[wyrd_ian]

I've been told I have to read Dune! However I don't know which one I went into a bookshop today and found 7 different copies. Which "Dune" do I have to read?

KQD

[Odo The Brave]

Dune. Duh. ;D There should be one that's just "Dune". That's the one you want. Here is the chronology, if you want to go in time order. Whatever else you read I'd suggest read Dune first. Stuff doesn't really make sense otherwise.

Cheers!

[Lonely Tau]

Odo is right, the title is simply "Dune".

I also have a suggestion, and this is simply don't read any of that crap by Brian Herbert. It seriously destroys the universe that you end up loving, and all in all is a serious downer.

[AuinMyrrath]

Originally Posted by Tiwaz

I also have a suggestion, and this is simply don't read any of that crap by Brian Herbert. It seriously destroys the universe that you end up loving, and all in all is a serious downer.

Penny Arcade link.

It's true, I read The Butlerian Jihad, which was readable, but baaaadd. And supposedly it's one of the least painful.

[Genmotty]

Originally Posted by Tiwaz

Odo is right, the title is simply "Dune".

I also have a suggestion, and this is simply don't read any of that klkn by Brian Herbert. It seriously destroys the universe that you end up loving, and all in all is a serious downer.

I would suggest you read the books in this order;

Dune: House Atreides
Dune: House Harkonnen
Dune: House Corrino
Dune

Then go back and read the other prequeals, then go on and read the sequals.

Why? Because those first three books will not only introduce you to the entire world of the DUne Universe, they also give the history of the planet Dune itself. Hence it makes for the most interesting start in my opinion.

It also gets you into all the politicing that goes on in the Universe and allows you to better appricate the later books and Dune itself.

Gen

[Lonely Tau]

Originally Posted by Genmotty

I would suggest you read the books in this order;

Dune: House Atreides
Dune: House Harkonnen
Dune: House Corrino
Dune

Then go back and read the other prequels, then go on and read the sequals.

Why? Because those first three books will not only introduce you to the entire world of the DUne Universe, they also give the history of the planet Dune itself. Hence it makes for the most interesting start in my opinion.

It also gets you into all the politicing that goes on in the Universe and allows you to better appreciate the later books and Dune itself.

Gen

I'll admit that I'm probably not the best judge for the first three books mentioned, but considering they were all written by Brian Herbert, I would seriously doubt any value in them except for a little bit of a note to explain some obscurity in the actual book (or one of the later ones).

However, Dune as a stand alone novel was excellent, and in my opinion should be the first one that you read, moving onto the next two books (Dune Messiah and Children of Dune) before you even think about the prequels to the series. I say this because the first three books are pretty good, but as you go further into the series it gets a little long winded and boring, while as you move backwards in the series (to the prequels) they just get horribly written and not even worth reading.

I mean hell, for everything the books actually add to the series you could have somebody explain what happens, or go through Wikipedia to find out what happens and how it affects the series.

[Scoutninja]

I just read plain Dune, and I was happy with it. One of my favorite books. I'm kinda worried about touching any of the others in the series.

[AuinMyrrath]

Messiah and Children are both fine novels, and an excellent follow-on to the original. I recommend not reading the House X prequels that Gen suggested beforehand, if at all.

It's kind of like saying that you should watch the new Star Wars trilogy before the original. Yes, Episodes I-III introduce the backstory of the characters and setting. Yes, Episodes I-III were monumentally terrible next to the original three movies.

[Lonely Tau]

Pretty much. I read the first novel at least several times before I tried to read any of the sequels to it, and I found that they weren't horribly long winded to the point that it made the series boring, they were actually really good as an addition to the series. However God Emperor of Dune...that one is a toughie to get through :P

[AuinMyrrath]

If memory/hearsay serves, Frank Herbert got increasingly addled in his old age, which carried into the writing.