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I really like Herbert's books. I started with the original Dune series. The my brother gave me (for Christmas or birthday, can't remember which) a five book collection: Destination Void, The Jesus Incident, The Lazarus Effect, Whipping Star, and The Dosadi Experiment. Then I left off for a long time, until his son and Keven J. Anderson started to write the new Dune stuff. Not as good as Frank's original work, but it awakened my interest in his stuff. Since then, I've managed to pick up The Green Brain, The Eyes of Heisenberg, and The Santaroga Barrier. I only recently learned that The Jesus Incident and the Lazarus Effect are followed by another book he wrote with Bill Ransom - The Ascension Factor - Which I now have to try to pick up. I'm also making plans to search Amazon for other books of his that are out of print.
Anyway, enough rambling.
I really like Herbert's books. I started with the original Dune series. The my brother gave me (for Christmas or birthday, can't remember which) a five book collection: Destination Void, The Jesus Incident, The Lazarus Effect, Whipping Star, and The Dosadi Experiment. Then I left off for a long time, until his son and Keven J. Anderson started to write the new Dune stuff. Not as good as Frank's original work, but it awakened my interest in his stuff. Since then, I've managed to pick up The Green Brain, The Eyes of Heisenberg, and The Santaroga Barrier. I only recently learned that The Jesus Incident and the Lazarus Effect are followed by another book he wrote with Bill Ransom - The Ascension Factor - Which I now have to try to pick up. I'm also making plans to search Amazon for other books of his that are out of print.
Anyway, enough rambling.
I've found the Dune series of sci-fi books, either the best or second best series ever read! Only Foundation/Robots by Asimov might be as good.
But oddly, I have not been able to read anything else by Herbert. I've looked at many of the books you mention, but have not been able to bring myself to read them!
"Dosadi Experiment" is without question one of my all-time favorites.
I love the Dune series alot. One of my favorites, thus far.
I read the first four books in less than a week each, and I actually read Dune Messiah in one day.
The only issue I have now is Heretics of Dune. It just doesn't move me like the earlier ones did. It has great aspects, but after all the hatred I built up for the Bene Gesserit it is hard to root for them or sympathize with them all of a sudden.
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I love the Dune series alot. One of my favorites, thus far.
I read the first four books in less than a week each, and I actually read Dune Messiah in one day.
The only issue I have now is Heretics of Dune. It just doesn't move me like the earlier ones did. It has great aspects, but after all the hatred I built up for the Bene Gesserit it is hard to root for them or sympathize with them all of a sudden.
Looks like the digital zombie ate my last post.
It was weird how the Bene Gesserit became the good guys all of a sudden. The more I've reread the series though, the more sense it seemed to make to me. They were always about two things: politics, and human evolution. They had a pretty decent handle on the latter, but it wsn't until after Leto II died that they became the dominant political force in the universe. That made them the targets of the new bad guys, the Honored Matre.
On a different note, though, you should try some of his non-Dune books. Dosadi Experiment is good (as mentioned above) and so is its prequel, Whipping Star. Destination: Void is my favorite of all time though. It is a classic. Other suggestions: White Plague, Hellstrom's Hive, and Under Pressure.
I agree. I don't have any issue with the positioning of the Bene Gesserit or them being the good guys. It is just hard to like them after hating them for so long. I felt conditioned to distrust and dislike them, which makes them less than sympathetic protagonists.
The only issue I have now is Heretics of Dune.
Absolutely loved them all (except maybe "Chapterhouse," and I refuse to read the post-mortem ones). And I have to admit that "Heretics" is my favorite of the bunch. I may get shunned for posting this, but I found Miles Teg to be way cooler than Paul or Leto, especially when he gets "awakened" (much like Jorj in "Dosadi," or the weaker deal with the main character in "Santaroga Barrier"--when you find a gimmick that works for you...).
I do like Teg alot- he's a great character.
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Yeah, I'll also agree that Miles was a great character. Together, he and Duncan made a bad ass team. I will admit, even if you hate me for it, that I've read the stuff Brian Herbert amd Kevin Anderson put out. Of course it is nowhere near as excellent as Frank's writing, but I found it passable and somewhat entertaining. And with the work they are doing, interest has grown in Frank's works, and publishers are issuing reprints. Booyah!
I will say that, in visiting the blog Brian and Kevin started that I read about Anderson's work on an official sequal to A.E. van Vogt's novel Slan. I've gotten through Slan, which was enjoyable, and have another, Pendulum, that I'm looking forward to. That is, hopefully, just the beginning.
I've gotten through Slan, which was enjoyable, and have another, Pendulum, that I'm looking forward to. That is, hopefully, just the beginning.
You might check out "Book of Ptath" as well, if you can find it.
The original Dune trilogy is deservedly a classic of sci-fi, but the next three went downhill (IMO) with increasing speed; after that I gave up on the series.
His other works are spotty for me, though The Godmakers is one of my favorites.
I will admit, even if you hate me for it, that I've read the stuff Brian Herbert amd Kevin Anderson put out.
My biggest issue with Brian in particular is his bogarting certain aspects of Dune. He seems to be partiuclarly resistant to criticism, and he also seems unwilling to share a lot of theinfo he has form his father, which fans would love.
I think once his writing sells less, he will release a compendium or encyclopedia, though.
My biggest issue with Brian [Herbert]... I think once his writing sells less, he will release a compendium or encyclopedia, though.
I'd love to see an authoritative reference -- the Dune Encyclopedia was sometimes interesting, but didn't seem true to Herbert's universe (IMO).
Aberzonmie:
Have you gotten around to Hellstrom's Hive or Soul Catcher yet? Under Pressure is good too. All 3 are older stories, early career stuff, but good none-the-less. Of the batch, I recommend Soul Catcher as best, though Hellstrom's is pretty twitchy too.
When I was 14 I read all the Dune books that existed at the time (God Emperor of Dune), and rushed out to buy every Herbert book in print.
I had the Dosadi Experiment, and Soulcatcher covers painted onto a black jacket along with Leguin's Left Hand of Darkness and some other greats.
Fan.
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Aberzonmie:
Have you gotten around to Hellstrom's Hive or Soul Catcher yet? Under Pressure is good too. All 3 are older stories, early career stuff, but good none-the-less. Of the batch, I recommend Soul Catcher as best, though Hellstrom's is pretty twitchy too.
I've read both Hellstrom's Hive and Under Pressure. I found Under Pressure in a charity book sale here at work (can't believe someone wanted to get rid of it). My original copy of Hellstrom's Hive I purchased used through Amazon, but I also just recently picked up one of the new reprints. I've never read Soul Cathcer, though I'm hoping they do a reprint soon.
In all I've read the following Herbert novels:
All Dune books
Whipping Star
The Dosadi Experiment
Destination:Void (great book)
The Jesus Incident
The Lazarus Effect
The Ascension Factor
The Green Brain
The Eyes of Heisenberg
The Santaroga Barrier
Hellstrom's Hive
The White Plague
Incidently, the website that Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson run (dunenovels.com) shows some of the reprints they've done and are going to do. I'm hoping they add on to the list of going to do.