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Dune: House Atreides (Prelude to Dune Book 1) by [Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Stephen Youll]

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Kevin J. Anderson

Brian Herbert

Dune: House Atreides (Prelude to Dune Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Brian Herbert (Author), Kevin J. Anderson (Author), Stephen Youll (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition

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Book 1 of 3: Prelude to Dune

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Book One of the Epic Prequel to the Classic Novel Dune—Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture

Step into the universe of Frank Herbert’s Dune, one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time.

Before Paul Atreides became Muad’Dib, the dynamic leader who unified the wild Fremen on the desert planet known as Dune . . .

Before the evil Baron Harkonnen overthrew House Atreides and sent Paul and his mother Jessica fleeing into the deadly wasteland of sand . . .

Before the secrets of the spice and the sandworms were discovered . . .

There was another story . . .

The tale of young Leto Atreides learning to become a ruler in the shadow of his great father.

The tale of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, ruthless tyrant who becomes a pawn of Bene Gesserit breeding schemes.

The tale of Pardot Kynes, ambitious planetologist dispatched to the sands of Arrakis to understand the origins of the spice melange, the most valuable substance in the known universe.

And the tale of Crown Prince Shaddam Corrino, whose lust for power leads him to plot the assassination of his own father and to create a plan that will replace the spice and disrupt the Imperium forever . . .

Dune: House Atreides begins the epic worldwide bestselling trilogy that tells of the generation before Dune and sows the seeds for great heroes, vile enemies, and terrible tyrants.

Look for the entire prequel series
DUNE: HOUSE ATREIDES • DUNE: HOUSE HARKONNEN • DUNE: HOUSE CORRINO

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681 pages
Language

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Publisher

Spectra
Publication date

March 18, 2003
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From the Publisher

dune;dune book series;dune prelude;dune movie;science fiction fantasy books;sci fi series;fantasy


	Dune: House Atreides	Dune: House Harkonnen	Dune: House Corrino

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Fans] rejoice in this chance to return to one of science fiction’s most appealing futures.”—The New York Times Book Review

Amazon.com Review

Acclaimed SF novelist Brian Herbert is the son of Dune author Frank Herbert. With his father, Brian wrote Man of Two Worlds and later edited The Notebooks of Frank Herbert's Dune. Kevin J. Anderson has written many bestsellers, alternating original SF with novels set in the X-Files and Star Wars universes. Together they bring personal commitment and a lifelong knowledge of the Dune Chronicles to this ambitious expansion of a series that transformed SF itself. Dune: House Atreides chronicles the early life of Leto Atreides, prince of a minor House in the galactic Imperium. Leto comes to confront the realities of power when House Vernius is betrayed in an imperial plot involving a quest for an artificial substitute to melange, a substance vital to interstellar trade that is found only on the planet Dune. Meanwhile, House Harkonnen schemes to bring Leto into conflict with the Tleilax, and the Bene Gesserit manipulate Baron Harkonnen as part of a plan stretching back 100 generations. In the Imperial palace, treason is afoot, and on Dune itself, planetologist Pardot Kynes embarks on a secret project to transform the desert world into a paradise.

Dune remains the bestselling SF novel ever, such that three decades later no prequel can possibly have the same impact. Yet in House Atreides the authors have written a compelling, labyrinthine, skillfully imagined extension of the world Frank Herbert created, which ably commands attention for almost 600 pages. It is powerful SF that continues a great tradition, and in itself is a very considerable achievement. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Back Cover

Here is the rich and complex world that Frank Herbert created, in the time leading up to the momentous events of Dune. As Emperor Elrood's son plots a subtle regicide, young Leto Atreides leaves for a year's education on the mechanized world of Ix; a planetologist named Pardot Kynes seeks the secrets of Arrakis; and the eight-year-old slave Duncan Idaho is hunted by his cruel masters in a terrifying game from which he vows escape and vengeance. But none can envision the fate in store for them: one that will make them renegades -- and shapers of history. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Inside Flap

by Tim Curry
Six Cassettes, 9 hours

Frank Herbert's award-winning Dune chronicles captured the imaginations of millions of readers worldwide. By his death in 1986, Frank Herbert had completed six novels in the Dune series. But much of his vision remained unwritten. Now, working from recently discovered files left by his father, Brian Herbert and bestselling novelist Kevin J. Anderson collaborate on a new novel, the prelude to Dune-where we step onto planet Arrakis...decades before Dune's hero Paul Maud'Dib Atreides, walks it's sands.

