The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel
trilogies
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
written by
Brian Herbert
Brian Patrick Herbert (born June 29, 1947) is an American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of science fiction author Frank Herbert (who died in 1986).
Brian Herbert's novels include ''Sidney's Comet'', ''Prisoners of Ar ...
and
Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the
''Dune'' universe created by
Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's original six novels, which began with 1965's ''
Dune''. In 1997,
Bantam Books made a $3 million deal with the authors for three ''Dune''
prequel novels, partially based upon notes left behind by Frank Herbert, that would come to be known as the ''
Prelude to Dune
The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's o ...
'' trilogy.
Starting with 1999's ''
Dune: House Atreides'', the duo have published 13 ''Dune'' prequel novels to date. In 2011 ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
'' called the series "a sprawling edifice that Frank Herbert’s son and Anderson have built on the foundation of the original ''Dune'' novels."
Jon Michaud of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' wrote in 2013, "The conversion of ''Dune'' into a franchise, while pleasing readers and earning royalties for the Herbert estate, has gone a long way toward obscuring the power of the original novel."
''Dune'' itself is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history,
and won the 1966
Hugo Award and the inaugural
Nebula Award for Best Novel
The Nebula Award for Best Novel is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy novels. A work of fiction is considered a novel by the organization if it is 40,000 words or longer; a ...
.
Herbert wrote five
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
s, but died in 1986.
Brian Herbert and Anderson have also published ''
Hunters of Dune'' (2006) and ''
Sandworms of Dune
''Sandworms of Dune'' is a science fiction novel by American writers Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, the second of two books they wrote to conclude Frank Herbert's original ''Dune'' series. It is based on notes left behind by Frank Herbert ...
'' (2007), sequels to Frank Herbert's final novel ''
Chapterhouse: Dune'' (1985) which complete the chronological progression of his original series and wrap up storylines that began with his ''
Heretics of Dune'' (1984).
''Prelude to Dune''
''Prelude to Dune'' is a
prequel trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
of novels written by
Brian Herbert
Brian Patrick Herbert (born June 29, 1947) is an American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of science fiction author Frank Herbert (who died in 1986).
Brian Herbert's novels include ''Sidney's Comet'', ''Prisoners of Ar ...
and
Kevin J. Anderson, set in
Frank Herbert's
''Dune'' universe. The series takes place in the years leading up to the events in the original novel ''
Dune'' (1965) and explores the origins of some of its characters. In 1997,
Bantam Books made a $3 million deal with the authors for three ''Dune'' prequel novels that would come to be known as the ''Prelude to Dune'' trilogy.
The novels draw from notes left behind by Frank Herbert after his death in 1986.
The books in the series are:
* ''
Dune: House Atreides'' (1999)
* ''
Dune: House Harkonnen'' (2000)
* ''
Dune: House Corrino'' (2001)
In May 2020,
Boom! Studios
Boom! Studios (styled BOOM! Studios) is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States.
History
Origins
In the early 2000s, Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby had been working in Ho ...
was announced to have acquired the comic and graphic novel rights to ''Dune: House Atreides'', with the intent of doing a 12-issue comic adaptation written by the original authors Brian Herbert and Anderson.
Plot
The ''Prelude to Dune'' series begins four decades before the events of ''Dune'', with an eager Crown Prince
Shaddam plotting to succeed his aging father
Elrood IX
''Dune: House Atreides'' is a 1999 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the first book in the ''Prelude to Dune'' prequel trilogy, which takes pla ...
, young
House Atreides
''Dune'', also known as the ''Dune Chronicles'', is an American science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert and has continued to add new publications. ''Dune'' is frequently described as the best ...
heir
Leto
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Leto (; grc-gre, Λητώ , ''Lētṓ'', or , ''Lātṓ'' in Doric Greek) is a goddess and the mother of Apollo, the god of music, and Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.Hesiod, ''Theogony'404–409/ref> ...
becoming close with the ruling family of the important technology world
Ix, and the
Bene Gesserit
The Bene Gesserit () refers to a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe. The group is an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of phys ...
scheming behind the scenes to create the
Kwisatz Haderach
The Bene Gesserit () refers to a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional ''Dune'' universe. The group is an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of physical and mental ...
. As the series progresses, Leto becomes the new Atreides Duke, Shaddam becomes the emperor and aligns with the
Bene Tleilax in their takeover of Ix to develop synthetic spice, and the Bene Gesserit punish
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen () is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' franchise created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and is also a prominent character in the ''Prelude to Dune'' prequel trilogy (1999–20 ...
for raping one of them with a disease that slows his metabolism. The
Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "th ...
