Reading List

October 5, 2009

Paul of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson

So the story is, I was in the Portland airport facing a 4 hour delay and was out of things to read. So I went to the book store and – this is what I choose.

A long time ago, I read Dune. It was okay. So then I read the second book in the Dune series – Dune Messiah. It happens 10 years later and it was hard to figure out how you got from one story to the other. This one covers some of the time in between the two books - and some of the time before the first book. I barely remember the first story now – I read it a long time ago – but it came back to me as I read. I must warn that this book is very violent. From our perspective, it is hard to really like anyone in the story. You are supposed to like Paul – but he is the new emperor, very much a tyrant, even if he is a reluctant tyrant - and the head figure in a very bloody jihad. He is loved or hated, with no in between. He is the target of many assassination attempts. And everyone is trained as “assassins” – and they all use their training – including a couple of five year olds.

The original was written by Frank Herbert. Brian Herbert is his son.

The book is written okay, but I am trying to figure out if he is trying to make a commentary on our time – very much a hyperbola if it is – or if he was just filling a blank spot from his father’s saga.

Do I recommend it? Well if you hadn’t read Dune, you wouldn’t get it. And the violence is sometimes disturbing.

It is not on the 501 list – but Dune is – oh, I guess that doesn’t matter.