съвместно написана от Кевин Андерсън и Браян Хърбърт. Обаче, според мен не достига великолепието на поредицата на Франк Хърбърт и не успя да ме заплени като нея...
Приятна и интересна предистория на „Дюн“, съвместно написана от Кевин Андерсън и Браян Хърбърт. Обаче, според мен не достига великолепието на поредицата на Франк Хърбърт и не успя да ме заплени като нея...
December 25, 2025
Дюн е от онези книги, които са толкова многопластови като съдържание и герои, че е трудно да обхванеш всичко в едно ревю. Съмнява ме, че някой от първия път може да осмисли всички засегнати теми, препратки и символи, вплетени в сюжета.
Новата поредица, която е прелюдия към света на Дюн, създаден от Франк Хърбърт, е достойно продължение. Показва ни как е започнало всичко, изборите, с които се сблъскват героите, техните действия, които впоследствие ще предопределят съдбата на Пол Атреидски.
Много харесах Домът на Антреидите, тяхното чувство за чест, мъдростта, която Паулус предава на сина си Лито. На срещуположния край са интригите, злобата и моралното падение не само на Дом Харконен, но и на Шадам, който манипулира изкачването си на престола чрез своя приятел Хазимир Фенринг.
Това, че човеците владеят звездите и пътуват до други планети, не означава, че хората са се смирили и живеят достоен живот. Въпреки цялото познание и богатство, продължават да владеят алчността, властта, насилието и интригите. Никой не е станал по-възвишен от предоставените безкрайни възможности, а всеки придърпва парче към себе си. Злото вече вилнее в цялата вселена и човек го носи до всяко едно затънтено космическо кътче или трудно обитаема планета. Точно заради това Атреидите силно изпъкват като хора на честта и доблестта в тази книга.
Затварям последната страница на романа и продължавам да мисля за него. Дълбоко ме впечатли и останах удовлетворена от написаното.
Личи си, че авторите са вложили много труд в това свое произведение. Стилът е описателен и наситен, така че да можеш да усетиш героите и света, който обитават. Прилича на онези научно-фантастични произведения, които четяхме навремето, впечатляваха ни и разпалваха въображението ни за полети в Космоса.
Искам пак да се върна в света на Дюн и нямам търпение за следващите книги от поредицата.
Новата поредица, която е прелюдия към света на Дюн, създаден от Франк Хърбърт, е достойно продължение. Показва ни как е започнало всичко, изборите, с които се сблъскват героите, техните действия, които впоследствие ще предопределят съдбата на Пол Атреидски.
Много харесах Домът на Антреидите, тяхното чувство за чест, мъдростта, която Паулус предава на сина си Лито. На срещуположния край са интригите, злобата и моралното падение не само на Дом Харконен, но и на Шадам, който манипулира изкачването си на престола чрез своя приятел Хазимир Фенринг.
Това, че човеците владеят звездите и пътуват до други планети, не означава, че хората са се смирили и живеят достоен живот. Въпреки цялото познание и богатство, продължават да владеят алчността, властта, насилието и интригите. Никой не е станал по-възвишен от предоставените безкрайни възможности, а всеки придърпва парче към себе си. Злото вече вилнее в цялата вселена и човек го носи до всяко едно затънтено космическо кътче или трудно обитаема планета. Точно заради това Атреидите силно изпъкват като хора на честта и доблестта в тази книга.
Затварям последната страница на романа и продължавам да мисля за него. Дълбоко ме впечатли и останах удовлетворена от написаното.
Личи си, че авторите са вложили много труд в това свое произведение. Стилът е описателен и наситен, така че да можеш да усетиш героите и света, който обитават. Прилича на онези научно-фантастични произведения, които четяхме навремето, впечатляваха ни и разпалваха въображението ни за полети в Космоса.
Искам пак да се върна в света на Дюн и нямам търпение за следващите книги от поредицата.