, having found the Tleilaxu synthetic spice to be fatal to its Navigators, forces Shaddam to capitulate to the
Landsraad
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of year ...
, with Leto playing a role in forcing Shaddam to sign humiliating peace accords, confirming his status as the emperor's leading rival.
Reception
''Dune: House Atreides'' debuted at No. 13 on the
''New York Times'' Best Seller list, and rose to No. 12 in its second week of publication.
''Dune: House Harkonnen'' debuted at No. 11 on the same list, and rose to No. 8 its second week.
The third installment, ''Dune: House Corrino'', debuted at No. 8 on the ''New York Times'' list.
John Snider of ''
SciFi Dimensions'' found Herbert and Anderson's ''Prelude to Dune'' prequels to be "pulpy", though he allowed that they "make
rank
Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as:
Level or position in a hierarchical organization
* Academic rank
* Diplomatic rank
* Hierarchy
* ...
Herbert's esoteric and philosophical stories more accessible to general audiences."
''Legends of Dune''
''Legends of Dune'' is a
prequel trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
of novels written by
Brian Herbert
Brian Patrick Herbert (born June 29, 1947) is an American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of science fiction author Frank Herbert (who died in 1986).
Brian Herbert's novels include ''Sidney's Comet'', ''Prisoners of Ar ...
and
Kevin J. Anderson, set in
Frank Herbert's
''Dune'' universe. The series takes place over 10,000 years before the events of the 1965 novel ''
Dune'', and chronicles the universe-spanning war against
thinking machines
Thinking Machines Corporation was a supercomputer manufacturer and artificial intelligence (AI) company, founded in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1983 by Sheryl Handler and W. Daniel "Danny" Hillis to turn Hillis's doctoral work at the Massachuse ...
that would eventually become known as the
Butlerian Jihad
''Dune'', also known as the ''Dune Chronicles'', is an American science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert and has continued to add new publications. ''Dune'' is frequently described as the best ...
.
It also explores the origins of the families and organizations that populate the distinctive universe in other ''Dune'' works.
The books in the series are:
* ''
The Butlerian Jihad'' (2002)
* ''
The Machine Crusade'' (2003)
* ''
The Battle of Corrin'' (2004)
Plot
The series begins more than a millennium after a group of immortal, militant
cyborgs
A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline. calling themselves the
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...
seized control of the entire universe in indestructible
cymek
Technology is a key aspect of the fictional setting of the ''Dune (franchise), Dune series'' of science fiction novels written by Frank Herbert, and derivative works. Herbert's concepts and inventions have been analyzed and deconstructed in at lea ...
bodies and then accidentally relinquished control to an
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
program called
Omnius
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, ...
. Omnius and the immortal Titans rule over the 500 planets of the Synchronized Worlds with cruelty while a handful of free planets are united under the League of Nobles, a government using what resources it has to defend against machine aggression. A prominent figure in the human rebellion is
Serena Butler, whose young son dies at the hands of the independent robot
Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' w ...
and sparks
the Butlerian Jihad, with humanity mounting a decisive offense against machine rule.
This crusade against the machines lasts for nearly a century, with much loss of human life but ending in human victory at the
Battle of Corrin
''Dune'', also known as the ''Dune Chronicles'', is an American science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel '' Dune'' by Frank Herbert and has continued to add new publications. ''Dune'' is frequently described as the b ...
. The Jihad also gives rise to the
Bene Gesserit
The Bene Gesserit () refers to a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe. The group is an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of phys ...
, the
Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "th ...
, the
Sardaukar
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, ...
army, the
Landsraad
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of year ...
, and
House Corrino
''Dune'', also known as the ''Dune Chronicles'', is an American science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert and has continued to add new publications. ''Dune'' is frequently described as the best ...
, whose
Padishah Emperor
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, ...
s rule the universe for the next 10,000 years until the events of ''Dune''.
Reception
''Dune: The Butlerian Jihad'' rose to No. 7 on
''The New York Times'' Best Seller list in its second week of publication.
''Dune: The Machine Crusade'' debuted at No. 7 on the list.
The third installment, ''Dune: The Battle of Corrin'', reached No. 9 on the ''New York Times'' list.
John Snider of ''
SciFi Dimensions'' found the ''Legends of Dune'' prequels as having "cartoonish" AI characters that were "little different than Harkonnens with metal faces."
