A far future of Mankind, with all the science, polititcs, religion, and all the corruption one might expect. Strong characters, an ingenious plot, and a gripping setting. If you like the first one, you'll love the rest.

De fapt nu am citit carte ci numai cele 6 volume ale seriei Dune si am ajuns aici din greseala.. scuze!

"Dune: House Atreides" is the first in a trilogy of prequels to the "Dune" novels of Frank Herbert. Like sequels however, the only lesson you'll get from "Atreides" is to leave well enough alone. Frank Herbert was masterful because he could conjure up a vast universe without losing sight of his characters' humanity, and he knew how to both deftly craft his surroundings, and keep the historic details of the Dune universe tantalizingly vague (the appeal of Dune's hidden history stemmed largely from Herbert's refusal to dissect). The new trilogy ignores the qualities of the original's prose and the otherworldly seduction of its myriad plotting.
For those new to the series, Dune is set in a far distant future, when man has spread across the stars. Once enslaved by machine minds, men rose up in a religious crusade whose legacy has been the absolute prohibition against artificial computers. Instead, vast schools enhance the human mind, turning men into living computers called Mentats. Huge starships are guided by "third-stage navigators" - artificially evolved human beings who see through walls of time/space. Though technologically advanced, humanity is ruled by an emperor through an aristocracy (the "Landsraad") perpetually at odds with itself. (Individual houses endlessly plot against each other ala Machiavelli). Outside of Landsraad, various other groups jockey for power - like the insidious Tleilaxu who are masters of forbidden technology, or the Bene Gesserit who conduct genetic engineering experiments designed to create a suber-being called the "kwisatz haderach". Each party wield great power, but is checked both by each other and by their dependence on a mystical spice called "mélange" - a drug which stretches human lifespans, widens consciousness and, in really huge doses, turns humans into navigators. In short, mélange underlies every aspect of this society. Unfortunately, technology hasn't supplied a substitute for mélange, and the inhospitable planet Dune is its only source.
In "Atreides" we meet younger versions of the noble Leto Atreides, the vile Vlad Harkonnen, the slyly murderous Fehnring and Shaddam - the future emperor. Aside from other characters also already established in Dune lore, we meet the royal family of Ix (soon to be exiled when Ix is overrun by Tleilaxu) and Leto's parents. Title aside, " Atreides" tells as much about the Atreides as everyone else. Actually, Shaddam, gets the lion's share of attention. With his father Elrood kept alive through mélange addiction, and showing no sign of releasing the throne, Shaddam conspires with Fenring to kill him. Leto, not yet a duke, travels to Ix, whose rulers develop technology at the limits of the law. Leto's strict mother (whose religious fundamentalism dates this book as none of the original novels had) distrusts the ruling Ixians. The reigning duke is too fun-loving a guy to accord with the duchess' stern dogmatism. Vladimir Harkonnen, already Baron when "Atreides" starts, has yet to become the physically repulsive ogre of the original epic. Shaddam, already considering himself emperor, conspires to "give" Ix to the Tleilaxu, confident can blame it on a feud his father nursed against the Ixian rulers. In return, the Tleilaxu will try to develop a synthetic mélange. None of the original books' intense plotting nor their focus on their characters' perspective are in evidence here. No character possesses any depth. Fenring is a master in the art of murder, even when just giving advice, but here he's just annoying, and his plotting is seldom Macchiavellian. Neither Anderson nor Herbert develop Fenring in a way that suggests his complete reversal in the original "Dune". Leto is the hero of the story, but he comes off as one of those angst-ridden characters of a Dawson's Creek spin-off. None of the myriad subplots reflect an understanding of the Dune-universe. The Bene gesserit never arouse suspicion, even though their plan to breed the messianic Kwisatz Haderach threatens everybody, especially the Navigators (since they possess the closest thing to absolute power in the Dune universe). Instead it's the illegal invasion of Ix that unites the characters in this book - but who cares? (the Tleilaxu turn the Ixians against their rulers for whom they do the most work and reap the least benefits.) The authors completely miss the underpinnings of the age old Atreides/Harkonnen vendetta (they take the feud as the logical product of Atreides nobility and Harkonnen villainy. The point of a prequel is to show how things came to be the way they are, after nearly turning out differently). Another error is Leto's father - described as a cruel blowhard in the original "Dune", he's now a benevolent ruler who lives for his loyal subjects whom he entertains with frequent bullfights. But above all is Shaddam's nonsensical collusion with the Tleilaxu. At Fenring's urging, Shaddam presses the Tleilaxu to develop a synthetic version of mélange in order to both free his throne from spice mining and elevate it over the spicing guild. What the authors fail to grasp is that success would only swap the monopoly of the navigators for that of the Tleilaxu (it would also nullify the industrial complex that mines the spice, one of the economic structures that both ensures the stability of the universe and, because the throne manages it, allows Shaddam to effectively rule. Besides, if the Tleilaxu reneged, how would Shaddam enforce his end?) The unblanced deal would make sense had Shaddam nursed a vendetta against the Ixians - but the grudge against Ix was Elrood's.
Being part of a series, "Atreides" doesn't have to be open-ended (with half-finished plotlines and characters left for the next book), but it is. Some subplots don't come together at all - like the expeditions of planetologist Liet Kynes or the story of C'tair, a loyal Ixian working against the Tleilaxu. But worst of all, the novel lacks a solid voice, a single perspective in its scenes to feel the pain, joy, fear and triumph that all the plotting must create. "Atreides" simply fails because, unlike the spice mélange that underlies much of the plotting, it is neither addictive nor consciousness expanding.

