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TwitterDum's Dune

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DUNE Universe
Review
by James C. Harwood

Visit the Wiki page for "Dune Universe" [Click Here]. I will make use of other Wiki listings for the Dune novels as an aid for this review.

The official Dune Novels website is [Click Here].

Introduction

This is not intended to be a "professional" book review, but rather a very "personal" review of the Dune novels - the Dune universe - and its significant impact on my life. So there will be some relating information about my life in the first part of this posting.

One of the reasons why I'm doing this now is because I will not likely live to see my next birthday. My esophagus is damaged beyond repair, and will continue to deteriorate until it fails and results in my death.

Also, until recently, I was not aware of the extreme hatred some Dune fans - fans of Frank Herbert's novels - have of the prequels and sequels written by Frank Herbert's son Brian Herbert, and co-authored by Kevin J. Anderson. I posted in a special section at Twitter a tweet about my interest in seeing a TV series created, which would start with the first book of the Legends of Dune trilogy. I was severely attacked by a grossly immature troll who likes to flame the Dune prequels and sequels, and especially to flame Kevin J. Anderson without mentioning co-author Brian Herbert. The use of "McDune" to refer to the prequels and sequels made it look like a personal attack on Kevin J. Anderson as he was singled out. A second person at Twitter joined the attack on me, but his postings were a bit more reasonable and perhaps worthy of consideration and respect.

Anyway, I was never before aware of any Dune fans who hate the prequels and sequels as well as their authors. So far, they have been unable or unwilling or not had time yet to provide a list of top ten reasons or things they dislike about the Dune prequels and sequels. They have referred me to an excellent forum http://www.jacurutu.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; where they have posted their views, but I prefer to read a short simple list of specific complaints. It is my hope they will make use of the Comments section under this blog posting to do so, and to do so without the usual flaming troll language. To simply say those books are in general "crap" does not say what all they specifically don't like about them.

[My cousin, James Richard Jankus, from Kansas City, while visiting me here in Norman Oklahoma last weekend, also participated in the conflict at Twitter. One of the idiot trolls wrongfully claimed we are the same person. Jankus is same age as me, him born 7 February 1956, me born 5 March 1956, and we have many interests in common.]

* * *

Part 1 of 2: The Impact of Dune on My Life

I was born 5 March 1956 in Wichita Kansas, into a somewhat Christian family of Republicans in the oil business. I now consider myself to be "more spiritual than religious" as a Spiritual Universalist, rather than a Christian. Also, as a moderate centrist, I am now registered as an Independent voter here in Cleveland County for Norman Oklahoma.

The Harwood Oil Company bit the dust in 1965, so my father was forced to enter a new profession to be able to support our family. He became a life insurance salesman in 1966. My father made the decision in 1967 to donate his body upon death to the KU Medical Center for student doctors to make use of, and put it in his will that there be no grave site and no funeral for him.

At about 5:00am Thursday 16 May 1968, my father awakened me. He told me he would be going on another trip, and that it would be a very long time before my mother, sister, and I see him again, but that everything will be ok. He then left my bedroom, and I went back to sleep. At about 6:00am, I was awakened by the sound of my mother screaming. My sister, 8 years older than me, was away at college, so she was not there that morning. My mother could not awaken my father. There was no 911 back then. She called his doctor. I though it to be very surprising at how quick the doctor got there, as if he were expecting it. His exam of my father was surprisingly brief without any attempt made to revive him. The doctor claimed my father died at about 3:00am. I told the doctor my father talked to me at about 5:00am, so he could not have died earlier. I told the doctor what my father said about going away on a long trip. While the doctor insisted I had dreamed the encounter with my father, he had a look of anger and betrayal on his face. My father's body was then taken away in an ambulance to a location where it would be transferred to the KU Medical Center in Lawrence Kansas. However, his body never arrived there. His body vanished, along with all relating legal paperwork.

My father's sister, and two of their aunts, violated the legal will, held a funeral for him, and bought a grave site and a stone, even though there would never be a body to put there.

I was age 12 in 1968 when my father "died" at age 50.

I first read the novel DUNE by Frank Herbert during the summer of 1968. When I got to the part about the death of Paul's father, I was hooked on it.

* * *

My interest in science fiction began not from books but from shows such as "Lost In Space" and "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" on TV.

DUNE was the first "thick" science fiction paperback novel I'd read up to summer of 1968. All previous science fiction novels I read were thin paperbacks. Also, most of them were obviously intended to be read by children, since I got them through a student book club, so DUNE was the first "adult" science fiction novel I read.

