Disappointment of Dune

I finished the final book in the post Frank Herbert Dune series; Sandworms of Dune, and am I sorry I wasted the time. I have been a fan of Dune since I discovered the series in high school. Frank Herbert had a unique way of getting into character’s minds and letting the reader feel the emotion as the character felt them. I’ll admit that sometimes he went more for the drama than the excitement but most of his writings were at least readable. That cannot be said for his son Brian.

I have read the prequels that Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have produced. They have more adventure than the original series and provided a history for what was to become Dune but there is a huge gap between styles that cannot be bridged. Most of their characters lacked any depth and their plots were usually transparent and predictable. The disappointment is that they used Frank Herbert’s characters and turned them from fully fleshed into card board cut outs. Even the plots lack the depth of what Frank created.

With the original series, there was always some mystery that went on behind the curtains. You caught glimpses of plots and sub plots and there was enough misdirection to keep you guessing where the book was going. With the prequels and sequels, there is little more than information and misuse of characters. If you have to read them, go ahead and pick them up at the library. At least that way, the only thing you have invested is the gas. Sandworms of Dune is not worth purchasing and the rest of the non-Frank related Dune books are nothing more than an attempt to cash in on the true master’s work.

Icool

Cobb