Dune.. Should i stop?

OY

OK so let me start by saying that usually my reading comes in bursts. I will read a lot of books over a few months and then just stop for a while. I think i may be coming to the end of my latest burst as i am just not motivated to read at the moment.

The thing is that i am reading Dune and i hear that it is a great series. The other thing is that i never reread something that i stop reading.

At the moment i am about 100 pages into this story and it is interesting but i am bored and thinking of just stopping. So should i stick with it? Is it really that good?

niallb

Stick with the first book at least, don't worry too much about the series.
The next book is short and the next three (or so) are relevant.
If you're still with it at that stage, you'll know whether you're enjoying the series.

Dune itself though - book 1 - is a brilliant read.

NiallB

RicardoSmith

I thought the first book is ok. The rest I didn't like.

ixoy

I'd stick with it! Really enjoyed the six Dune books he wrote. It's still to me, all these decades later, one of the best-realised sci-fi universes created. Some create and memorable characters (can't be saying who!) and it's fun to see how some of the concepts have been copied in sci-fi series in latter years (Star Wars springs to mind immediately).

'Course I have to promote it - my boards handle is derived from the Dune series!

Earthhorse

I actually found the first Dune book a bit boring at first as well. But there's a lot of intelligence in there and it's worth the read. Let the plot develop a bit and see how you feel.

The best in the series is God Emporer of Dune if you ask me but you'll probably need to read the ones before it in order to fully appreciate it.

Stick with them. It's one of the best series of books I've ever read. I first read them when I was then and nine years later I'm still going back to them.

Branoic

In a perfect universe the first Dune book should be required reading on the Leaving Cert. Even though its 6 years since i did the LC, that would rock.

theCzar

definitely stick with it if you have any interest in Sci-fi, the first book is one of my all time favs. but like most epics, it takes a while to get absorbed by the incredible universe Herbert creates. I've read the next two in the series, didn't think they were as good.

The Spice Must Flow!

zenith

Dune is one of my all-time favourites, but it does take time to get going.

No spoilage, but if you're only a hundred pages in, the plot's barely got its coat off.

Shabadu

Oh god- don't stop reading it now, for the love of god. My absolute favourite sci-fi series ever. I adore all of Frank Herberts work, but especially the Dune series and the Godmakers.

Just avoid the ones his son wrote from Frank's notes. Dire.

OY

I am sticking with it. It is really starting to pick up now...

On page 186. paul and jessica have escaped from the copter, the dukes assassination attempt failed with the tooth. All is heating up nicely!

Thanks for your thoughts!

Shabadu

Ah. From here on in it's exceptionally exciting. Wait till you meet the fremen.

pwd

dune is absolutely superb.

DonkeyStyle \o/

Yeah, don't stop reading Dune... great book.
I found the second book a bit of a struggle at times, since it gets pretty deep and abstract.... the third book took way too long to read, but as a whole - the first three were very well worth reading.

Dar

Shabadu wrote:

Just avoid the ones his son wrote from Frank's notes. Dire.

I cannot agree more. Finish the originals and pretend the prequels don't exist.

Dead Jack

I'm trying to remember if there were any more by Frank Herbert after God Emperor, I keep thinking maybe there's one more.

Earthhorse

I think there's two or three after God Emporer. Heretics (I think) and Chapter House.

Branoic

Yes....Heretics and Chapterhouse. Both excellent BTW. If you finished the series after God Emperor because it all got too philosphical / long winded / metaphysical, the later books rein things back in a bit.

He died while in the planning phase for "Dune 8", and left behind (apparently) extensive notes and plot lines. His son and KJA will write the conclusion of the series based on these notes. However in true money-grabbing style, they're turning it into two books instead of one. They can be just about forgiven for the Prelude series and the Legends series (awful though they were, in general), and even maybe the not-yet-published "Paul of Dune" series, because these series can largely be ignored and shot down as having nothing at all do with true Dune.....but to have them actually interfere in the original series and attempt to write the book Frank himself was going to write to bring his masterpiece to a close is outright blasphemy. :mad:

Tristram

Have only read the first book myself, great stuff.Have to read the rest.

Shabadu

Branoic- I presume this book is carrying on with some of the Honoured Matres and Bene Tleilax stuff? From what I remember anyway, that's what his notes were mainly about, and some furtherance of the wierd grid thing and tleilaxu(?) old couple that featured briefly in Chapter House.

Branoic

Yes thats right, the new book (well, two books) will be a direct sequal to Chapterhouse. Apparently, if you read all the "Legends" books, there are sign posts in there that are about as subtle as a brick as to whats going to happen in "Dune 8".

Shabadu

Yer, but could I be arsed to read that codswallop? I admire you for having the tenacity to stick your way through all of them!


I read House Atreides,& H. Harkonnen and then gave up as I would rather remove my brain via my nostril than have to put myself through any more of that twaddle. Did you notice the faint whirring noise when you were reading those books? It was Frank Herbert rotating in his grave at 180 rps.

Duras

I recently bought several books, including the first 2 of the Dune series... After reading this thread, Dune will be the next to read after I finish the one I'm reading atm... just 900 pages left

ixoy

Branoic, why are you calling it 'Dune 8'? Surely it's 'Dune 7'? We've got:

'Dune'
'Dune: Messiah'
'Children of Dune'
'God Emperor of Dune'
'Heretics of Dune'
'Chapterhouse: Dune'

... so that makes it #7. On one-hand, I'd like to see what Frank Herbert envisaged in trying to finish it off. On the otherhand, as we both know, his son and Kevin J. are appalling writers and would write a guide to necrophilia if they thought it'd get them money.

Branoic

Aha, yes of course, you're right. I don't know where I got the "8" from. Although by the time they're done, there will be 8.

Earthhorse

Yeah, you're right ixoy. I haven't read any of the Dune prequels and don't fancy facing the pain to be honest.

It's a pity they couldn't just release Frank's notes, maybe with some commentaries, or perhaps an unpublished short story or two, rather than a butchered version of his vision.

Johnny Storm

"Dune" was the first SF book to win both the Nebula and the Hugo awards AFAIK.
IMHO "Dune" is a superb book, one of the best ever SF books. But I read it back in the 70s and am interested to see if it has lost much of its impact to new readers.
Certainly a lot of it was used up by Star Wars.
The second book "Dune Messiah" is also very good IMHO and really develops the themes of the first book but after that you wouldn't be missing much if you didn't read them.

The recent books by Herbert's son and the other hack are just embarrassing.

Shabadu

I completely disagree with the notion that you wouldn't miss much from messiah on. I find it fascinating when leto the worm essentially becomes everything Paul muad-dib hated. I loved chapter house too, and the rest of them. I think the series works togther well, and the sequels, while not as excellent as the first book, add more valuable layers to the Dune World.

Let's not talk about his son's any more, though. *shudder*