February 22, 2021
It was an ok read.Still, it was like reading a film script or a comic book in a wrong medium ( in fact one can read the comic book and skip the novel without missing anything important).The dialogue was badly written and some of the descriptions weird.Still, interesting enough for any Dune fan.Will continue the series in the future.
May 13, 2024
Having finished the prequel novels that covered the long-distant past of the Butlerian jihad, I now move on to the other prelude series- this one takes place roughly roughly 35 years before the events in "Dune".
This was a great novel and I appreciated learning about the origins of many of the characters and conflicts we know from "Dune". From a young 8-year-old Duncan Idaho, surviving the slaughter of his family escapes from a Harkonnen hunting party and makes it to Caladan and enters the service of Duke Paulus (The "Old Duke") and meets a young Leto, the Ducal-Heir.
Leto learns from the wily Old Duke and must handle the pressures of Dukedom after the Duke's death by a Salusan Bull and treachery.
A young Paradot Keynes, Imperial Planetologist, is sent to Arrakis to make a survey for the Emperor and goes native with the Fremen of Dune.
A young Shaddam conspires with his confidant and friend, Hasimir Femrig, to kill his father, Emperor Elrood, and rise to the Imperial Throne.
Reverend Mother Gaius Mohiam is sent to Geidi Prime to produce a child with Baron Harkonnen for their breeding project. This act will have severe consequences for both the Bene Gesserit and the Baron.
These are just some of the main plot points. I enjoyed how the story gives great insight into the characters and events to come in "Dune". I really enjoyed this and am jumping on to the next book (House Harkonnen).
This was a great novel and I appreciated learning about the origins of many of the characters and conflicts we know from "Dune". From a young 8-year-old Duncan Idaho, surviving the slaughter of his family escapes from a Harkonnen hunting party and makes it to Caladan and enters the service of Duke Paulus (The "Old Duke") and meets a young Leto, the Ducal-Heir.
Leto learns from the wily Old Duke and must handle the pressures of Dukedom after the Duke's death by a Salusan Bull and treachery.
A young Paradot Keynes, Imperial Planetologist, is sent to Arrakis to make a survey for the Emperor and goes native with the Fremen of Dune.
A young Shaddam conspires with his confidant and friend, Hasimir Femrig, to kill his father, Emperor Elrood, and rise to the Imperial Throne.
Reverend Mother Gaius Mohiam is sent to Geidi Prime to produce a child with Baron Harkonnen for their breeding project. This act will have severe consequences for both the Bene Gesserit and the Baron.
These are just some of the main plot points. I enjoyed how the story gives great insight into the characters and events to come in "Dune". I really enjoyed this and am jumping on to the next book (House Harkonnen).
October 9, 2022
This was the first book written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson to continue with Frank Herbert’s works of Dune. I’ve read all of their prequels and sequels and have been making my way through them all again, but this time by audiobook. I mean, Scott Brick narrates!!
I think that Dune House Atreides really answered so many of my Dune questions. How did the Baron get so grotesque? How did Duncan Idaho end up in the service of the Atreides? How in the heck was the Lady Jessica the Baron’s daughter? This prequel really gets into the back stories of the characters from Dune.
I’m continuing on with House Harkonnen and it starts off with Gurney Halleck’s back story. I’m loving my rereads of ALL of the Dune books!
Also, in the afterward by the authors, they found over a 1,000 pages of Frank Herbert’s notes about the world of Dune so basically they’re not really writing fan fiction as I’ve heard their books described. This is where Frank intended on going with his world. I love all of the Dune books! I’m so happy that his son picked up the Dune mantle.
I think that Dune House Atreides really answered so many of my Dune questions. How did the Baron get so grotesque? How did Duncan Idaho end up in the service of the Atreides? How in the heck was the Lady Jessica the Baron’s daughter? This prequel really gets into the back stories of the characters from Dune.
I’m continuing on with House Harkonnen and it starts off with Gurney Halleck’s back story. I’m loving my rereads of ALL of the Dune books!
