Hunchback Jack

Hunchback Jack · Post by **Hunchback Jack** » 30 May 2008 15:23

Hi all!

I'm HBJ, a 40-year-old Australian living on the U.S. West Coast. I've been reading SF ever since I could understand it, although now I tend to mix it in with mainstream and mystery novels as well.

I've been a fan of the Dune novels for about twenty years. I've read them through about 3 or 4 times, I guess, and I still get more out of them each new reading. I'm by no means an expert on them - I probably remember less than most of you guys have forgotten about the intricate details. But I think they are among the most challenging and rewarding SF novels I've read.

I read the Prelude to Dune trilogy, and thought it was about average. The plots were a bit simplistic, and the deviations from the canon (House Vernius? No-ships before "Dune"? Artificial spice?) were annoying. But interesting enough to finish.

I couldn't finish the Legends of Dune series, though. TBJ just seemed like a Star Wars novel, with one-dimensional characters, a plot so simplistic as to be insulting, and foreshadowing up the wazoo. And some of the writing was clunky as hell. I didn't finish it, and didn't start the others in the series.

I'm now reading Hunters of Dune, and it's better than I expected. I'm about 150 pages in. There are still problems (which I'll probably vent about in another thread), but my desire to see what happens next is strong enough for me to persevere.

Nice place you have here.

HBJ

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » 30 May 2008 15:32

Welcome. You've come to the right place. Hunters was better written than the Legends series, but wait till you get further in... it's gonna hurt a bit.

Hunchback Jack · Post by **Hunchback Jack** » 30 May 2008 15:53

Thanks!

Re: Hunters: Yeah, I figured. I'll enjoy it while I can. Thanks for the heads up.

HBJ

Post by **Omphalos** » 30 May 2008 16:58

A Thing of Eternity wrote:Welcome. You've come to the right place. Hunters was better written than the Legends series, but wait till you get further in... it's gonna hurt a bit.

I dont agree. I only read the first House book, but based on that I think every book that they have produced has been a little bit worse than the last. Hunters is not as bad as Sadworms, but lordy, it aint good.

Nekhrun · Post by **Nekhrun** » 30 May 2008 17:02

Welcome HBJ, I think you'll fit in here just fine based on your take on the 2000 interview you posted in another thread.

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » 30 May 2008 17:07

I haven't read the House books at all. You don't think that compared to the Legends series (especially the last two, that series really got weaker as it went along) it was stronger writing? Don't get me wrong, it still reads like shit, but I thought the prose and dialogue was more thought out and had a better flow than the Legends books. It's unfortunate that I have to use positive statements to describe something weak, but it would get tiresome always saying "less un-realistic dialogue. less..." . Anyways, Just my opinion, but I definitly thought the flow of the writing in Hunters sucked less. Not the charactors, not the plot, and not the content - I didn't see much improvement in these areas.

Pardot Kynes · Post by **Pardot Kynes** » 30 May 2008 17:20

I actually LIKED the house books- very good fanfiction

The others though, suck.

Welcome!

orald · Post by **orald** » 30 May 2008 18:22

Welcome fellow jihadist! Soon we shall cleanse the world of these hacks!

Mandy · Post by **Mandy** » 30 May 2008 18:30

Hi Jack, welcome to hell.

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 30 May 2008 18:32

Howdy there

Hunchback Jack · Post by **Hunchback Jack** » 30 May 2008 18:55

A Thing of Eternity wrote:Just my opinion, but I definitly thought the flow of the writing in Hunters sucked less. Not the charactors, not the plot, and not the content - I didn't see much improvement in these areas.

I agree that the writing is a bit better - although there are still anachronisms in language that break my suspension of disbelief on a regular basis - but I also think the plot and characters are better than in the Legends books.

Mind you, I'm only 150 pages in ...

HBJ

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » 30 May 2008 19:06

Wait until you get hit over the head with a brick named the Oracle.

SandChigger · Post by **SandChigger** » 30 May 2008 19:31

Hello, Hunchback Jack! You're gonna fit in fine here!

What are you reading, a paperback or hardcover? (Either way, if you'RE 150 pp in, you've already "met the Oracle", I figure. She's my most favoritist character in scifi EVER!

)

Hunchback Jack · Post by **Hunchback Jack** » 30 May 2008 22:25

SandChigger wrote:What are you reading, a paperback or hardcover? (Either way, if you'RE 150 pp in, you've already "met the Oracle", I figure. She's my most favoritist character in scifi EVER! )

Paperback; Hodder UK edition.

Yes, I've encountered the Oracle. It didn't bode well.

(BTW, I have to thank you for referring me to this site; I got here via Hairy Ticks)

HBJ

SandChigger · Post by **SandChigger** » 30 May 2008 23:03

Aha...I was looking through the site access logs this morning and noticed a lot of google hits.

Pleased to be of service!

I've got the Hodder, too. Ordered it after a DN BBS user named Poey announced that he'd found new text in the paperback (the last two full paragraphs on p. 89) that they quietly slipped in to retcon Duncan and Sheeana's apparent memory loss concerning Teg's superspeed ability.

They really are shameless hoors.

orald · Post by **orald** » 31 May 2008 00:50

Lol, what possible reason could they produce to make them (read: actually, everyone of the BG too)forget it?

trang · Post by **trang** » 31 May 2008 13:38

Welcome HBJ! sound like a stout fellow to join the fray here.

HOD and SOD are painful, and hope you survive them.

Im not old school dune boarders like most folks around, I picked back up on dune couple years back, found dunenovels, ran into a lot of the folks who are here. Lightly posted here and there, and tend to find I agree with them, so find it a comfy place to be.

Fairday,
Trang

inhuien · Post by **inhuien** » 31 May 2008 14:19

Hi Jack, Welcome aboard. You're made of stronger stuff than I to be reading the last 2 loafs HLP shat out.

Mr. Teg · Post by **Mr. Teg** » 31 May 2008 21:25

Good on ya, mate. Glad your on board.

chanilover · Post by **chanilover** » 02 Jun 2008 04:10

Hello and welcome.

Hunchback Jack · Post by **Hunchback Jack** » 02 Jun 2008 11:57

Thanks for the welcome, everyone.

Trang, it looks like a lot of people here are of like mind. I think I'm a little more tolerant of the new books than most folks, but I guess I mentally categorize them as non-canon, so they don't annoy me quite as much

.

HBJ

KJA · Post by **KJA** » 04 Jun 2008 01:05

Hi, I read you enjoy the new books, too.