Tears of Lys Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 God Emperor of Dune is an awesome title. But it's a crappy book. I thought the first one was great, the second was good, and they just kept getting worse from there. When I recommend Dune to anyone, I only recommend the first one. Reading more is just a let-down. And what's wrong with the ending? True, the first three were better, but God Emperor was still an interesting read. In fact, I think I've gone back and reread that one more than the others. Just the idea of this guy giving up his humanity to become a huge, f'ing worm, and ruling the universe for millenia - how can you not like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalbear Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 When it's as stupid as it is, then you can not like that. God-Emperor was just so insanely idiotic, dull, etc. Bleh. I did like Heretics/Chapterhouse though. Quite a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salinea Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I read the five (or six?) original Dune novels and hated them. They were dull, badly written, very badly characterized and reeking with misogyny. I'll grant that the world building is stellar but a good book it doesn't make, and I'm not sure the philosophical was that good either (for the little I can remember)... The last volume was almost okay and more fun, in that Idaho finally became something else than the Atride's lapdog... but then it was the end of the series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zap Rowsdower Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I will add my voice to those who dislike the Dune books. I was just never that impressed by them. And yes, that includes the first book in the series as well as all the other cinderblock sized sequels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonblade Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I started reading Heretics of Dune in the bathroom while I was taking a shit because after God Emperor of Dune, I figured that's all this series was worth. It's been a couple of months but it's finally starting to get interesting and I've been reading it out of the bathroom for a couple of days now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tears of Lys Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 Well, contrary to all common sense, I guess it is possible not to like a book about a guy transforming into a gigantic worm and ruling the universe for millenia. You just can't please some people. :shrugs: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innominandum Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 Yes. Sandworms of Dune will be the chronologically final Dune novel. However, the writers will then go and write Paul of Dune, the story of Paul Atreides whilst he was growing up and between the first three novels. And ten books later, Muad'Dib vs Predator ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tears of Lys Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I did like Heretics/Chapterhouse though. Quite a bit. When I read Chapterhouse Dune, I had the feeling of being high throughout the whole thing, without the munchies or the fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCoj Posted April 17, 2007 Author Share Posted April 17, 2007 Your credibility went from zero to negative bazillion when you praised the modern prequels. Dune is amazingly great. Dune Messiah is good. Children of Dune is pretty good God Emperor of Dune was pretty dreadful. Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune started to get good again Alas, Herbert died before we could learn where he intended to go. A) the Ledgends of Dune (Butlerian Jihad, Machine Crusade, Battle for Corrin) are actually not bad. The others (The House ones) I haven't read, nor am I planning on it (those are the blatant rip offs, IMO). The Ledgends set the stage for the original Dune series, and explained some things (Atredies/Harkonnen rivalry, for one), and set up the various factions in Dune I agree with your list except for Dune Messiah and Children of Dune (the jihad should have been written down - the time frame between Dune and Dune Messiah was way too long...) both of those were fairly dreadful. Heretics and Chapterhouse weren't that bad, but reading about drugged sex addicts attacking other drugegd sex addicts isn't exactly high fantasy/sci-fi. The character of Miles Teg could have been so much more developed and real (he was my favourite) but insterad he was left half-done, and the rest of his page time was instead devoted to explaining his "power" - and since when do genes code for time? C) Herbert actually only intended to go as far as God Emperor - the other two were wriiten because his publisher kept begging for them (or at least I think so - I heard that somewhere...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord of Oop North Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I read God Emperor of Dune on Acid. I shall never ruin that experience by rereading it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oba Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 A) the Ledgends of Dune (Butlerian Jihad, Machine Crusade, Battle for Corrin) are actually not bad. I just read Battle of Corrin. I agree with your take on the Legends of Dune books. I read Butlerian Jihad with grave misgivings (I was supposed to meet someone at the library and found myself skimming the book before eventually checking it out). The "House" prequels were painful to read. I actually enjoyed Dune: Messiah, Children of Dune, and God-Emperor of Dune, though not nearly as much as the first book. Heretics and Chapterhouse I read out of a sense of obligation. I enjoyed neither. