Posted on 02/02/2015 3:27:28 PM PST by Perdogg
I apologize for the vanity, but I know that FR is a community of avid readers. Last year, I read "The Hobbit", "The Lord of The Rings" and "The Silmarillion".
I read that Arthur C Clarke referred to "Dune" as 'The Lord of the Rings' of Science Fiction.
What are Freepers opinion of Dune (the book not the movie) and should I continue with the sequels? I saw the film 30 years ago, I remember receiving a sheet with a primmer at the movie theatre after buying a ticket.
also, is there a Gothic horror equivalent to "Dune" of "Lord of the Rings"?
First is the best.
The next two are good enough.
Skip the rest.
I read science fiction voraciously in my youth but it’s now been 30 years since I read those books and my memory dims. I would like to reread some of them when I retire.
Dune is one that I would choose to reread. Along with Ringworld, Rendevous with Rama, and the Dragonriders of Pern series.
You’re reading it 4 decades too late.
I read it early ‘70s, kept waiting for something to happen.
Dune and its sequels are nowhere near the standard set by Tolkien.
Loves me some Ginger Spice...
Try Rayond Feist’s Riftwar Saga starting with Magician: Apprentice if you want to try more Fantasy some time.
/johnny
I read it when it came out, and the first sequel. I liked it but found it a bit slow moving. Lost interest in the series after that.
I much preferred Asimov’s Foundation trilogy, though I never read the sequels and prequel that he wrote in the 80s and 90s. There were also a number of other novels and short stories that took place in the Foundation “Empire” that he wrote about the same time as the originals that were good.
I also loved Larry Niven’s Known Space books (eg. Ringworld). Also the original Conan stories are great. Robert E. Howard is IMHO one of the best descriptive authors ever, and very underrated. As he was quoted as saying, “I know how to spin a yarn”.
As with any ‘series’, the story line, the character development of all the major players, and the major stages and settings for where the story will be played out take some print space.
Yes, Frank Herbert, when he wrote the novels, did use the allegory of ‘the spice melange’, for oil, so, in the times he wrote the books, it was the contemporary competition of the oil-producing countries, that he used as backdrops, and, of course, the locale of the courting competitors.
In watching the DVD of the 1984 cinematic production of ‘Dune’, and slso owning the set of DVD’s of the production done by the SciFi Channel, the twists left in the pages of the books, seem to creep onto the DVDs of the latter, if you catch them, once you have read the books.
A small hint, from the SciFi DVD: ‘look for T’Pau’ of Spock’s lineage.’
I read Dune back in the day; book was good, but while I read the first two or three follow-ups, after a while it started getting a little tedious - like Frank Herbert just kept rewriting the same book over and over again. I haven’t read any of the follow-ons that were co-authored by Herbert’s son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson.
“I thought the movie was OK too,”
It seemed to me as if the movie ran out of money for special effects about one third of the way into it.
Right now I’m reading “A voyage to Arcturus” by David Lindsay published in 1920.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Voyage_to_Arcturus
There's a huge fan community around this book and its sequels and spinoffs, and an online magazine, The Grantville Gazette.
I prefer the “Foundation” trilogy.
Dune is excellent, it really is an “epic” work of fiction on the scale of Tolkien, with an entire universe and history of its own. So, if you enjoy that level of detail, I don’t think Dune will disappoint you.
The sequel, Dune Messiah, is pretty good as well, but the other books don’t measure up quite as well. There is still interesting stuff in them, but they just done seem to come together as well.
Dune was read about 10 years ago, after seeing the movie.
Enjoyed the read. However subsequent sequels, not so much. Can’t remember the last one read, but it did not hold my interest much and eventually put back on the shelf.
/johnny
I have failed five times to make it past half way in Dune Messiah, the second book.
"Ceterum censeo 0bama esse delendam."
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
What are your opinions of the novels by Jean M. Auel . . . the Earth’s Children series?
Read the first three - Dune, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune.
Then stop.
What follows is pure garbage.
The first three books are priceless.
I won’t attempt to describe - you have to experience it.
If you are tempted to watch the movies - Don’t.
The first (David Lynch) is a total failure on every level.
The Sci-Fi Channel series is better, but still not up to conveying the subtleties in the novels.
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