Title list (Destiny)

by narcogen , Andover, Massachusetts, Wednesday, August 05, 2015, 23:49 (3187 days ago) @ Earendil

Just thought I'd add in the useful titles for those less familiar:

Dune

Book 1. An awesome story with small awesome ideas, but the big ideas aren't complete yet. Worth reading if you want a good story set in a universe that hasn't been duplicated. Yet is highly realistic.

Dune Messiah and Children of Dune

Books 2 and 3. Should be one book, as it's the same story. Finishes a longer story arc started in book 1. It's a good story arc. Not many new small ideas, but some of the big ideas are now complete. At this point it becomes awesome sci-fi in that make you think philosophical sort of way.

God Emperor of Dune

Book 4. zomg what a slog. I get its place in the series, and it needs to be there, but it could have been 50 pages not 400.

Actually this one is possibly my favorite. Only the 'B' story is a slog for me (the Siona story). I also think this is much more strongly linked to Children of Dune than you think it is; I can hardly imagine seeing Leto's transformation in book 3 and not want to see what it results in during book 4.

Heretics of Dune

This one I could take or leave, honestly, but book six is more comprehensible if you've read it.

Book 5. Back to being a great story in and of its self, without having to delve into philosophy and sociology in order to make it worth it. Yet, you start to realize that Herbert is playing with giant sociology ideas over thousands upon thousands of years. It gets interesting again in a big way, but also makes for a good story read.

Chapterhouse Dune

Book 6. Just came in the mail today. I remember none of this book from when I was young. I'm not positive I made it through.

Overall, I think the stopping points are the following:

• Book one, full stop. It's a complete story that you can walk away from.
  
• Book three, full stop. Also a complete story that you can walk away from.
  
• Book six? I might have to get back to people on this :)

Given a persons commitment to sci-fi, and how much they enjoyed the ideas presented in books 1-3, I'd suggest they keep going. My wife for example I told to read book 1 so that she understood me better, but wouldn't recommend she personally read the rest. My brother on the other hand shall be tar and feathered if he doesn't finish the series with me :)

Also worth noting you can stop after the books actually authored by Frank Herbert and skip those written by his son. No offense to him, but they are not nearly as good.