Here is the rich and complex world that Frank Herbert created in his classic series, in the time leading up to the momentous events of Dune. As Emperor Elrood's son Shaddam plots a subtle regicide, young Leto Atreides leaves his lush, water-rich planet for a year's education on the mechanized world of Ix; a planetologist named Pardot Kynes is dispatched by the Emperor to t --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

Brian Herbert, the author of numerous novels and short stories, has been critically acclaimed by leading reviewers in the United States and around the world. The eldest son of celebrated science fiction author Frank Herbert, he, with Kevin J. Anderson, is the author of Hellhole and continues his father's beloved Dune series with books including The Winds of Dune, House Atreides, Sandworms of Dune, among other bestsellers. He also wrote a biography of his father, Dreamer of Dune. Herbert graduated from high school at age 16, and then attended U.C. Berkeley, where he earned a B.A. in Sociology. Besides an author, Herbert has been an editor, business manager, board game inventor, creative consultant for television and collectible card games, insurance agent, award-winning encyclopedia salesman, waiter, busboy, maid and a printer. He and his wife once owned a double-decker London bus, which they converted into an unusual gift shop. Herbert and his wife, Jan, have three daughters. They live in Washington State.

Scott Brick has won many dozens of AudioFile Earphones Awards and several prestigious Audie Awards and was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Library Journal

For those of us who think Frank Herbert should have been granted a divine dispensation by which he could write Dune stories in perpetuity, the publication last year of the series prequel, Dune: House Atreides, the first volume in a scheduled trilogy, was manna from heaven. Working from a cache of recently discovered character and plot notes, son and critically praised sf author Brian Herbert and Nebula Award nominee Anderson collaborate on this lush and textured cosmos and its complex sequence of events in the 40 years preceding the inaugural book, Dune. The epic dramas and intrigues interwoven among the numerous subplots are deftly handled and include the history behind the Atreides-Harkonnen feud; the attempts of Emperor Elrood's treacherous son, Shaddam, to usurp the throne; and the maligned and long-suffering slave boy, Duncan Idaho. This work is brilliantly performed by Tim Curry, whose honeyed and stentorian voice is matched in beautiful and elegant synchronicity with the prose. Verily, a gift on all levels, this is one of the stellar audiobook contributions of the season and is an obligatory acquisition for all libraries.ABarry X. Miller, Austin P.L., TX
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Publishers Weekly

It was a daunting task to describe the origins and intricacies of the many feuds, alliances, schemes and prophesies of one of the most beloved SF novels ever written. Herbert, the son of Frank Herbert, who wrote the original Dune, and Anderson (coauthor, Ai Pedrito!, etc.) have met the challenge admirably. Within a web of relationships in which no act has simple or predictable consequences, they lay the foundations of the Dune saga. Duke Atreides and his son Leto are faced with an attack by their ancient rival, House Harkonnen. Eight-year-old Duncan Idaho strikes a small blow against the cruel Harkonnens by escaping their territory and defecting into the service of the duke. Emperor Elrood, Ruler of the Known Universe, takes vengeance on the machine planet Ix in retribution for a personal affront. Elrood, in turn, is maneuvered off the throne by his son Shaddam. The Bene Gesserits' 1000-year-old plan for breeding a perfect beingAthe Kwisatz HaderachAnears completion. And behind it all lies the harsh, desert world of Dune, the only planet in the known worlds to harbor the mysterious and powerful Spice, which everyone wants to control and one man, paleontologist Kynes, seeks to understand in his quest to make Dune flower again. Though the plot here is intricate, even readers new to the saga will be able to follow it easily (minute repetitions of important points help immensely), as the narrative weaves among the many interconnected tales. The attendant excitement and myriad revelations not only make this novel a terrific read in its own right but will inspire readers to turn, or return, to its great predecessor. (Oct.) FYI: Dune: House Atreides launches a proposed trilogy.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Booklist