Okay, it's definitely a book about Dune, and set in the Duniverse, and it has all the terminology of a Dune book...but it's not a real Dune Book. Period. Don't get me wrong, I read it and I liked it, but it has NONE of the depth of any of the original series. Even weaker books in the original series tower over House Atreides. The best sections of the book are those that involve situations discussed directly in the other books, i.e. those where the authors had Frank Herbert's hand guiding them. Many of the newer charactors (especially Rhombur Vernius) fall flat and are poorly fleshed out and just plain uninteresting.

Frank Herbert is sorely missed. I went right from finishing this book to re-reading Dune!

I have read many reviews of "Dune:House Atreides" and every single one goes on to compare it to the magnificence of the original series. Nothing will ever come close to the engrossing, complex, and wonderful worlds that Frank Herbert brought to us (unless the Tleilaxu have secretly made of ghola of the man himself). But I think in all fairness that Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have made one hell of a go at it. The plot is rich with so many colorful layers and the daunting history of the DUNE universe. The charaters seem real and the familiar ones stand up to what they are to become later in the DUNE timeline. Yes, any diehard fan knows exactly what's coming, but going back to the pre-Mau'Dib era and seeing the events that led up to the original series is like looking back at an old family photo album with fond nostalgia. Also I think these two fine authors need this prequel trilogy to get their proverbial feet wet to get themselves and readers re-familiar with the DUNE universe so they can adequately take on the emense task of taking up where "Chapterhouse:Dune" left us hanging. "Dune:House Atreides" kept me reading and interested, made me feel and think. It felt like coming home to the DUNE universe that I and so many others have come to love. Not perfect, not Frank Herbert, but still worthy of a Freman's loyalty.

My opinion of House Harkonnen is very similar to my opinion of House Atreides (see my review there). Like its predecessor, House Harkonnen is slow and has too many plot threads. Some of the most interesting ones (the fate of House Vernius; Abulurd Harkonnen's fight with his half-brother) are muffled in the huge number of stories being told -- we see Gurney Hallack and Duncan Idaho growing up, Duke Leto and Lady Jessica coming together, the birth of Feyd-Ruatha, etc. And like House Atreides, this book suffers from our knowledge of the future (spoiler warning) -- we know Leto, Gurney and Duncan aren't going to die and that Shaddam IV will still be emperor in the future.

Still, it's a decent read -- especially for Dune fanatics like myself. It fills in the history of the Imperium. And the fight between the Tleilaxu and Vernius; between the Grumman and Ecaz -- are interesting. In fact, the book might have been better had it focused entirely on these conflicts -- with Leto and the others serving merely as secondary characters.

The narrative style is improved and the higher rating I give this book is mainly due to the incredible villainy we get to see in House Harkonnen. This actually *improves* your appreciation of Dune. (Spoiler warning again). You smile knowing these monster will eventually get what's coming to them.

And, of course, I'm buying the next book -- which tells my real opinion of this one (3.5 stars).

I came into this series with a lot of preconceptions that these would not be worthy successors to the originals. And they aren't. But after a second reading, I realized they're not supposed to. "House Harkonnen" is a prequel, not a sequel. It's supposed to "fill in the blanks" of what happened before the greatest book in science fiction history. NO book can ever hope to live up to that kind of hype. But I believe Brian and Kevin do a masterful job of setting up things that we =know= are going to happen in later books without killing the suspense. Now they've started to explore the new storylines they created, and they do a good job. I, for one, can't wait to see "House Corrino". So Brian's not Frank. But he's working from Frank's notes, with the aid of an author who is used to working in other people's universes. If you like "Dune" give this series a chance. I believe if you come into it with an open mind, you'll find it almost as entertaining as the original.

If "Dune: House Atreides" and "Dune: House Harkonnen" had been written by Frank Herbert and predated his Dune books, we would look at these two books as good starting points that grew into a wonderful series. If the Dune series had never been written, I think the two prequels would have been better received. If, if if. However, to stand in the shadow of one of the greatest science fiction series ever written is indeed a daunting task.

Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson might not be quite matching the philosophical depth of the original Dune books (especially the first three or four), but they are doing a good job. This is enjoyable reading with well-developed characters and some depth to the plot. They are also not just backtracking in entirely predictable ways, as they do pull out a surprise or two. They are laying a very credible groundwork to the Dune series (in fictional future history terms).

If you read the prefaces, you will know what they are also doing. The original Dune series was not finished. While some fell (with some validity) that the last two Frank Herbert Dune books feel a little short of the standards set by the earlier ones, "Chapterhouse: Dune" does not end cleanly. Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson are immersing themselves in the Dune zeitgeist in preparation for the truly daunting task of finishing Brian's father's work. I look forward to that book in a way I haven't looked forward to a book in a while. We have at least one more prequel to go, though ("Dune: House Corrino" is my guess).

I love Herbert, my favorite book of his being Dune with none of his others coming anywhere close. That being said, D: Void is my second favorite of his books. I love it that Herbert's characters seem to almost psychically be able to interpret each other's body language. I love the pacing of Herbert's prose, and I love the concept of this book. I like being walked through, step by step, what is necesarry to create an intelligence. It's like getting a crash course on the inner workings of the brain. It's fun, it makes you think, and the writing is so classically Herbert.

This book is obviously not for everybody. It's skewed to ideas rather than a narrative story (such as Dune), but the ideas are interesting, fun to think about, and I believe, still timely.

(8 out of 10)

Destination: Void centers on man's attempts to create an artificial mind, and the consequences its birth. The book has its strong points, and its failings, however small they may be. The most striking downside is how much computer technology has advanced since the writing of the novel. (A great deal of time is spent on detailed specifics of the characters' computer system, and it is central to the story.) There were a couple of leaps of logic in the plotline that seemed a little tenuous as well. However, overall the upside outweighs the downside. The most exciting thing for me in reading this novel was that it provided a fascinating view into Herbert's creative process. It felt to me as though Herbert was trying his hand at certain writing techniques, certain technologies, etc. There are also some very intriguing references to Axlotl tanks. Makes you wonder if Herbert may have had in mind an even wider sweeping expanse to the Dune Chronicles. This book is best appreciated by the devout Herbert fan.

Sure this book isn't gonna challenge anything by Michael Crichton in the excitement/suspense category, but that's not what Herbert is going for. This is an INTROSPECTIVE novel. It's about the interaction between three minds that barely even leave a single room.

If you want dinosaurs and car chases go somewhere else. If you want to expand your mind then read this. Obviously the addition of Ransom in the works that continue this saga was meant to make them more "User Friendly" ah well, what are you gonna do?

I'd give this book -2 stars if I could. This is a very poor book written with the author's biased view of Mormonism. If you're looking for an accurate and factual book on Mormonism, I suggest you not waste your money (and time) on this book.

I was looking for a book that would give me an insight into mormonism - this is just not that - it is just a sad persons view
that tries to dismantle something the author simply does not understand. I suggest that this is not the book you are looking for.

The grand drawn-out scale to Herbert's novels are daunting. New civilizations take birth that challenge us and our definitions of absolutes. The engine of his novels is a network of politics for a power struggle. In the Godmakers a man is pushed to his limits and forced to take a larger part into something he knew nothing about. In most of his novels religion is used as a toy to manipulate (or subue) a race or class of people. But religion is also a connector to the feats of human possiblity which Herbert dreampt up. The book is not as damanding for our attention as the Dune series. It is a more casual and relaxed Herbert telling a simpler and tight story.

The latest installment from Herbert Jr. and Anderson leaves a lot to be desired. House Atreides and House Harkonnen attempted to open the Dune universe to a larger audience with a more light-hearted style and an easier to follow plot. The entire trilogy makes an effort to fill some of the holes left in the original Dune novels, but the new books are not on the level Dune readers have come to expect.

House Corrino was not the way I expected the trilogy to conclude. The movements of the characters seem childish and less "thought-out." There is more action, yes, but it doesn't flow as well as the previous two novels, considering that this book is supposed to bridge the gap between the trilogy and the first Dune novel. Fans of the Dune universe will no doubt read this book with much anticipation, but I think the outcome they encounter will not mesh well with their expectations.

This book containted far too many irrelevant subplots, the style left much to be desired, and it didn't conclude in a fashion consistent with its place in the series.

Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson come close to wrapping up the Dune prequel series with a climactic edition in "Dune: House Corrino". This story takes place in less than a year's time, beginning after the conception of Paul Atreides, and finishing just after his birth. The book starts off a little slow; it takes the authors a while to build up the suspense, but the last 150 pages of this work are well worth the wait. The details regarding the Corrino famliy are also enjoyable.