I was especially impressed by the kind of detail and amount of detail Frank Herbert put into the DUNE novel. Never before had I read a book with a section at the back like an encyclopedia to provide additional information. It amazed me that someone could create a whole "universe" like that completely apart from Earth. I decided then that I would someday write or at least try to write a science fiction novel with that kind and amount of detail in it. So reading DUNE is what inspired me to eventually write science fiction. Many years would pass before I'd have time to attempt writing my first novel.

* * *

I graduated from Wichita High School Southeast in 1974. I then attended WSU for one semester, and then KSU in Manhattan Kansas for one semester in 1975. Back in Wichita summer 1975, I began taking some business and drafting classes at Draughon's Business College, until that school closed its doors and filed for bankruptcy at the end of 1975. I was going to go into architectural drafting, but that kind of work triggered severe headaches if I were to attempt to do it for more than two hours at a time. As result, I went into a different profession, on the job training in electronics repair of coin operated amusement games and vending machines. That was my first profession from 1976 to 1986. My second profession was in parts department inventory control, shipping and receiving, and other warehouse work. Then during 1991, I served as a "soldier" in the Southern Division of The Salvation Army at Shreveport, mainly doing disaster relief work after floods and fires. My third profession began in 1992, first as night auditor of a hotel, and then as manager of a small motel.

* * *

Back during December 1975, while at Draughon's Business College, I encountered another student there, a man much older than me, who had an amazing resemblance to my father. A body was found covered on a gurney in a basement level of a hospital in St Louis Missouri in May 1968, which happened to be the same hospital where my father was born. There was no ID or paperwork with the body. A faint heartbeat was discovered. The man was still alive, but left covered there as if dead. He was in a coma for two years. After awakening, he had no memory of his past. He had to go through significant rehabilitation and reeducation. Although never identified, the only body delivered to that hospital the day he was found came from Wichita Kansas and should have gone to Lawrence Kansas. When well enough to do so, he returned to Wichita in search of his past, while then continuing his reeducation at Draughon's Business College.

It was never confirmed he was my father. My mother married my stepfather, a good man, in December 1971. Even if it were to be determined he is my father, he said he felt it would be wrong for him to reenter the life of my mother. When I told my mother about him, she already knew of the man but refused to talk to me about him. I had lunch with him at noon on Sunday 28 December 1975, and then we visited the empty grave site of Richard James Harwood. While there, and staring at the stone, he remarked, "It was just a mild case of death."

After Draughon's Business College suddenly closed at the end of 1975, I lost contact with that man. He vanished. I never saw him again.

* * *

I reread DUNE in 1976 when I finally bought and read DUNE MESSIAH.

I read most of the novels of Robert A. Heinlein, and he became my number one favorite author of all time.

In 1986, a group of religious fanatics began picketing the 7-Eleven stores in Wichita to protest the display of Playboy and other adult men's magazines in those stores. As result, I wrote an editorial against censorship, and it was published in The Wichita Beacon - or maybe it was The Wichita Eagle back then - Wichita had two newspapers - one for morning and one for evening, which eventually merged. The editorial I wrote included an excerpt from one of Heinlein's novels, Revolt In 2100, in particular the story titled "If This Goes On." My published editorial resulted in a significant boost in sales for that novel at bookstores in Wichita. The manager of one of the bookstores, which was also threatened by the religious fanatics because of its back wall display of men's magazines, sent a copy of my published editorial to Baen Books. It was then sent to Robert A. Heinlein, along with my name and address as listed in the Wichita telephone book. Robert was too ill at that time to do any writing himself, so he dictated everything to his wife, Virginia Heinlein. He signed a letter of thanks, and she mailed it to me. We exchanged two more letters, and he encouraged me to write my novel. After he died, I exchanged a couple of letters with Virginia Heinlein, and she was very happy that other fans as well as me were willing to correspond with her while she still lived on Bonny Doon Road.

* * *

I also became a fan of Spider Robinson and especially his "Callahan's" series of science fiction novels. I especially liked the kind of humor he put into those stories. His style of writing had significant influence on my style of writing. Read about "Callahan's Crosstime Saloon" at Wiki [Click Here].

One other "thick" paperback science fiction novel and its author had significant influence on my style of writing, although I did not completely adopt his style of writing. "Dhalgren" by Samuel R. Delany. An example of it is at the website [Click Here]. Read about that novel at Wiki [Click Here]. I was impressed by how his style of writing, to present the ramblings of a madman, broke most of the rules of English.

I was also influenced by the science fiction novels co-written by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, especially "The Mote on God's Eye" being one of my favorites.

I read DUNE for the third time, and DUNE MESSIAH for the second time, when I bought and read CHILDREN OF DUNE and GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE in 1986.