For nearly 35 years, Frank Herbert's Dune has been a favorite of science fiction readers, the kind of novel that is read over and over again, until the characters seem like old friends or, in some cases, old enemies. Herbert talked of going back to explore the lives of the generation preceding that of his hero, Paul Atreides, but died before writing that particular story. He left behind a sheaf of notes on the characters and events of it; however, that was discovered only a few years ago. Now his son Brian has collaborated with experienced sf writer Anderson and filled out those notes. If the results don't quite live up to the blend of politics, philosophy, and action that made Dune a classic, exploring the world of Duke Leto Atreides and Baron Vladimir Harkonnen should fascinate most of Dune's vast fandom. The events behind the Atreides-Harkonnen feud, the secret heritage of Jessica, the world of the fanatical Bene Tleilax, and many other mysteries are revealed, with the promise of more to come. Tendrils of narrative follow the planetologist Pardot Kynes on Arrakis, the young Shaddam Corrino plotting for the emperor's throne, the child Duncan Idaho suffering under the Harkonnen boot heel. Other names and places will be instantly recognizable by Dune devotees. Interest should run very high for this first volume of a planned trilogy of which Herbert pere would be proud. Roberta Johnson --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

Since Frank Herbert, author of the mighty Dune series (ending with Chapterhouse: Dune, 1985) died in 1986, rumors have been circulating that his son Brian (Sudanna, Sudanna, 1985) would continue the saga. Finally, in collaboration with Anderson (Star Wars novels, X-files novels, thrillers, etc.) he has: the action of this prequel occurs several decades before that of Dune, the series opener. In a far-future galactic empire, everything from commerce and politics to interstellar travel and longevity depends on a miraculous spice, mlange, whose sole source is the desert planet Arrakis. The Emperor, Elrood IX of House Corrino, sends scientist Pardot Kynes to Arrakis to study its puzzling ecology. Elrood's son Shaddam, meanwhile, plots with the assassin Hasimir Fenring to murder his father, while simultaneously prodding the old emperor to conspire with the despised, genetic-whiz Tleilaxu to develop an artificial source of the spice. A young, lean Baron Harkonnen oversees Arrakis and spice production, while his deadly rival, Paulus Atreides, sends his son, 14-year-old Leto, to planet Ix to study its sophisticated machines. The manipulative Reverend Mothers of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood require both Harkonnen and Atreides genes to achieve their long-standing objective of breeding an omniscient psychic that they can control while remaining dependent on a poisonous spice-liquor to ignite ancestral memories. Undeniably, the authors have accepted a formidable challenge. So how does their effort stack up against Frank Herbert's originals? Well, the plotting's as devious and complicated if less subtle, and it's comparable in scope, with gratifying inventive touches. Still, the disappointingly lightweight characters make for less powerful drama. In a word, satisfying: all Dune fans will want to investigate, newcomers will be tempted, and it should promote fresh interest in the magnificent original series. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Melange is the financial crux of CHOAM activities. Without this spice, Bene Gesserit Reverend Mothers could not perform feats of observation and human control, Guild Navigators could not see safe pathways across space, and billions of Imperial citizens would die of addictive withdrawal. Any simpleton knows that such dependence upon a single commodity leads to abuse. We are all at risk.

--CHOAM Economic Analysis of Materiel Flow Patterns
Lean and muscular, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen hunched forward next to the ornithopter pilot. He peered with spider-black eyes through the pitted windowplaz, smelling the ever-present grit and sand.

As the armored 'thopter flew high overhead, the white sun of Arrakis dazzled against unrelenting sands. The sweeping vista of dunes sizzling in the day's heat made his retinas burn. The landscape and sky were bleached of color. Nothing soothed the human eye.

Hellish place.

The Baron wished he could be back in the industrialized warmth and civilized complexity of Giedi Prime, the central world of House Harkonnen. Even stuck here, he had better things to do back at the local family headquarters in the city of Carthag, other diversions to suit his demanding tastes.

But the spice harvesting must take precedence. Always. Especially a huge strike such as the one his spotters had reported.

In the cramped cockpit, the Baron lounged with well-postured confidence, ignoring the buffet and sway of air currents. The 'thopter's mechanical wings beat rhythmically like a wasp's. The dark leather of his chestpiece fit tightly over well-toned pectorals. In his mid-forties, he had rakish good looks; his reddish gold hair had been cut and styled to exacting specifications, enhancing his distinctive widow's peak. The Baron's skin was smooth, his cheekbones high and well sculpted. Sinewy muscles stood out along his neck and jaw, ready to contort his face into a scowl or a hard smile, depending on circumstances.

"How much farther?" He looked sideways at the pilot, who had been showing signs of nervousness.