''Heroes of Dune''
''Heroes of Dune'' was a planned
tetralogy
A tetralogy (from Greek τετρα- '' tetra-'', "four" and -λογία ''-logia'', "discourse") is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works. The name comes from the Attic theater, in which a tetralogy was a group of three tragedie ...
of novels by
Brian Herbert
Brian Patrick Herbert (born June 29, 1947) is an American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of science fiction author Frank Herbert (who died in 1986).
Brian Herbert's novels include ''Sidney's Comet'', ''Prisoners of Ar ...
and
Kevin J. Anderson set in the
''Dune'' universe created by
Frank Herbert. The potential series was initially referred to as ''Paul of Dune'' by the authors as early as 2004.
These novels were intended to "fill in the story" between Frank Herbert's early ''Dune'' novels.
The books in the series are:
* ''
Paul of Dune
''Paul of Dune'' is a 2008 science fiction novel written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Released on September 16, 2008, it is the first book in the '' Heroes of Dune'' series and ch ...
'' (2008)
* ''
The Winds of Dune
''The Winds of Dune'' is a science fiction novel written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Released on August 4, 2009, it is the second book in the '' Heroes of Dune'' series and chron ...
'' (2009)
Half of the story of ''Paul of Dune'' takes place between Frank Herbert's ''
Dune'' (1965) and ''
Dune Messiah
''Dune Messiah'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Frank Herbert, the second in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. A sequel to '' Dune'' (1965), it was originally serialized in '' Galaxy'' magazine in 1969, and then published by Put ...
'' (1969) as
Paul
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
* Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
's Jihad rages,
Shaddam seeks to regain his throne and
Princess Irulan
Princess Irulan is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. She first appears in ''Dune'' (1965), and is later featured in ''Dune Messiah'' (1969) and '' Children of Dune'' (1976). The character's birth and earl ...
accepts the "task of building the legend of Muad'Dib". She in turn chronicles Paul's early years (between the 2001
prequel ''
Dune: House Corrino'' and the 2020 prequel ''Dune: The Duke of Caladan''), which feature "his friendship with
Duncan and
Gurney and
Duke Leto's
War of Assassins
This is a list of terminology used in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the primary source being "Terminology of the Imperium", the glossary contained in the novel ''Dune'' (1965).
''Dune'' word construction could be clas ...
against
Grumman
The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a 20th century American producer of military and civilian aircraft. Founded on December 6, 1929, by Leroy Grumman and his business partners, it merged in 1994 ...
".
''The Winds of Dune'' (originally announced as ''Jessica of Dune'')
chronicles events between Frank Herbert's ''Dune Messiah'' (1969) and ''
Children of Dune
''Children of Dune'' is a 1976 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the third in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. It was originally serialized in ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' in 1976, and was the last ''Dune'' novel to be serialize ...
'' (1976),
as well as events between the prequel sections ''Paul of Dune'' and the original ''Dune'', and events between ''Paul of Dune'' and ''Dune Messiah''.
The final two novels in the series were to be called ''The Throne of Dune''
(formerly ''Irulan of Dune'')
and ''Leto of Dune'' (perhaps ''The Golden Path of Dune'').
However, in a July 2010 blog post Anderson announced that these novels had been postponed due to plans by Herbert and Anderson to publish a
trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
(later known as ''
Great Schools of Dune
The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's or ...
'') about "the formation of the
Bene Gesserit
The Bene Gesserit () refers to a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe. The group is an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of phys ...
, the
Mentat
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, ...
s, the
Suk doctors, the
Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "th ...
and the
Navigators
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's primar ...
, as well as the solidifying of the
Corrino imperium."
Plot
In ''Paul of Dune'', Paul Atreides's childhood lessons in the political intrigues of the empire are juxtaposed with his current struggle to secure his control over it. His
Fremen
The Fremen are a group of people in the fictional Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. First appearing in the 1965 novel ''Dune (novel), Dune'', the Fremen inhabit the desert planet Arrakis (also known as Dune), which ...
armies are spread across the universe in attempt to bring rebel worlds to heel, and Paul avoids one assassination attempt only to nearly die in another.
In ''The Winds of Dune'', Paul's disappearance into the desert has left a
power vacuum
In political science and political history, the term power vacuum, also known as a power void, is an analogy between a physical vacuum to the political condition "when someone in a place of power, has lost control of something and no one has repla ...