* * *

I finished one short story manuscript titled "HEREafter" and one novel length manuscript titled "The Ambassador to Earth" in 1988. I began submitting the short story to various science fiction magazines, and all rejected it without explanation. I began submitting the novel length manuscript to various literary agents, and to a few publishers who accepted submissions directly from writers. All publishers rejected it with the usual rejection notices that provided no reason given. Then one agent offered not to help me get it published, but to come to work for him as an apprentice literary agent. He was the retired head librarian of the Austin Public Library, and had started his own literary agency. He wanted to teach me the business and then sell the agency to me. I accepted and moved to Austin Texas in January 1989. He died two months later, and his wife who hated the business then shut it down. I eventually moved on to a job in Dallas for the rest of 1989 before returning to Wichita.

During my third profession, first as a hotel night auditor and then as a motel manager, I had time to continue my writing in 1992. Before the agent in Austin died, he convinced me that "HEREafter" should have been the novel and "The Ambassador to Earth" should have been the short story. Therefore, I expanded "HEREafter" and included the best chapter from "The Ambassador to Earth" because of how it could be tried in with the new version.

For ten years I submitted the new version of "HEREafter" to literary agents and a few publishers who accepted submissions directly from writers. I collected ten years of standard rejection form letters, none giving any reason for rejection.

I nearly died from iron absorption anemia on 9 January 1998. My hemoglobin count dropped to only 4.7 from what should have been 14.0. A doctor told me, "Human life cannot exist under 5.0 so right now we don't know what is keeping you alive." First, I replied, "What makes you think I'm human?" Then, after recalling the words of a man in December 1975, I remarked, "Perhaps it's just a mild case of death." I was then given an emergency blood transfusion of 3 pints of blood to save my life.

My mother died at age 70 in 1993. My stepfather died in 2000 and left me $5,000. I returned to college to take business and computer courses in 2001 and 2002 at the downtown campus of Wichita Area Technical College.

In June of 2002, I bought my first computer. I put MS Word 2000 on it, and used that to write a better version of "HEREafter" retitled with the subtitle "Book One: A Mild Case of Death."

My doctor caused me to believe I would likely die soon from my body no longer being able to absorb enough iron. Therefore, I decided to publish the novel through a print-on-demand [POD] publisher. It was published as a trade paperback in May 2003, and sold through websites like Amazon.com instead of being displayed at normal bookstores. The publisher, and websites listing it, did not know I put my email address in the book so that readers could contact me. So you see, I was getting emails from readers, but the publisher and websites claimed there had not been any sales, so I didn't have any money in royalties coming to me. After a year of being ripped off, I terminated the publisher and ordered the listing removed from all websites. I still own all rights.

In May 2004, it was republished as an ebook by a publisher in Australia. Amazon.com and other websites refused to list it, so it was only sold through the ebook publisher's website. Then in June 2006, that ebook publisher went out of business and shut down his website.

"HEREafter, Book One: A Mild Case of Death" became available as a free "blog novel" recently at my primary blog website [Click Here].

* * *

In June 2006, I bought new copies and reread...
DUNE
DUNE MESSIAH
CHILDREN OF DUNE
GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE

Then I bought and read for the first time...
HERETICS OF DUNE
CHAPRERHOUSE: DUNE

After that, I bought and read the DUNE "prequels" by Brian Herbert [son of Frank Herbert] and co-author Kevin J. Anderson, in the following order...
DUNE: THE BUTLERIAN JIHAD
DUNE: THE MACHINE CRUSADE
DUNE: THE BATTLE OF CORRIN
DUNE: HOUSE ATREIDES
DUNE: HOUSE HARKONNEN
DUNE: HOUSE CORRINO

After I moved 3 May 2008 to Norman Oklahoma, I bought in hard cover as soon as it became available in bookstores...
PAUL OF DUNE

I also then bought in paperback and read the two DUNE "sequels" as follows...
HUNTERS OF DUNE
SANDWORMS OF DUNE

I have not read and have no plan to ever read...
THE WINDS OF DUNE

* * *

Review of each of the DUNE novels will be presented in "DUNE Universe - Review - Part 2 of 2" to be written and posted here later today.

* * *
Posted by James C. Harwood at 3/16/2010 08:51:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Brian Herbert, Dune, Frank Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, science fiction
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by SandRider »


Tuesday, March 16, 2010
DUNE Universe - Review - Part 2 of 2
DUNE Universe
Review
by James C. Harwood

Part 2 of 2: The Dune Novels

[It is ok to read this Part 2 first - it is the actual review of the books. Part 1 is more about the impact these novels have had on my life.]

First, to note, this posting is not intended to be a "professional" book review, but rather a "personal" review of science fiction novels that had significant influence on my life.

Second, to note, I no longer have copies of any of these books right here in front of me to refer to. I recently gave my entire collection to a friend, because I'll likely die from increasing problems with my esophagus within a year from now. I do have access to and am referring to the information about these books at Wiki, to help refresh my memory.