"The site is in the deep desert, m'Lord Baron. All indications are that this is one of the richest concentrations of spice ever excavated."

The flying craft shuddered on thermals as they passed over an outcropping of black lava rock. The pilot swallowed hard, focusing on the ornithopter's controls.

The Baron relaxed into his seat and quelled his impatience. He was glad the new hoard was far from prying eyes, away from Imperial or CHOAM corporate officials who might keep troublesome records. Doddering old Emperor Elrood IX didn't need to know every damned thing about Harkonnen spice production on Arrakis. Through carefully edited reports and doctored accounting journals, not to mention bribes, the Baron told the off-planet overseers only what he wanted them to know.

He swiped a strong hand across the sheen of sweat on his upper lip, then adjusted the 'thopter's environment controls to make the cockpit cooler, the air more moist.

The pilot, uncomfortable at having such an important and volatile passenger in his care, nudged the engines to increase speed. He checked the console's map projection again, studied outlines of the desert terrain that spread as far as they could see.

Having examined the cartographic projections himself, the Baron had been displeased by their lack of detail. How could anyone expect to find his way across this desert scab of a world? How could a planet so vital to the economic stability of the Imperium remain basically uncharted? Yet another failing of his weak younger demibrother, Abulurd.

But Abulurd was gone, and the Baron was in charge. Now that Arrakis is mine, I'll put everything in order. Upon returning to Carthag, he would set people to work drawing up new surveys and maps, if the damned Fremen didn't kill the explorers again or ruin the cartography points.

For forty years, this desert world had been the quasi-fief of House Harkonnen, a political appointment granted by the Emperor, with the blessing of the commercial powerhouse CHOAM--the Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles. Though grim and unpleasant, Arrakis was one of the most important jewels in the Imperial crown because of the precious substance it provided.

However, upon the death of the Baron's father, Dmitri Harkonnen, the old Emperor had, through some mental deficiency, granted the seat of power to the softhearted Abulurd, who had managed to decimate spice production in a mere seven years. Profits plunged, and he lost control to smugglers and sabotage. In disgrace, the fool had been yanked from his position and sent off without official title to Lankiveil, where even he could do little damage to the self-sustaining whale-fur activities there.

Immediately upon being granted the governorship, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen had set out to turn Arrakis around. He would make his own mark, erase the legacy of mistakes and bad judgment.

In all the Imperium, Arrakis--a hellhole that some might consider a punishment rather than a reward--was the only known source of the spice melange, a substance worth far more than any precious metal. Here on this parched world, it was worth even more than its weight in water.

Without spice, efficient space travel would be impossible ... and without space travel, the Imperium itself would fall. Spice prolonged life, protected health, and added a vigor to existence. The Baron, a moderate user himself, greatly appreciated the way it made him feel. Of course, the spice melange was also ferociously addictive, which kept the price high....

The armored 'thopter flew over a seared mountain range that looked like a broken jawbone filled with rotted teeth. Up ahead the Baron could see a dust cloud extending like an anvil into the sky.

"Those are the harvesting operations, m'Lord Baron."

Hawklike attack 'thopters grew from black dots in the monochrome sky and swooped toward them. The communicator pinged, and the pilot sent back an identification signal. The paid defenders--mercenaries with orders to keep out unwelcome observers--circled away and took up protective positions in the sky.

So long as House Harkonnen maintained the illusion of progress and profits, the Spacing Guild didn't need to know about every particular spice find. Nor did the Emperor, nor CHOAM. The Baron would keep the melange for himself and add it to his huge stockpiles.

After Abulurd's years of bumbling, if the Baron accomplished even half of what he was capable of, CHOAM and the Imperium would see a vast improvement. If he kept them happy, they wouldn't notice his substantial skim, would never suspect his secret spice stashes. A dangerous stratagem if discovered ... but the Baron had ways of dealing with prying eyes.

As they approached the plume of dust, he took out a pair of binoculars and focused the oil lenses. The magnification permitted him to see the spice factory at work. With its giant treads and enormous cargo capacity, the mechanical monstrosity was incredibly expensive--and worth every solari expended to maintain it. Its excavators kicked up cinnamon-red dust, gray sand, and flint chips as they dug down, scooping up the surface of the desert, sifting for aromatic spice.