The authors set the stage in the two previous prequel stories ("House Atreides" and "House Harkonnen") and really didn't need to build up interest over such a long novel. FYI, both previous works are musts for devoted Dune fans. However, this is the best book out of the three editions. New readers will find the style smoother and more modern than the original Frank Herbert series, but not quite as creative. These stories fill in the many gaps in Frank Herbert's background, almost as if reading historical fiction.

The final third of the book is excellent, even difficult to put down as the action reaches a crescendo. Though every fan knows what is going to happen, we have been shielded from the truth all this time. You almost feel as if the story were new. However, there is one last story to tell here. Prepare to see "Dune: Bene Gesserit" bridging the birth of Paul Atreides to the relocation of his family to Planet Arrakis.

I have read every book in both Dune series and rate this book 3.80 out of 5.00 stars, rounded up to 4.00 stars, with points for writing style and for nicely wrapping up a lot of pre-history. Still want to read about more workings behind the scenes of the Sisterhood though.

The original Dune was the 1966 Hugo Award winning novel. If it wasn't for that fact I may not have given it as much leeway when I first read it however. With a completely different language and universe, I found it hard at the beginning to get into the mind set of the book, and to associate with that world. Of course once I did, it became one of the best books I've ever read. Several other people I've known over the years had similar troubles starting the novel, and I was saddened to learn that they never completed it.

After reading the three prequals which Frank Herbert's son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson have put together, House Corrino being the last, I can't help wondering if things would have been different for these people if these novels were the first books in the series that they had read. They are all well written, enough so to keep a reader coming back for more on their own weight. They are true to the original story, enough so that they have added some great insight which you do not get from the original. Also, I believe, they are an easier read. Which may attract more readers to this wonderful series which otherwise may have been a little intimidated. These prequels set up the original perfectly. I highly recommend these books.

This is a fascinating colletion of stories of the future of human kind. If you like science fiction, you'll love "The Book of Frank Herbert".

Frank Herbert produced a number of pot boilers, such as the "Whipping Star" series, before creating "Dune" which, excluding some of its sequels, must rank as the definitive alterntaive future history with a unique depth of characterisation and "world building". This book has a couple of gimmicks to it, some salacious imagery, but the metaphysical value of it all escapes this reviewer (apologies to our Dutch contributor). There is a good point about the comparative difference between human/organic potentials and closed, mechanistic systems, but that isn't enough to sustain the read. Read "Dune" or "Dragon under the Sea" (a.k.a "Under Pressure") for better Frank Herbert.

The feel to "Heaven makers" is similar to that of "Godmakers" and "Whipping Star". Herbert again manages to bring to life a complete future world. In true Herbert fashion, he continues to surprise and fascinate as you try to get your mind around his wonderful, amazing ideas. The Chem are an immortal species, whose greatest fear is boredom. The story focuses on one of their ways to amuse themselves by "experiencing stories", a sf- version of watching movies. Only these stories are the real lives of people, who are being manipulated by the Chem to provide a good "movie". One of the countless people manipulated in this fashion are humans on Earth... As the story unfolds around these main ingredients, Herbert manages to put forward some fascinating, mindboggling views on life, deah and immortality, as well as creating a great deal of suspense. If you like Herbert, you will like this book the same way you liked his others, although still nothing tops "Dune". If you don't know Hebert, here's an excellent way of making your acquaintance.

This is a book that, out of boredom, I reread after having not been impressed the first time around. While certainly not on the level of "Dune," the novel nevertheless portrays a unique future (profit-driven, of course; move over, cyber-punks!). If you have a few carefree days to spend reading, you could do much worse.

This is a great book. To compare every piece of literature to the masterpiece that was Frank Herbert's crowning achievement is ludicrous. This book stands alone as a great novel. I can see Frank's hand in it as well as that of his son, Brian; it is this that kept me reading it. It was incredibly well done on the science fiction front (i.e. Frank's touch), as well as being incredibly humorous (Brian's input into science fiction). I loved it when I read "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" many years ago. After reading and enjoying "Man of Two Worlds" I went back and reread "Hitchiker". Enjoy this book for what it is worth, not as a comparitive study to the masterpiece that is Dune.

If you've read Frank Herbert and you've loved Frank Herbert and you expected Frank Herbert, you might be disappointed. Just as the main character is the synthesis of a curious alien and a self-indulgent human, Man of Two Worlds is the synthesis of veteran writer Frank Herbert with his less prolific son, Brian Herbert. The best way to enjoy the novel is to read it as if it is Brian Herbert's book, because you won't have all the expectations going into it. This is just like the movie everyone raved about that you didn't think was so great. Block out the pep rally and pick this book up for a very interesting twist to the two strangers on the run theme.