* * *

The Original DUNE Novels by Frank Herbert:


DUNE:

Wiki [Click Here]

I first read DUNE in 1968 at age 12 soon after my father died at age 50. When I got to the part about the death of Paul's father, Duke Leto Atreides, I became hooked on it.

DUNE was the first "thick" paperback novel I'd read up to summer 1968. All previous books were thin paperbacks. Also, the first "adult" novel I read. All previous books were intended for children and bought through a school book club.

I was impressed with the amount and kind of detail Frank Herbert put into DUNE. I was amazed that one person could create a whole "universe" like that. Also, it was the first science fiction novel I read that has a kind of short encyclopedia at the back of the book to get more information about characters and other subjects.

I now see that the person who wrote the listing for DUNE at Wiki did not get the date accurate, wrongfully stating "some 20,000 years in the future." It is closer to the year 10,000.

I was partly bothered by and partly impressed by Earth not being mentioned in DUNE. I kept wondering, what happened to Earth? Is this a completely different "universe" that does not include an Earth, or a distant part of the galaxy if not in another galaxy? I do not recall that ever being answered in any of the DUNE novels by Frank Herbert. There were a few hints along the way, but nothing specific. I do recall that in an interview Frank said he originally wanted to place the events on Mars, but then changed his mind and created the planet Dune aka Arrakis.

One other thing that bothered me about the story in DUNE has to do with the spice being needed for the folding of space, and of course that it can only be found on one planet, Arrakis - also known as DUNE. By what method of space travel did the empire expand to thousands of worlds before the spice was found on Arrakis and its use for folding space was discovered? That was never explained in any of the DUNE novels by Frank Herbert, if I recall correctly. I figured, since the story is taking place about 10,000 years in the future, it would have taken that long for other slower methods of space travel for the empire to expand as far as it did before discovery of the means to fold space.

Make no mistake about it, even though a couple of things bothered me about DUNE, I consider it to be the number one best science fiction novel of all time. The writing is excellent, the story is excellent, the characters are excellent, the settings are excellent, and the ending of the novel was excellent.

Many years after reading DUNE for the first time, when I bought the newest paperback copy, I found the new edition to be noticeably thinner than the original and in larger print. The original I read in 1968 was much thicker and had smaller print. I don't have the oldest and newest to compare side-by-side, but I do believe the newest version is an "abridged" version, although it does not show "abridged" on the cover or inside the book. There are scenes involving Baron Harkonnen, which I remember from the original but did not find in the newest copy! I'd like to know who in their left mind butchered the original masterpiece by cutting out those and other scenes to shorten the novel, and which idiot approved and allowed the publisher to do that. So that, more than anything else, should have Frank Herbert turning over in his grave. It really angered me. I felt like I was ripped off, not getting everything I paid for.

DUNE MESSIAH:

Wiki [Click Here]

I never really accepted or fully understood the need for or reason for the jihad. It was as if the good guys, who already won the universe at the end of DUNE, were not satisfied with having it all, and then went on a massive killing spree for revenge. It looked to me like the good guys not only became the bad guys, they became far worse than the former bad guys!

Further, I didn't like what happened to Paul.

Even considering all I didn't like about the story, everything else was good.

Comparing DUNE to DUNE MESSIAH, I give DUNE a grade of A, and I give DUNE MESSIAH a grade of B.


CHILDREN OF DUNE:

Wiki [Click Here]

The third novel completed a trilogy that was originally considered by Frank Herbert to be a single story. I liked it more than DUNE MESSIAH but not as much as DUNE, so I grade it between a B and an A.

I did not like the transformation of Leto into a "human-sandworm hybrid" at the end of the novel. I felt, at that point, the DUNE story crossed the line from pure science fiction into the realm of fantasy. I'm not a big fan of fantasy science fiction.


GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE:

Wiki [Click Here]

The first time I tried to read this fourth novel in the DUNE series by Frank Herbert, I didn't like it. I found it difficult to read, and I didn't finish it. Several years later, desperate, I picked it up again, reread what I'd already read, and then finished reading all of it. I discovered, much to my surprise, the second time through, I liked it. Even so, I give it the grade of C, compared to the first novel DUNE given the grade of A. The story has left the realm of what I refer to as pure science fiction and gone over into mostly fantasy science fiction. The involvement of the Duncan Idaho gholas, one of my favorite characters, is the only thing that kept me from knocking the grade of the book down to a D. My dislike for this fourth book is what delayed me for several years from buying and reading the next two books in the series.