Mobile ground units ranged across the open sand in the vicinity of the factory, dipping probes beneath the surface, scraping samples, mapping the extent of the buried spice vein. Overhead, heavier machinery borne by jumbo ornithopters circled, waiting. Peripherally, spotter craft cruised up and down the sands with alert watchers searching for the telltale ripples of wormsign. One of the great sandworms of Arrakis could swallow their entire operation whole.

"M'Lord Baron," the pilot said and handed the communicator wand over to him, "the captain of the work crew wishes to speak with you."

"This is your Baron." He touched his ear to listen to the pickup. "Give me an update. How much have you found?"

Below on the sands, the crew captain answered, his voice gruff, his manner annoyingly unimpressed with the importance of the man to whom he was speaking. "Ten years working spice crews, and this deposit's beyond anything I've ever seen. Trouble is, it's buried deep. Normally, you know, we find the spice exposed by the elements. This time it's densely concentrated, but ..."

The Baron waited for only a moment. "Yes, what is it?"

"Something strange going on here, sir. Chemically, I mean. We've got carbon dioxide leaking from below, some sort of a bubble beneath us. The harvester's digging through outer layers of sand to get at the spice, but there's also water vapor."

"Water vapor!" Such a thing was unheard-of on Arrakis, where the moisture content of the air was nearly unmeasurable, even on the best of days.

"Could have stumbled on an ancient aquifer, sir. Maybe buried under a cap of rock."

The Baron had never imagined finding running water beneath the surface of Arrakis. Quickly he considered the possibilities of exploiting a free-flowing water resource by selling it to the populace. That was sure to upset the existing water merchants, who had grown too swollen with self-importance anyway.

His basso voice rumbled. "Do you think it's contaminating the spice somehow?"

"Not able to say, sir," said the crew captain. "Spice is strange stuff, but I've never seen a pocket like this before. It doesn't seem ... right somehow."

The Baron looked over at the 'thopter pilot. "Contact the spotters. See if they've picked up any wormsign yet."

"No wormsign, m'Lord," the pilot said, scanning the reply. The Baron noticed sparkles of sweat on the man's forehead.

"How long has the harvester been down there?"

"Nearly two standard hours, sir."

Now the Baron scowled. One of the worms should definitely have come before now.

Inadvertently, t... --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From AudioFile

Tim Curry's voice provides the spice that flavors the prequel to DUNE. This futuristic soap opera might have been tedious with a lesser performer, but it becomes a tour de force in Curry's able hands. He clearly relishes the roles of villains Crown Prince Shaddam and his conniving aide, Fenring. He injects sinister glee into their characterizations, while giving heroic characters, such as young Duke Leto Atreides, voices of heroic confidence. The abridgment of this many-threaded tale of rebellion and the search for the secrets of the desert planet Arrakis is handled well, covering a lot of ground in its nine hours. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000FBFN42
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Spectra (March 18, 2003)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 18, 2003
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5676 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 681 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0593159608
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #26,011 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #348 in Space Opera Science Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #564 in Science Fiction Adventure
- #614 in Space Operas