, and his closest advisors struggle to determine what path his empire should take.
Reception
''The Winds of Dune'' rose to No. 15 on
''The New York Times'' Best Seller list in its second week of publication.
''Great Schools of Dune''
''Great Schools of Dune'' is a
prequel trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
of novels written by
Brian Herbert
Brian Patrick Herbert (born June 29, 1947) is an American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of science fiction author Frank Herbert (who died in 1986).
Brian Herbert's novels include ''Sidney's Comet'', ''Prisoners of Ar ...
and
Kevin J. Anderson, set in
Frank Herbert's
''Dune'' universe. A sequel to the ''
Legends of Dune
The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's or ...
'' trilogy (2002–2004), the series takes place nearly a century after the events of Brian Herbert and Anderson's ''
Dune: The Battle of Corrin'' (2004), in which the Army of Humanity finally defeats the
thinking machine armies of
Omnius
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, ...
. Now, the fledgling
Bene Gesserit
The Bene Gesserit () refers to a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe. The group is an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of phys ...
,
Mentat
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, ...
and
Suk Schools, as well as the
Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "th ...
, are threatened by the independent anti-technology forces gaining power in the aftermath of the
Butlerian Jihad
''Dune'', also known as the ''Dune Chronicles'', is an American science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert and has continued to add new publications. ''Dune'' is frequently described as the best ...
.
The ''Great Schools of Dune'' trilogy, first discussed by Anderson in a 2009 interview and later named by him in a 2010 blog post, chronicles the early years of these organizations, which figure prominently in the original ''Dune'' novels.
Though the third and final novel was originally identified by Anderson as ''The Swordmasters of Dune'' in 2009,
in 2014 Brian Herbert and Anderson confirmed that its title would be ''Navigators of Dune''.
On July 27, 2015, Anderson previewed the cover of ''Navigators of Dune'' on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
and noted its 2016 release.
The books in the series are:
* ''
Sisterhood of Dune
''Sisterhood of Dune'' is a 2012 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the first book in their ''Great Schools of Dune'' prequel trilogy, which itself is a ...
'' (2012)
* ''
Mentats of Dune
''Mentats of Dune'' is a 2014 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the second book in their ''Great Schools of Dune'' prequel trilogy, which itself is a se ...
'' (2014)
* ''
Navigators of Dune
''Navigators of Dune'' is a 2016 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the third book in their ''Great Schools of Dune'' prequel trilogy, which itself is a ...
'' (2016)
Plot
In ''Sisterhood of Dune'', the anti-technology Butlerian movement is gaining momentum under the leadership of the popular Manford Torondo. He and his forces are scouring the universe to cleanse humanity of its reliance on convenient technologies, destroying any machinery they can find. Torondo's growing power threatens the
Corrino Emperor Salvador, as well as the Sisterhood on
Rossak and the Mentat School on
Lampadas
''Chapterhouse: Dune'' is a 1985 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the last in his Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' series of six novels. It rose to No. 2 on The New York Times Best Seller list, ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list.
A direct ...
, each of which harbors secret technology. Space travel tycoon Josef Venport also plots to salvage machinery which he believes can be useful in his business empire.
''Mentats of Dune'' finds
Gilbertus Albans carefully managing his Mentat School under the watchful eye of the fanatical Butlerians, while
Raquella Berto-Anirul seeks to rebuild her own Sisterhood School on
Wallach IX
The Bene Gesserit () refers to a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional ''Dune'' universe. The group is an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of physical and mental c ...
. To secure his control of interstellar commerce and strike a blow against the Butlerians, Venport places a trade embargo on any planet which embraces Torondo's movement.
Reception
''Sisterhood of Dune'' debuted at No. 23 on ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' Hardcover Fiction
Best-Seller List,
and ''Mentats of Dune'' was released at No. 17 on the same list.
''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
'' called ''Sisterhood'' a "shallow but fun blend of
space opera and dynastic
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
."
''The Caladan Trilogy''
In July 2020, Herbert and Anderson introduced a new trilogy of prequel novels called ''The Caladan Trilogy'', set after ''Dune: House Corrino'' (2001) and before ''Dune'' (1965).
The books in the series are:
*''
Dune: The Duke of Caladan'' (2020)
*''
Dune: The Lady of Caladan'' (2021)
*''
Dune: The Heir of Caladan'' (2022)
References
External links
*
{{Kevin J. Anderson
Book series introduced in 1999
Prequel novels
Science fiction book series
Space opera novels