HERETICS OF DUNE:

Wiki [Click Here]

Many years passed before I finally got around to reading the fifth book of the series, because I disliked the fourth book so much. I was desperate for something to read, and it was on sale, so I gave it a chance. I 'm happy I did! Suddenly, the DUNE story is out of the fantasy science fiction of the fourth book, and back into what I like to refer to as pure science fiction. I liked the fifth book so much I have given it the grade of A, actually an A- [minus] compared to the first book DUNE being an A+ [plus]. I found the contrast in characters to be amazing, as well as all of the relating story lines. Frank Herbert did a masterful job of adding a sub-genre element to the pure science fiction as main genre, being mystery, which I found to be very refreshing for science fiction. So the fifth book included an element of mystery, which made me want to read more. He also gave it an important third sub-genre element, being adventure. I love adventure science fiction!

CHAPTERHOUSE DUNE:

Wiki [Click Here]

I consider the first three DUNE novels to be a good trilogy. I consider the fourth DUNE novel to be a stand on its own story, which I found difficult to like. I consider the fifth and sixth books to be a single story in two parts, with a hint that there could and should be a third part to turn it into a second trilogy. I liked the sixth book slightly more than the fifth book. So here are the grades so far...
DUNE = A+
DUNE MESSIAH = B
CHILDREN OF DUNE = B+
GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE = C
HERETICS OF DUNE = A-
CHAPTERHOUSE DUNE = A

* * *

The DUNE "Prequels" by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson:

The one thing I've most wondered about these books, is how much of them are from "notes" left behind by Frank Herbert, how much and what parts of the writing belong to Brian Herbert, and how much and what parts of the writing belong to Kevin J. Anderson. I likewise wondered a similar thing about the novels co-authored by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, being how much and what parts of "The Mote in God's Eye" for example belonged to which author. Who really deserves the credit for the really good parts; one, the other, or both? I sense this is why I have a kind of love/hate relationship with "Stargate Universe" on the Syfy Channel. One week it is what I call pure science fiction by one writer, and the next week it is an exercise in what I call political science fiction of far left liberal politics by a different author. I find the use of the "stones" for soul travel to exchange souls and minds between bodies separated by such great distance to be cheating the basic story and to be unrealistic. I believe they do that to bring in the old characters of Stargate SG-1 out of fear that the new characters of Stargate Universe can't stand on their own to keep the viewers and keep up the ratings. I'm happy that Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson did not resort to time jumping between the old characters of DUNE and the new characters of the prequels, like old characters telling the story to go from the times of DUNE to the times in the history of the prequels - mainly the Legends of Dune trilogy.

Legends of Dune trilogy:



THE BUTLERIAN JIHAD:

Wiki [Click Here]

Finally! I finally got the answer to the question of what in Herbert hell happened to planet Earth! I finally got the answer to the question of what in the Herbert universe was used for space travel between the worlds of the galactic empire before there was spice as the means to fold space!

I did not like the creation of Omnius. I felt it to be a blatant and gross rip-off of "Colossus: The Forbin Project" - see Wiki [Click Here]. I felt the same way about the similar kind of machine artificial intelligence in the "Terminator" movies.

Otherwise, I liked The Butlerian Jihad. It is a combination of what I call pure science fiction and adventure science fiction. I give it the grade of a straight A.

THE MACHINE CRUSADE:

Wiki [Click Here]

I enjoyed the characters in this book almost more than any other book. The writing is excellent and easy to read. The story is excellent. The settings are excellent. I give this book the grade of A+ being equal to the original DUNE getting an A+ grade. It is flawless pure science fiction and great adventure science fiction.

THE BATTLE OF CORRIN:

Wiki [Click Here]

The cause and beginning of the Atreides-Harkonnen feud is the main event that interests me in this book. There is some gray between the black and white, between good and evil. In some ways it reminds me of some westerns in which two good guys on the same side in one conflict end up being on opposite sides in a later conflict. The same is true of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars III, with Anakin turning into Darth Vader. Even so, it is hard to accept that the good House Harkonnen of the ancient past could become such an evil House in DUNE. It is very well explained, but hard to accept. I don't like feeling sorry for the bad guys because they were long ago good guys. In the long run, it make House Atreides not as good as I believed them to be in the past for their part in contributing to the feud. However, be that as it stands at the end of this book, there is much more to justify the feud in the "Prelude to Dune" trilogy...

* * *

Prelude to Dune:

I was a little surprised to discover Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson wrote the "Prelude to Dune" trilogy before writing the "Legends of Dune" trilogy. I bought and read "Legends" first, and then read "Prelude" since "Legends" was first on the timeline.

I absolutely do not like how the books of this trilogy are titled. It is really a 3-part single story spanning a period of time. None of the three books stand on their own. There is no overlapping history. There isn't anything special about book one that makes it Atreides, but it must be read first. The story continues in House Harkonnen, and is completed in House Corrino. The titles are simply misleading about the true nature of the books. Other than the problem with the titles, I like the books equally. I grade each of them an A- [minus]. I will not include any further comments under each of the books of this trilogy listed below...