Customer Reviews:
1,205 ratings

About the authors

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Kevin J. Anderson
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Yes, I have a lot of books, and if this is your first visit to my amazon author page, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are new to my work, let me recommend a few titles as good places to start. My major new fantasy trilogy starts with SPINE OF THE DRAGON, followed by VENGEWAR and GODS AND DRAGONS (editing now). My newest Dune novel with Brian Herbert is THE DUKE OF CALADAN. I also love my Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, humorous horror/mysteries, which begin with DEATH WARMED OVER. My steampunk fantasy adventures, CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, written with Neil Peart, legendary drummer from Rush, are two of my very favorite novels ever. And my magnum opus, the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns, begins with HIDDEN EMPIRE. After you've tried those, I hope you'll check out some of my other series.
I have written more than 165 books, including 56 national or international bestsellers. I have over 23 million books in print worldwide in thirty languages. I've been nominated for the Nebula Award, Hugo Award, Bram Stoker Award, Shamus Award, and Silver Falchion Award, and I've won the SFX Readers' Choice Award, Golden Duck Award, Scribe Award, and New York Times Notable Book; in 2012 at San Diego Comic Con I received the Faust Grand Master Award for Lifetime Achievement.
I have written numerous bestselling and critically acclaimed novels in the Dune universe with Brian Herbert, as well as Star Wars and X-Files novels. In my original work, I am best known for my Saga of Seven Suns series, the Terra Incognita trilogy, the Dan Shamble, Zombie PI series, and Clockwork Angels and Clockwork Lives with Neil Peart. Along with my wife Rebecca Moesta, I am also the publisher of WordFire Press. Find out more about me at wordfire.com, where you can sign up for my newsletter and get some free fiction.
FOR RIGHTS INQUIRIES (Film/TV/Gaming/Foreign/Literary) please contact me directly at info (at) wordfire (dot) com, and I will put you in touch with my appropriate representative.
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Brian Herbert
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Brian Herbert is the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers. He has won several literary honors including the New York Times Notable Book Award, and has been nominated for the highest awards in science fiction. In 2003, he published DREAMER OF DUNE, a moving biography of his father Frank Herbert that was a Hugo Award finalist. His acclaimed novels include SIDNEY'S COMET; SUDANNA, SUDANNA; THE RACE FOR GOD; TIMEWEB; THE STOLEN GOSPELS; and MAN OF TWO WORLDS (written with Frank Herbert), in addition to the HELLHOLE Trilogy and DUNE-series novels co-authored with Kevin J. Anderson. Brian published OCEAN, an epic fantasy novel about environmental issues (co-authored with his wife, Jan). Brian's highly original SF novel, THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK OF CHAIRMAN RAHMA released in 2014. See his website: brianherbertnovels.com for book touring information.
SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY NOVELS
Ocean (with Jan Herbert)
The Little Green Book of Chairman Rahma
Sidney's Comet
The Garbage Chronicles
Sudanna, Sudanna
Man of Two Worlds (with Frank Herbert)
Prisoners of Arionn
The Race For God
Memorymakers (with Marie Landis)
Blood on the Sun (with Marie Landis)
Stormworld (novella, with Bruce Taylor)
THE TIMEWEB SERIES
Timeweb
The Web and the Stars
Webdancers
THE STOLEN GOSPELS SERIES
The Stolen Gospels
The Lost Apostles
THE DUNE SERIES (with Kevin J. Anderson)
Dune: House Atreides
Dune: House Harkonnen
Dune: House Corrino
Dune: The Butlerian Jihad
Dune: The Machine Crusade
Dune: The Battle of Corrin
The Road To Dune
Hunters of Dune
Sandworms of Dune
Paul of Dune
The Winds of Dune
Sisterhood of Dune
Mentats of Dune
Navigators of Dune (forthcoming)
THE HELLHOLE SERIES (with Kevin J. Anderson)
Hellhole
Hellhole Awakening
Hellhole Inferno
NON-FICTION BOOKS
Dreamer of Dune (biography of Frank Herbert)
The Forgotten Heroes (story of the U.S. Merchant Marine)
HUMOR BOOKS
Classic Comebacks
Incredible Insurance Claims
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Michel Labeque

The Missing Ingredient

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2018

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First, I should say that I’m not a sci-fi reader: it’s just doesn’t feed me the way well written, emotionally charged fiction can. Frank Herbert’s Dune series, however, is exceptional in that regard and I’ve been rereading those books again and again over the years. I like the story line well enough in House Atreides, but it’s written by sci-fi writers, not great fiction writers. Their characters never speak in the first person, there’s no interior monologue, and as a result I didn’t really care that much about them. There’s no comparison with the way Frank depicts the overarching sorrow within Leto II as his transformation steals more and more of his humanity, as an example, with anything that happens in the current volume. What made Dune so exceptional were the deep observations and questions about what it means to have faith, how do we best express our truest humanity, and ultimately, how do we choose love over everything else that tries to seduce us. This book isn’t even in the same genre.

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Erich Kaulfuss

Dune: House Atreides

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2019

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Satisfactorily authentic. Except for the focus on Duncan Idaho from the beginning, this felt more like a prequel to Dune than a prequel to all six Dune novels, which was fine for me because I remember Dune a lot better than the books that followed.

While the writers were playing in Frank Herbert’s sandbox, they are playing almost entirely with his toys without bringing many new toys of their own, so this lacks the outflow of rich invention that is part of what makes Dune such a mind blowing experience. This is not the case with the story, though. There aren’t many new inventions, but the story is intriguing and compelling.

I guess you could say Frank Herbert invented the car and drove it well. Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson don’t put anything new under the hood, but they do drive it really well.