Also, in the afterward by the authors, they found over a 1,000 pages of Frank Herbert’s notes about the world of Dune so basically they’re not really writing fan fiction as I’ve heard their books described. This is where Frank intended on going with his world. I love all of the Dune books! I’m so happy that his son picked up the Dune mantle.
June 6, 2025
"House Atreides" by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson is a captivating prequel that enriches the legendary "Dune" saga. As the first book in the "Prelude to Dune" series, it provides readers with a detailed backdrop of the characters and political intrigues that set the stage for Frank Herbert's original masterpiece. This context adds layers of depth to the intricate and vast universe that fans of "Dune" have come to cherish. Due to the nature of this book, it should not be the first read in the Dune universe. I always suggest starting with "Dune: The Butlerian Jihad". With the "Prelude to Dune" series, my advice is to not read any of them until you have finished all the mainline Dune Saga books. If you do so, these books will be richer and much better reads.
The novel intricately explores the early lives of key figures such as Duke Leto Atreides, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, and Shaddam Corrino IV. Through their formative experiences, the authors offer readers a nuanced understanding of the motivations and complexities that drive these characters. Duke Leto, for example, is portrayed with a compelling mix of youthful idealism and emerging leadership, shedding light on the values that define his later actions.
What stands out in "House Atreides" is its commitment to character development and world-building. The young Duke Leto’s evolution from a noble youth to a strategic leader is well-drawn, making his journey relatable and engaging. On the other hand, Baron Harkonnen's ruthless rise to power is depicted with a level of depth that humanizes even the most notorious villain, providing a multifaceted view of his character.
The book delves into the intricate political machinations of the Landsraad, the secretive maneuvers of the Bene Gesserit, and the manipulative strategies of the Spacing Guild. This thorough exploration of the political and social structures enriches the lore of the "Dune" universe, making the narrative more immersive.
However, the pacing of "House Atreides" may present a challenge to some readers. There are sections that feel overly detailed, potentially slowing the narrative, while other parts seem to rush through significant events.
Despite these pacing issues, "House Atreides" is essential reading for fans of the Dune universe. It not only adds depth to the existing lore but also enhances the overall appreciation of Frank Herbert’s original series. The book serves as a bridge that connects the past and future of the Dune saga, offering valuable insights into the characters and their motivations.
"House Atreides" successfully expands the Dune mythos with creativity and respect for the original work. It captures the essence of the series while providing deeper perspectives on its beloved characters.
The novel intricately explores the early lives of key figures such as Duke Leto Atreides, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, and Shaddam Corrino IV. Through their formative experiences, the authors offer readers a nuanced understanding of the motivations and complexities that drive these characters. Duke Leto, for example, is portrayed with a compelling mix of youthful idealism and emerging leadership, shedding light on the values that define his later actions.
What stands out in "House Atreides" is its commitment to character development and world-building. The young Duke Leto’s evolution from a noble youth to a strategic leader is well-drawn, making his journey relatable and engaging. On the other hand, Baron Harkonnen's ruthless rise to power is depicted with a level of depth that humanizes even the most notorious villain, providing a multifaceted view of his character.
The book delves into the intricate political machinations of the Landsraad, the secretive maneuvers of the Bene Gesserit, and the manipulative strategies of the Spacing Guild. This thorough exploration of the political and social structures enriches the lore of the "Dune" universe, making the narrative more immersive.
However, the pacing of "House Atreides" may present a challenge to some readers. There are sections that feel overly detailed, potentially slowing the narrative, while other parts seem to rush through significant events.
Despite these pacing issues, "House Atreides" is essential reading for fans of the Dune universe. It not only adds depth to the existing lore but also enhances the overall appreciation of Frank Herbert’s original series. The book serves as a bridge that connects the past and future of the Dune saga, offering valuable insights into the characters and their motivations.
"House Atreides" successfully expands the Dune mythos with creativity and respect for the original work. It captures the essence of the series while providing deeper perspectives on its beloved characters.
August 17, 2007
The House Trilogy is a good addition to the Dune series. For those that have read the originals, you get a good introduction to the history behind a lot of the key players in the original Dune.