HOUSE ATREIDES:

Wiki [Click Here].


HOUSE HARKONNEN:

Wiki [Click Here].



HOUSE CORRINO:

Wiki [Click Here].

* * *

The DUNE Sequels:

What a mess...

HUNTERS OF DUNE:

Wiki [Click Here].

This is the worst book of all DUNE novels. It is worse than Good Emperor of Dune, which I gave the grade of C to. The first fifth I grade an A, the second fifth a B, the third fifth a C, the fourth fifth a D, and the final fifth an F. It was so bad I could not finish it. Instead, I went to Wiki to read the synopsis and ending in order to get it over with as quickly as possible. I'd already bought Sandworms of Dune at the same time, and was afraid I might not get through it at all.

I read somewhere an interview, and saw part of an interview perhaps posted at YouTube - I forget which one it was - Brian or Kevin - who was interviewed. The notes of Frank Herbert were found for DUNE 7. Something about that didn't completely ring true! I got the impression I was being lied to, to some extent. Maybe they really did turn 30 pages of notes into two novels. It was said that DUNE 7 was to be a single novel, but the 30 pages turned into 1000 pages after it was all fleshed out, being way too long to be a single book. So they decided to break it into two books. There is way too much detail in Hunters of Dune! It is bogged down with needless information and scenes. Fleshed out? Way too much fat! The smartest thing they could have done would have been to cut the 1000 pages down to 500, as a single book, as it was originally intended to be just DUNE 7, and end it all right there. I believe the decision to turn it into two books was a money decision to double their money. So it was about quantity rather than about quality.



SANDWORMS OF DUNE:

Wiki [Click Here].

Like the book God Emperor of Dune, and the book Hunters of Dune, the book Sandworms of Dune drifts over into fantasy science fiction, which I usually don't like. It lacks good pure science fiction, and it lacks good adventure science fiction.

Sandworms of Dune is better than Hunters of Dune. I was able to read Sandworms of Dune without slamming it against a wall out of frustration. I give it a fairly level grade of C from start to finish. It had a few good points, but not many. It did not provide a satisfying conclusion to an excellent series of novels.

* * *

Heroes of Dune:

Creating a "Heroes of Dune" trilogy is not a totally bad idea, but it is one I can live without. I really should not have bought the first one, but it was acceptable enough that I did not feel like my money was ripped off.

PAUL OF DUNE:

Wiki [Click Here].

The story in this book alternates between events in the House Corrino book and DUNE, and events between DUNE and Dune Messiah. I give it a grade of B+ for the pre-DUNE events and a grade of B- for the post-DUNE events. The only real good was getting to enjoy some of my favorite old characters again.

* * *

MOVIES and TELEVISION:

The DUNE movie was acceptable. The two DUNE miniseries on the SciFi Channel was acceptable. I'd give all of them the grade of a straight B.

I'd like to see DUNE turned into two different TV shows. One would be an hour-long anthology series, by which I mean each story each week stands on its own with its own unique characters in the Dune Universe, with a different guest director and writer every week. The other would be an hour long series beginning with events on Earth in the Butlerian Jihad, and slowly progressing up to Dune 7 but with a better content and ending than provided by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Make no mistake about it, I like Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, especially for the Dune prequels, but DUNE needs new blood even though Frank Herbert is dead and can never be replaced. DUNE must continue. The spice must flow!

* * *

[I accept comments on this and other postings at this blog. I do not like to censor any comments. However, I will not accept any foul or flaming troll language or any idiotic troll logic. I will accept opposing views if reasonably presented. I'd like to see someone post in comments their Top Ten Complaints about the DUNE books by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, being as specific as possible rather than in usual flaming generalized terms.]
Posted by James C. Harwood at 3/16/2010 12:32:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Brian Herbert, Dune, Frank Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, science fiction

I think we can do better than ten ...
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by Nekhrun »

SandRider wrote: I think we can do better than ten ...
I'm sure we've got a list around here somewhere that can just be pasted.
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by SandRider »

you know what ?

fuck this dipshit.

#1 - his blagh is set for comments only from bullshit IDs like that info-stealing, FBI-logging googleID, and
other bullshit I'm just not signing up for only to tell this dipshit, fuck you, I'll not do your research for you -
you know where Jacurutu is, if you're too fucking lazy to read a few clearly titled threads instead of sticking
your flathead in the sand and saying "Where's your proof? Post it on my personal self-stroking piece of web-
based self-validation so I'll have atleast some traffic.", fuck you, you dipshit.

