Should i read the dune prequels

If you're looking to fill-out your Dune knowledge, here are three prequel books I can recommend with all my spice-loving heart. These three books tell the centuries-old backstory of Dune and get into depth how A. It also helps to establish how and why the various noble houses operate the way they do. Because almost none of the major heroes from the core Frank Herbert books appear in this distant past, these books can almost be read as standalone science fiction.

But because you'll understand how the Dune -verse works a little bit better after reading these, of all the prequels, these three are worth it. Does thinking about reading six books and then three more books out of 25 books sound like too much to think about?

You've got a year before Dune hits theaters now, but you don't want to spend the entirety of that year reading Dune, right? Well, I disagree with you, but that's okay. Reading and rereading Dune books is super fun, even when they're not the greatest individual Dune books ever. That said, I get the need for a minimalist approach. How can you read enough Dune to know more than your average moviegoer, but not so much that you get sucked into the sands of Arrakis forever?

Unlike some of the huge time-jumps that occur in the last three books, the first three mostly are concerned with a group of characters and their families that you can track over two generations. You need a family tree to sort it all out, but you're not jumping too far ahead that you're disoriented. Do you start with the order in which the books were published, go for a chronological read-through, or what?

Before the sleeper awakens to the world of Arrakis and the sandworms, perhaps it is best to take a step back and know what you need to read. The entire Dune saga will only make sense if you start with the original novel. For anyone interested in reading Dune , you need to read the first book before anything else. It takes place, ultimately, toward the middle of the sprawling saga, but every other book builds off the world established in Dune , either working backward or forward.

Frank Herbert, the original author, wrote six books in the Dune saga. The first three books, Dune , Dune Messiah , and Children of Dune , follows the story of Paul Atreides, from the fall of his father, Duke Leto Atredes, to his ascendence as Muad'dib, to his sprawling and destructive Ji'had, before ultimately ending with the rise of Leto II.

Again, for casual readers, you might not need to read beyond these books to gain a full understanding of the core story of Dune. God Emperor of Dune follows Children of Dune , but it is easily one of the strangest entries in the entire series, taking place over the course of thousands of years.

However, while this narrative might feel self-contained, the final two books of Herbert's run, Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune , take up where God Emperor leaves off.

Chapterhouse: Dune left off on a cliffhanger, one that was never truly followed-up on, as Frank Herbert died in before writing the third book in this second Dune trilogy. If you have read this far, you have read a contained trilogy with the first two-thirds of a trilogy connected by the bridge-novel God Emperor of Dune. You've got an exciting literary journey ahead of you. Published in by an automotive manuals publisher, after twenty!

It's also considered one of the best books of all time, as well as a seminal work in the sci-fi genre. The book's massive success inspired Herbert to write a number of sequels, which brought the total number of novels in the series up to six when he died in More than a decade after Herbert's death, his son, Brian, teamed up with science fiction writer Kevin J.

Anderson to co-author a trilogy of Dune prequels. This would come to be known the Prelude to Dune series. Herbert and Anderson have remained dynamic collaborators in the years since, churning out over a dozen novels together.

But what's the right way to go spelunking through all these books and their complicated chronology? There's no right answer; some argue that the books should be read in the chronological order of the fictive timeline, while others argue that they should be read in the order of publication.

Here's our advice: read Frank Herbert's six novels first, then dabble in the unauthorized spin-offs however you like. Given that many of the spin-offs are grouped into smaller series that exist within the larger story, you can sample bits and pieces of the universe. That's the beauty of the Dune —it's a detailed series that rewards completionism, but the entry points are numerous. Read on for a full breakdown of the books, listed here in the order in which they were published.

Happy reading, spiceheads! Dune is set far into the future, in an intergalactic feudal society where powerful noble houses fight for control over resources, armies, and planetary power.

House Atreides is ordered to take control of Arrakis, a barren desert planet with a brutal climate, but is the only place to mine Melange—a natural resource that produces a drug called Spice, which allows humanity to unlock their minds to be able to perform highly complex tasks.

On Arrakis, House Atreides is betrayed by rival House Harkonnen, which sets off a battle over the valuable planet. The planet itself is inhabited with giant sandworms and a native population known as Fremen, who, over generations, have learned to survive with water as their most precious resource and currency. The narrative structure is very different, the character of Jessica is a robot and all of the characterisation feels wrong.

And the characters are constantly announcing their thoughts instead of experiencing the world around them. Here is a direct link to a Wikipedia page with 'Universe' chronology: en. And here's another such listing that also interweaves the movie, TV series and comic book series: alltimelines.

I would start with Brian Herbert prequels with Hunting Harkonnens if listening on audiobook. The audible version of Dune has Baron Harkonen played by two different voice actors and it is almost impossible to follow. One of the actors sounds like Dearth Vader speaking through a voice disguiser; the other sounds like a cackling uncle Fester. It's bad enough to want to drop the series. It's a pity the franchise holder did not fix such a botched production.

With characters cemented in my mind from the prequels, it is possible to make sense of it. Valorum Valorum k gold badges silver badges bronze badges. Those are just my two cents. Alxndr Alxndr 21 1 1 bronze badge. Usul has called a big one! Again it is the legend. Human Being Human Being 21 1 1 bronze badge. Can you expand on this? Maybe give reasons for your opinion?

Start with Frank Herbert's "Dune". Rufus Doofer Rufus Doofer 1. Given the original person asking the question specifically wants to know about the prequels and sequels, I suggest you make a comment on the reading order of those.

On this site we're looking for objective answers as opposed to subjective ones. Take a look at our tour for more information. Also, I kinda already made the point about the post-FH prequels and sequels being of a lower quality — Valorum. Featured on Meta. Now live: A fully responsive profile.