Any Dune Readers?

Submitted by The Shredder on August 27th, 2021 at 8:31 PM

I meant to ask this over the summer. Any dune fans? I've read all six books. My current rankings

1,3,5,4,2,6

I can't wait for the new movie. I think it will actually turn out pretty well since they are spitting book one into two parts. 

Anyone want to talk about the great maker with me? 

 

 

 

gvrdsvgwseg

January 24th, 2022 at 6:37 AM ^

Dune is a great movie. The viewing prompted me to start reading books. I hope they will be as good as the movies. I love collecting books and recently added a very interesting book to my library. I found it while reading the popular Just Mercy essays at [SPAM LINK DELETED (and your scary-eye avatar didn't deter me at all!)] and noticed that the plot is very familiar to me. Then I realized that I had read it over 20 years ago. This book now has a special place on my bookshelf. I fondly remember that carefree youthful time. 

GregBrown

November 4th, 2021 at 12:46 PM ^

I recently read a very interesting book on which one very interesting material was prepared for me. There was an assignment in college, I went to [SPAM LINK DELETED] to find the information I needed, but overall there were a lot of problems and I found it. Dune was also in the example, and I will say that it was very cool to find something similar. I advise everyone to take a look.

BlueWolverine02

August 27th, 2021 at 9:04 PM ^

Love the first book, feel like it went downhill from there.  Feel like it dropped all the intrigue and excitement after the first book.  Think I gave up book 4, though it's been probably 20 years since I picked them up.

Salmoninae

August 27th, 2021 at 9:59 PM ^

I read the first 3 books eons ago (1970's). I absolutely loved the first book. I thought that the second book was so-so. The third book bored me.....and then I gave up on the rest after that one. Since it has been sooooooo long, I should consider re-reading the 1st book.

m9tt

August 27th, 2021 at 10:16 PM ^

Only read the first book. Phenomenal world-building. The story suffers as it develops because of the protagonist’s, um, condition (it’s boring to read someone so detached). Pretty awful ending that turned me off from reading any sequels. 
 

Movie looks great, so go watch that instead if reading isn’t exactly your thing. If reading is your thing, read the Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons for your sci-fi fix instead.

m9tt

August 28th, 2021 at 1:08 AM ^

It’s pretty easy to understand why Paul develops into the messiah Dr. Strange who bears the burden of orchestrating the universe along the right and narrow path. It’s just frustrating as a reader to have your main protagonist and viewpoint into the world becoming increasingly robotic and regularly ghosting off in the final third of the book. And if you can’t understand how the ending with Chani and the princess is a deeply unsatisfying ending to a self-contained story, then I don’t know what to say.

All in all, I was pulled into the Dune universe by the factions and the political intrigue only to suffer a bait-and-switch halfway through the book as it turns into a one-true-hero journey.

I’m sure the sequels enlighten some of the decisions Paul made, but every ranking of the Dune series I’ve seen has the first book as the best and, if that’s the case, then I got the most out of the series as I was probably going to. 

Carpetbagger

August 28th, 2021 at 5:37 PM ^

If you feel that way about the first book, as I did, you probably shouldn't read any more. I slogged my way through the next two to finish it, and it really wasn't worth it. 

I read them back in the 80s or so.

World building is great, but if I can't empathize with any of the characters it's still not good. See GoT.

Francois Dilli…

August 28th, 2021 at 12:41 AM ^

Was going to log in and say exactly this. Very well put and couldn’t agree more with your stance on both Dune and The Hyperion Cantos. 
 

Dunes protagonist almost ruins a wonderful piece of fantasy world building. That being said, Denis Villeneuve, is one of the best directors working today (the best in my opinion), so I think the movie will actually end up being far better than the book in this case.

 

As for Hyperion, it’s the single greatest sci-fi series ever written. I consider it the sci-fi equivalent to Lord of the Rings. A lot more science fiction focused than fantasy, which I prefer, but still has a lot of fantasy elements. Great characters and I love how Simmons has a tendency to reference classic literature through out most of his writings. Really strokes my pretentious ego quite nicely. Seriously though, any avid reader out there, do yourself a favor and heed OPs recommendation of the Hyperion series. You won’t regret it. 

chronic

August 27th, 2021 at 10:16 PM ^

Re-reading the first one now. My 17 year old daughter recently read it and we're going to the movie when it comes out. The trailer looks sweet. The first book is amazing. 

StephenRKass

August 27th, 2021 at 10:25 PM ^

Loved the books. Read most of them multiple times. I'd have to re-read them to rank them, but I know I wasn't as thrilled with some of the later books. I probably should have been more selective. I loved Dune, LOTR, Asimov Foundation series, Chronicles of Narnia, all for different reasons. Read them all multiple times.

I loved the 2 Dune trailers, and am modestly hopeful, but we'll see what happens with them. Too many times, a trailer looks great, but the movie leaves you disappointed.

Another upcoming movie I'm curious about is entitled "The Northman." It simply is described as an epic revenge thriller, that explores how far a Viking prince will go to seek justice for his murdered father. I believe it is set around year 1000, in Iceland and other Scandanavian locales. The actors lined up seem pretty impressive.

TESOE

August 27th, 2021 at 11:00 PM ^

I'm looking forward to the Foundation series on Apple TV, Dune is going to be fun as well. Reading for me has been so skewed to non-fiction. I should probably re-read both.

I subscribed to Apple TV to take in Ted Lasso without having to go all piratey. Only to see the trailer for Foundation.

Life is good... sometimes.

Vasav

August 28th, 2021 at 1:42 AM ^

I stopped after the third one, because the ending of that was a bit too crazy and fantasy over sci Fi to me. But the first one is my favorite book ever

gobluenyc

August 28th, 2021 at 11:07 AM ^

Just finished reading the third book I think all the distraction from those who’ve read the first on ly is understandable but the point of the story is the conflict of the hero figure. Herbert didn’t want a perfect or god-like hero, however he saw the draw for one and so the people make Paul a god despite his best intentions. The second book did a good job of seeing that through. The third book went on a very different track which I thought was interesting, fantastical, but inconsistent with the premise above. I’m undecided on whether to read the fourth. 

b618

August 28th, 2021 at 11:13 PM ^

I loved the 1st book.  Liked maybe book 2 or 3, and disliked the tail end of the series.  The end seemed highly lame compared to the awesomeness of book 1.

I did not like Lynch's movie.  I very much liked the Sci Fi channel miniseries.  I'm looking forward to the new stuff.

LabattsBleu

August 30th, 2021 at 11:46 PM ^

Missed this thread.

Loved Dune, but only read the first three...thinking I should go back to read them now.

Villeneuve is one of my favorite directors working today...really hyped for the movie as he was a huge Dune fan growing up, so I think he's going to treat the material with reverence, but as Arrival showed, he understands that not everything from literature can be in a movie either.

I am hopeful that the movie does well enough to greenlight a sequel to capture the entire first novel (currently the movie only does half of the first book apparently)