#2 - so fucking what if he's old and dying ? so am I. what's that got to do with what an asshole Keith is ?
and if he thinks I won't drag all his personal detail bullshit into this, well he's stupid and wrong. You posted
all that crap on a open blagh attached to a "Dune Review" - fair game, raspy. Swallow some cotton balls &
a shot of whiskey and shut the fuck up.

#3- that story about his Daddy just reeks of bullshit. there are so many holes in it, it'd make Brian Herbert say
"But ... Kevin ... that just doesn't make any sense...."

#4- I really hate anybody that's cobbled together a string of words and ran thru a carton of printer ink making
copies of their "book" that never has and never will sell one copy and finally giving up and posting it in a blagh and putting
"Science Fiction Author" in the banner and crapping up search results for actual relevant content, and then posting
their inane comments about real books and real authors, ripe with misspellings and sentences ending in prepositions,
and other evidence that they are, in fact, nothing close to a "writer" and, in fact, flunked out of 8th Grade Remedial
English and then want to argue with me about what an asshole Keith is and get all butt-hurt when I talk mean to them.

#5- fuck this dipshit, and his dipshit cousin.
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by SandChigger »

One step ahead of you there, SR. This will probably never be seen on his blog, so I'll post it here. I haven't even begun to read all the way through it, but the part I quote caught my eye and made me question the point of even responding to this fuck (oops! "Troll language"! :lol: ):
"I now see that the person who wrote the listing for DUNE at Wiki did not get the date accurate, wrongfully stating "some 20,000 years in the future." It is closer to the year 10,000."

You know, it's basic mistakes like this that show you're not up-to-speed enough to really even discuss the series. Go get a copy of Dune and reread the "Religion Appendix" (Appendix II: The Religion of Dune).

One hundred and ten centuries from the time humankind moves into space until the Butlerian Jihad. Then another 10,191 years until the time of Dune. That's over 21,000 years in the future.

As for your "Top Ten Complaints" request, RealDune has given you a link to Jacurutu. Do your own homework.
I noticed, too, that he refers to Omnius as a rip-off of Colossus from The Forbin Project.

The only problem with that comparison is that Colossus was cold, calculating and SUPER intelligent. Omnius is a schizo emo retard by comparison. Colossus would have eaten Omnius for breakies. :twisted:
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by TheDukester »

SandRider wrote:... you know where Jacurutu is ...
I've told him twice, with full URLs each time ... I thought a Tiny URL might scare him off.

Also, complete agreement on the "author" thing. Haven't sold a single book? Well, Peaches, that means you're not an author. Period. End of story. Next case, please.
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by SandChigger »

(Um ... Reading is... what again? ;) )
The publisher, and websites listing it, did not know I put my email address in the book so that readers could contact me. So you see, I was getting emails from readers, but the publisher and websites claimed there had not been any sales, so I didn't have any money in royalties coming to me.
I'm a bit fuzzy on how his email address could be in the paperback without the publisher knowing about it ... unless they never even read it. Either way, he's claiming that it sold, he just never got paid for the paperback.

Found that by searching "sold". Not sure I'm really interested in reading his mini-autobiography.... :roll:
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by SandRider »

#4- I really hate anybody that's cobbled together a string of words and ran thru a carton of printer ink making
copies of their "book" that never has and never will sell one copy and finally giving up and posting it in a blagh and putting
"Science Fiction Author" in the banner and crapping up search results for actual relevant content, and then posting
their inane comments about real books and real authors, ripe with misspellings and sentences ending in prepositions,
and other evidence that they are, in fact, nothing close to a "writer" and, in fact, flunked out of 8th Grade Remedial
English and then want to argue with me about what an asshole Keith is and get all butt-hurt when I talk mean to them.
I just realized that's one sentence;
and may even be grammatically correct -
with minus style points for too many conjunctions, maybe ....

some former English Major grade that for me, for fun ...
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by SandChigger »

Run thru.

Anybody that's ... run thru.... But that's just me. :P

Pookey still ain't put my comment thru. Think he's gonna?

If I get bored (and I mean like, get stabby on my own eyes with a sharp stick bored), I might answer the puck over on my own blog.

And not link to his, just go over an post a comment telling him on his. Or on TwitTwit. :twisted:
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by SandChigger »

Here's someone else to mess with: http://jdh-bookreview.blogspot.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by lotek »

SandChigger wrote:I noticed, too, that he refers to Omnius as a rip-off of Colossus from The Forbin Project.
more than just a souped-up adding machine.
Spice is the worm's gonads.
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by SandRider »

Ithcy Sand Bug wrote: Run thru.

Anybody that's ... run thru.... But that's just me. :P
okay. I said it aloud several times and decided I'da said "run" if speaking ...

would depend on the situation, if I was speaking on a serious subject and trying
to sound smart and persuasive, or with a heavier accent for effect ...