Finally, I liked the way that the writers put little summaries of the story inside the story. For some people this may be repetitive or seem like dumbing it down, but for me it was welcome. I didn’t have too much trouble following the Dune books when I read them as a younger man, but I am now a lot busier, and appreciate these little moments where something like, “Leto considered the events that had brought him here. He wondered why X had happened, and when that had led to Y, he regretted having to do Z which had led him inexorably to this point.” Sure, it feels a little contrived, but these guideposts let me get right back into the story after a hard week and I appreciate it.

23 people found this helpful

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Juan Pablo Adame Arnedo

While not perfect a must read for Dune fans

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2019

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I had a blast reading this book.

PROs
- Great way to get a richer history of Dune (Houses, schools, the empire as a whole)
- Very nice development of Leto Atreides as a main character
- Some really cool new characters and development of other well known ones
- Fremen in particular you get a lot of detail of them as a people.
- Overall good writing with some scenes just top notch (check CONs)

CONs
- Not Frank Herbert, you can tell that right away
- No inner dialogue, no plans within plans :(
- Characters most of the time unidimensional
- Some really bad scenes where resolution feels frantic, pushed, not elaborated.

I just got House Harkonnen hoping for more details of the Dune universe.
Get the book, you won't regret it
ENJOY

18 people found this helpful

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Diego

All Dune fans should read the newer books

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2019

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I love science fiction, and I read the entire Dune series by Frank Herbert many years ago. When his son started writing the newer books to fill in his father's gaps, I jumped into them and I have devoured each new chapter as soon as it became available.

This book tells the story of Duke Leto Atreides and is the first of the new series. The events happen a generation before the original Dune book and together with the other two (House Harkonnen and House Corrino) they give a great introduction to the original books, providing much better background to everything that follows.

11 people found this helpful

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Masriki

In the same ballpark as the original books

Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2020

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Frank Herbert's Dune series was noted for starting off with an incomparable first book and rapidly going downhill. While Dune: House Atreides isn't as good as the original Dune, it is much better than all but the first two books, lacking the crazy departures and tangential plots of the later books of the original Dune series.

We get to meet Duke Leto as a young man, before he becomes Duke Leto, Count Fenring and Emperor Shaddam before he becomes Emperor Shaddam, and Barron Harkonnen as a young, strong, but still very twisted specimen. We also see Duncan Idaho as a boy, who becomes perhaps the only character in science fiction to travel to another planet looking for someone and not arrive on their doorstep as if the planet's surface area covers only a couple of square miles. He actually has to travel to the other side of Caladan to meet the Old Duke, and isn't just dropped into his lap once he gets off the ship. That by itself is mildly notable.

In short, the entire book is filled with rich descriptions of the Dune universe, as well as storylines that compliment and help complete the original.

5 people found this helpful

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Marva

Stunning...

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2019

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I’m still rather suspended in shock and amazement for the breadth, depth and majesty of this accomplishment. The mastery with which this story was created and written is quite humbling, while gripping me in the wonder of the storytelling, and how it wraps around the complex worlds and sheer genius of the Dune saga. Now I both have to continue these massive and compelling Dune prequels, as well as go back and read Dune and all of the other books in the series, again, after so many years. Joy!! What many hours to look forward to, immersed in these fascinating worlds! This is really solid, good reading. Take a dive! You will not be sorry.

7 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

M. Miller

Dune!! What can I say. Fantastic books.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 16, 2017

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What can I say. Im a Dune fan and I collect all the books. They are worth a read. Really good stories. Reading all the books in order of time line is a must. I love the new as well as the old.

Amazon Customer

good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2018

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read

T. G. Cooper

The best since Messiah.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2000

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A brilliant addition to the Dune series. A worthy successor to Dune and Dune Messiah which knocks spots off Chapter House and Heretics. Reads like Frank Herbert before he got caught by his own verbosity. A big well done to Kevin and Brian and thank you from the bottom of my heart for not writing the sequel(s) to Chapter/Hertics. Let the story hang poised for ever on the verge of another monumental trilogy.

GEORGE LAIRD

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 28, 2016

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well worth the read

deo

The first 3 original books were amazing then they lost track and wallowed around

Reviewed in Canada on June 17, 2018

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I had lost hope a long time ago with the Dune series. The first 3 original books were amazing then they lost track and wallowed around. This Dune: House Atreides book has re-imagined things amazingly well. I am not sure where the shift occured but my hunch is that Kevin J.Anderson's influence on Brian Herbert has clearly made a big difference.

3 people found this helpful

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