Thanks again for the welcomes, all. I've been formulating my thoughts on the issue of BH/KJA's "Dune" stuff; since this is the obvious place to voice it, but I'm not sure I have much to say that hasn't been said. Personally, I think that Herbert ultimately intended Dune to end at Chapterhouse; because of the loss of his wife and creative partner (and possibly his own failing health). I think he may have initially conceived on a continuance, but ended up concluding instead with Daniel and Marty as a disguised meta-commentary from him and his wife. Just my opinion, of course, but if I had to bet, that's where my money would go.
The larger issue, for me, is that even if book 7 was 75% written, Frank Herbert, more than *any* other author, simply can't be ghost-written or handed off from. His work, both with Dune and other stories (I LOVE Dosadi), in addition to being the best of the genre, was also incredibly idiosyncratic and subtle. For me, there is no distinction between his distinctive voice, his unique and probing intellect, and the experience of Dune. Even a *better* writer (if one were even alive) would have botched it, because his vision was so unique and distinctive. So for me the question is pretty simple: Dune ends at Chapterhouse because Frank Herbert died.
So, on some level, I can view Brian and Kevin as just two more fan-fiction writers. Not Dune, but hey, if you like it, go to town. Two things, however, do stick in my craw a bit (here comes some venting). One is the shameless way in which they wrap themselves in the cloak of Frank's work and portray their stuff as part of the same creative endeavor. I've read 5 of their "Dune" novels, (the prequels, Hunters and Sandworms), and its pretty clear that these are KJA novels with Brian Herbert's name on the cover. Add in the myth of the long-lost notes, and the result is, in my mind, a very deceptive campaign of selling their work as, to some degree, the work of Frank. You can see this any time you walk in a bookstore and see all Dune novels and "Dune" novels interspersed on the shelves (again, Brian's last name coming in very handy). Sadly, in most bookstores, novels like Whipping Star are squeezed out to make room for House Corrino, which is beyond tragic.
My other (lessor) problem is that having Dune novels written by Anderson, of all people, is kind of salt in the wound. Even if you have to write more Dune, did you have to follow up the most thoughtful, reflective and intricate thinker in the genre with the shallowest and most superficial? I can imagine myself being a lot more sympathetic to the whole thing if it felt like they were treating Dune as something special, and really choosing a successor with care (I'm mostly very pleased with Sanderson's work on The Wheel of Time, which I enjoy quite a bit, though its not on the same level as Dune). Instead, they chose Anderson, who has no original works of note at all, but has instead cranked out dozens upon dozens of Star Wars, X-files and other filler novels, quick and profitable fan-fluff. It feels like cashing in on Dune, not revering it; and realizing that one's own devotion to a creative work far exceeds that of the current copyright owners is depressing, to say the least. I'm not even against fan-fluff; a lot of it I really enjoy, but I've always felt that Dune was different and special.
Anyway, now that I've got that off my chest...
I'm glad I found this place because its fired me up for Dune again. I think I've shamelessly gone 8-10 months without re-reading the series, so I dusted off book one the other day for another go. And I hope to get some more character art done if I can squeeze it around my schedule. Trang, I'm not sure when, but I'll give one of those two ladies a go when I can (and post a link). Peace,
Adam