Despite this, Brian Herbert doesn't recreate the same world his father did. Certain things feel a bit predictable where as his fathers work never had that feeling. Perhaps it has partly to do with knowing that certain things can't happen or that would have violated the continuity of his fathers work, but even taking that into account it still had that feel.
But those things aside, I would still recommend reading these books.
Despite this, Brian Herbert doesn't recreate the same world his father did. Certain things feel a bit predictable where as his fathers work never had that feeling. Perhaps it has partly to do with knowing that certain things can't happen or that would have violated the continuity of his fathers work, but even taking that into account it still had that feel.
But those things aside, I would still recommend reading these books.
April 27, 2010
I just wrote one of the best reviews ever, one that included a lot of self-degradation and covered a lot of science fiction nerd-dom and references to Roger Zelazny and shit and freaking Goodreads made it all disappear. Things like that make me want to vomit. There will be no recreating that colossal review.
Suck this, Goodreads!
I'm going to go put on my stillsuit and ride a sandworm while munching on some melange. I'm going to take down Goodreads now with my mind, Bene Gesserit style. If you don't get any of that, I can't help you.
Suck this, Goodreads!
I'm going to go put on my stillsuit and ride a sandworm while munching on some melange. I'm going to take down Goodreads now with my mind, Bene Gesserit style. If you don't get any of that, I can't help you.
January 3, 2024
2023 Reread:
I remember how excited I was when I first read about this prequel series.
This isn't half bad. I like some of the background. Some of it is clumsy, like the storyline with the conception of Lady Jessica.
I remember how excited I was when I first read about this prequel series.
This isn't half bad. I like some of the background. Some of it is clumsy, like the storyline with the conception of Lady Jessica.
May 24, 2008
Brian just doesn't have the skills of his father, I was clearly disappointed with this novel in comparison to my love for his father's Dune Series!
April 2, 2025
And once again I enjoyed a book in this prequel series much more than I did the original Dune. Ah, hello pitchfork wielding mob, how I have missed you 😁
April 23, 2023
Just finished the first installment of the Dune prequel trilogy.
4 stars and def better than I expected. It was not as well written as the original series by Frank Herbert and by that I mean it didn't include all the philosophy and nuances that made his stories layered.
It was a nice story that brought alot of our favorite characters and villains back and there was good dialogue and more great political scheming and action.
I enjoyed seeing a young Baron Harkonnen and Piter together doing what villains do best. I also enjoyed a young Leto learning much like young Paul did in the beginning of dune with the master of assasins Mentat.
It def dove into the breeding programs more so it was cool to see that. It was awesome to see IX and Caladan in more detail.
Def moving on to the next installment. 4 stars maybe 4.5
4 stars and def better than I expected. It was not as well written as the original series by Frank Herbert and by that I mean it didn't include all the philosophy and nuances that made his stories layered.
It was a nice story that brought alot of our favorite characters and villains back and there was good dialogue and more great political scheming and action.
I enjoyed seeing a young Baron Harkonnen and Piter together doing what villains do best. I also enjoyed a young Leto learning much like young Paul did in the beginning of dune with the master of assasins Mentat.
It def dove into the breeding programs more so it was cool to see that. It was awesome to see IX and Caladan in more detail.
Def moving on to the next installment. 4 stars maybe 4.5
February 18, 2011
Like many sci fi lovers I read Frank Herbert's Dune--a book I loved for its richness and detail with all of the subcultures, traditions and intrigue centered on the spice--the eye-blue-ing, mind-altering and space-bending drug of drugs. Add the aristocracy and royal "Houses" murdering, betrayal, plots within plots and I did little else but read for days. It seemed that sequels were not as compelling and when Herbert died, I assumed a grand story was finally done. Then the "prequels" came out and I was delighted with how engrossing they were. Each House has its own saga leading up to Dune and then, more in prequels to the prequels with three novels detailing the machines. House Atreides was the first Dune novel other than the original that I really liked.
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