Where's yo' mama, boy?
She done r-u-n-n-o-f-t ...


http://jdh-bookreview.blogspot.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To date, the latest Dune Saga written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson is by far, in this writer’s opinion, the most imaginative and the best Science Fiction story ever written to date. Written on the heels of the original Dune series by Frank Herbert, it not only precedes the original storyline but also continues it further to a spectacular conclusion. The characters are colourful, the story, solid and the imagination, well, what can I say about the imagination.
seriously, Chig, fuck you.
I don't have time for all these shitheels & retarded gimps.

my company has been doing everything it can to throw away the contract on the next project,
so I've already served notice I'm heading to the Hill Country in a few days for about 10 ten
days to encamp at one of my favorite yearly re-enactments, which I missed last year while
working .... so I got lotsa stuff to do - today I'm setting up all the regimental hosptial
tents in the front field and painting them down with fresh canvass sealer, and I gotta rebore
a Cogswell Pepperbox revolver ....
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how to fully interact with people.
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by lotek »

PAST REVIEWS
Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
Review in progress....
yeah right...
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by SandChigger »

That son of the South who never stops wrote:...so I've already served notice I'm heading to the Hill Country in a few days for about 10 ten days to encamp at one of my favorite yearly re-enactments, which I missed last year while working .... so I got lotsa stuff to do - today I'm setting up all the regimental hosptial tents in the front field and painting them down with fresh canvass sealer, and I gotta rebore a Cogswell Pepperbox revolver ....
Kewl. :D

When & where's that re-enactment in August/September again?
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by lotek »

SandRider wrote: I'm heading to the Hill Country in a few days for about 10 ten
days to encamp at one of my favorite yearly re-enactments,
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The Lucky Ones Die First
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by SandRider »

SandChigger wrote:
When & where's that re-enactment in August/September again?
Chickamauga Battlefield, last weekend in September,
just south of Chattanooga, Tennessee
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by SandChigger »

Ah. Too bad. :(
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by TheDukester »

SandRider wrote:Chickamauga Battlefield, last weekend in September, just south of Chattanooga, Tennessee
The Las Vegas line has the rebels heavily favored again. No one seems to like the Union's chances.
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by Nekhrun »

TheDukester wrote:
SandRider wrote:... you know where Jacurutu is ...
I've told him twice, with full URLs each time ... I thought a Tiny URL might scare him off.
Maybe, try this: http://www.shadyurl.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jacurutu becomes: http://5z8.info/autoinstall_j9x9z_10101110010110101001" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
:D
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by TheDukester »

Shady URL! :lol:

That's awesome!
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by SandChigger »

What's this shit about?
Many years after reading DUNE for the first time, when I bought the newest paperback copy, I found the new edition to be noticeably thinner than the original and in larger print. The original I read in 1968 was much thicker and had smaller print. I don't have the oldest and newest to compare side-by-side, but I do believe the newest version is an "abridged" version, although it does not show "abridged" on the cover or inside the book. There are scenes involving Baron Harkonnen, which I remember from the original but did not find in the newest copy! I'd like to know who in their left mind butchered the original masterpiece by cutting out those and other scenes to shorten the novel, and which idiot approved and allowed the publisher to do that. So that, more than anything else, should have Frank Herbert turning over in his grave. It really angered me. I felt like I was ripped off, not getting everything I paid for.
Is there anything to this? Or is it just his esophagus wrapped around and strangling his brain again? :roll:

(I sorta skim-read his "review" post (the #2 of 2) and he actually ranks some of the McDune books higher than GEoD. I don't really need more to call DUMBFUCK!)
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by TheDukester »

There's never been an English-language "abridgment" (and isn't that more of an audiobook term, anyway?) that I've ever heard of ... this sounds like a case of faulty memory/basic idiocy.

The different sizes of the editions in question are easily explained, of course, by different typesetting. Type-size and margins are settings that can easily add or subtract many pages from a long-ish novel like Dune. The use (or not) of initial caps to begin chapters, the use of illustrations, and the use of blah, blah, blah will also affect length.

Verdict: clueless buckethead with faulty wiring. Next case!
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Re: TwitterDum's Dune

Post by DuneFishUK »

TheDukester wrote:There's never been an English-language "abridgment" (and isn't that more of an audiobook term, anyway?) that I've ever heard of ... this sounds like a case of faulty memory/basic idiocy.

The different sizes of the editions in question are easily explained, of course, by different typesetting. Type-size and margins are settings that can easily add or subtract many pages from a long-ish novel like Dune. The use (or not) of initial caps to begin chapters, the use of illustrations, and the use of blah, blah, blah will also affect length.

Verdict: clueless buckethead with faulty wiring. Next case!
Actually... there is an abridged version of Dune out there.

But it's 144 pages of simple English - I doubt that's what this chap is on about.
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