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrim Fox Cauthon Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I read the five (or six?) original Dune novels and hated them. They were dull, badly written, very badly characterized and reeking with misogyny. I'll grant that the world building is stellar but a good book it doesn't make, and I'm not sure the philosophical was that good either (for the little I can remember)... The last volume was almost okay and more fun, in that Idaho finally became something else than the Atride's lapdog... but then it was the end of the series.You should have just read the first book and stopped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salinea Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 You should have just read the first book and stopped. I was young and had loads of time to read loads of crap. Also it's much more fun to be able to make informed bashing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry. Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 When I read threads such as these, the schoolteacher side of me cannot help but to wonder how many other teachers would be weeping now over the most grievous lack of critical thinking/debate elements here (not to mention a worrisome amount of misspellings ). Detail why you feel this way. What is it about the sequels that makes them far from an enjoyable experience? What is it about the characterizations that you do not like? What worked for you in the prequels that didn't happen in the original series? Answering those things in detail might lead to more responses, perhaps of a sort that would encourage a greater dialog. I happened to like God-Emperor of Dune in large part because of how Herbert had set up the character of Leto II in Children of Dune. I found the scenario of a water-filled Arrakis to be consistent with what he had hinted at in the original, and the thousands of years of developments condensed into flashbacks in this book serve as an interest bridge between the first three books and the final three that Herbert wrote. It's been almost 6 years since I last re-read them, however, so it's a bit difficult for me to cite specific passages, but I do not understand what the beef many have with God-Emperor. Is it because of how Leto looks? How he is portrayed? How the Atreides family controls the known universe? How elements such as the Fish Speakers were utilized? The difference in Duncan Idaho's role? - What is it that makes it poorer than others (for those that have argued that it is). Be more specific, as stating generalities without any textual citation makes it more difficult to sway others. Just thought I'd interject this here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalbear Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 My beef on God-Emperor: The plot was fairly lame. Leto was an interesting character, but his bizarre inability to kill himself yet knowing that he had to seemed stupid. His continued resurrecting of the Idaho was also similarly idiotic, especially given that Idaho had no real love for Leto and vice versa. The romantic angle was also dumb. The Fish Speakers were a fairly poor element. The universe itself - once a very vibrant, interesting entity with many political and social angles, was reduced to a fairly dull planet. Also, the prose just bugged and bored me unlike all the other books. Very little actually happened, and Herbert's philosophising got really boring in this one. Finally, some times I don't want to have to debate people. Some times, I'd just like to say "I don't like that" and that can be enough. The non-pretentious non-asshat side of me cannot help but point this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight of Ashes Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 I do not understand what the beef many have with God-Emperor. Is it because of how Leto looks? You know, when I was reading God Emperor of Dune, I kept picturing Leto II as looking like Jabba the Hut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tears of Lys Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Who let the teacher in? I hate to detail why I love or hate books. It feels akin to explaining what I enjoy about a lover's touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brude Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 I only liked the original Dune. Dune Messiah was a readable story, but nothing special. I never got past the 1/2 way point in Children of Dune before I decided it was total crap (I had good taste even when I was 14 it seems - tried to read it again as an adult and it was still crap). Never even bothered with the later books, though I too have heard that the new books by his son are actually a pleasent surprise. My roommate has read them and said they stood pretty well next to the original book. (He was also not a fan of Frank Herbert's sequels.) The story I've long heard, the "dirty little secret," is that Herbert's wife might have written like 1/2 of the original Dune and it might be her influence that made it so great. Who knows, just rumor and innuendo, but that's the story I've heard a few times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pat5150 Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Of the original six Dune novels, the only one I didn't like was God-Emperor of Dune. For my money, everything else was great and worthwhile reads! As for what came after, well. . . :sick: :mad: Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackaxx Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Loved god emporer, far more than the titles preceding it in fact. Clearly you people were not smart enough to enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.