[nickcarraway]

[aMorePerfectUnion]

He wasn’t too keen on Narnia either...

[Don W]

WOW!
Considering I am a huge fan of Tolkien, and I absolutely LOVE the majority of the Dune series, I am conflicted.

[kiryandil]

Just recently, author John M. Bowers posited that Tolkien may have written his genre-defining trilogy while procrastinating on his academic work.

Very old news. His colleagues gave him public Mitt over this when the trilogy began to be published.

[Rastus]

He probably didn’t like the Islam stuff.

[Nateman]

Now that Christopher Tolkien has passed on expect to see more Middle Earth movies on the way. In fact Amazon managed to make a deal with Christopher before he died and it’s going to be in a different age, back when Sauron was still good looking.

[sauropod]

I’ve read both. In fact, I’ve read all 20 or so of the Dune series. Think I read all of the LOTR trilogy.

Dune is better. More believable. But then, I am an engineer by training.

LOTR is good for legendbuilding. Thrives on the emotional.

YMMV. ‘Pod

[Bullish]

What didn’t he like about Dune? It’s only 10,000 words too long.

[dangus]

Possibly not thrilled with it’s islamicism?

[Sapwolf]

I read “The Lord of the Rings” (and “The Hobbit” and “The Silmarillion”) and “Dune”.

I found both to be very entertaining reads some years ago.

I think I like TLOTR a little better.

The follow-up Dune books are not too good.

And yes...I think Stephen Miller is Trump’s Gurney Halek, his knifeman.

[lee martell]

Is this Dune connected to that movie that was in a dessert setting, and had giant worms in it?

I never saw it, nor wanted to see it once I found that out.
Some folks are into Science Fiction, while others are not.
I feel the same way about all the Alien Series.
Not for me.

[struggle]

I think the endless quarrel is Aristotle vs. Plato.

LOTR is very Aristotle, numbers, classifications, reality.

Dune is very Plato, ideals, magic-realism, messianic man.

They’re just too far apart, but I love both.

[j.argese]

I’ve read The Hobbit/LotR series and Dune + Dune, Children of Dune, Dune Messiah and possibly God Emperor of Dune. I don’t think they can be compared. Fantasy and SciFi are often placed together because they require imagination but I think that’s where that marriage ends.

As much as I enjoyed Tolkien, I think I enjoyed Dune more. Suspension of disbelief wasn’t as much required with Dune. Matter of fact, replace spice with petroleum and it’s go time.

[dadfly]

vastly different books, both masterpieces.

but Herbert will teach you far more about nation-state political factionalism, the corrupt nature of politicians and all political parties, and human nature in general.

imo, it’s a far more useful-if less inspiring, book than LOTRs.

[x]

Tolkien was an Edwardian (even a Victorian) Englishman with a classical (or at least a humanistic) education and religious inclinations.

Herbert came up through newspaper writing and the American SF pulps and introduced ecological themes, drawing on science and social science, into his work.

So it's natural that Tolkien wouldn't have had much use for Herbert. Journalist, pulp writer, outer space, ecology, sociology, American: Herbert pushed all of the anger buttons someone of Tolkien's background would have.

Fantasy and science fiction can merge into each other, but some people want a clearer and more solid dividing line.