Should You Read the DUNE SEQUELS?

[@kingkusnacht]

I actually like them all, except maybe God Emperor which just was a bit too much for me. But what I truly like about them is thay they’re not apologetic. They follow the author’s vision (whether you love or hate it)

[@WordsinTime]

@@kingkusnacht That’s a good point!

[@rahul_sreedharan]

God emperor was quite boring

[@toddblanchard7765]

Best honest review of this series I’ve seen on here. Fantastic job. I agree with all your points.

[@WordsinTime]

@@toddblanchard7765 Haha thanks Todd! 🫡

[@RedFuryBooks]

This was a great breakdown! I always generically say read the first four and stop, but this video has much more complete answers. When someone asks me now, I'll just say "go watch Jonathan's video!"

[@WordsinTime]

@@RedFuryBooks Haha thanks! It sounds like we had similar reactions to the series.

[@bartsbookspace]

Just the type of in depth analysis I needed as I read Dune, loved it, but never continued. 👍 I’m definitely going to continue on to Messiah. Thanks Johnathan!

[@WordsinTime]

@@bartsbookspace Cheers Bart! Hope you enjoy it!

[@DJYoue]

Definitely agree with your critiques of the plot, so often the pay off for so much reading was very unrewarding. But you're also right on the money with the world building, it's fantastic and the reason I will finish the series (I've read up to God Emperor) also, like you, I'm such a completionist!

[@WordsinTime]

@@DJYoue Sounds like we’re on the same page! Hope you enjoy the last two more than I did haha

[@NevsBookChannel]

Great idea approaching it from the different angles. I read them back when I was a teenager and I think most of it went over my head!

[@WordsinTime]

@@NevsBookChannel Thanks Nev, I hope it was helpful. It would be interesting to re-read them!

[@lauribleu7558]

That is why I reread so many of my books. The older I get the more I get out of them as I mature and our culture evolves.

[@NoahLewis-m4s]

Man I love the way you reviewed the series. I've read all but chapter house and completely agree with every point made.

[@WordsinTime]

@@NoahLewis-m4s Thanks Noah! Sounds like we’re on the same page when it comes to Dune haha

[@rammelbroadcasting]

Should you read the Dune sequels? The short answer is yes. The long answer is absolutely lol. I liked them all a little more than you did, and the last two definitely didn't dip for me as hard as they did for you but they are definitely the most divisive for sure.

[@WordsinTime]

@@rammelbroadcasting I’m glad you enjoyed!

[@jonah_k]

Thanks for the video... I jumped right into Dune Messiah years ago and the let down was so much I just DNFed the series, even though my family had the other books lying around. The tone of the second book really captured a literary version of what it's like to watch a sequel to a perfect movie. Like it was hitting the beats and throwing back to great things from Book #1, but there wasn't much to roll out after the world building. (Minor spoiler) Plus there was an extra sadness as it seems Paul's decline was already built into the narrative without any hope for him. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood at age 18 or so to continue, but if the sequels add something more I will give it a shot. The drama and confrontations are just so sweeping and are mostly definitive in Book #1 really made me feel I can move onto other SF masterworks.

[@WordsinTime]

@@jonah_k That’s’ understandable. I think it’s worth trying especially because Dune Messiah isn’t that long, but if it doesn’t work for you that’s okay.

[@Moloch68]

I think the first four books complete a story arc and I would recommend them to anyone. The story does not end after Dune. After that it's diminishing returns.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Moloch68 I agree!

[@gearoidosullivan356]

Nice video. Good considered breakdown. It's been a while since I've read them all, but while I loved Dune, I don't remember enjoying Dune Messiah at all. God Emperor was weird but I liked that it did something a bit different. I enjoyed the last 2 books as well, possibly because it felt like he was shaking up the whole story again, and I'd have liked to see where that would have gone with his writing (I found the reveal at the end of Chapterhouse to be intriguing). But the subsequent sequels feel like fleshed out wikipedia entries to be honest. Some cool ideas, and some good action at times, but no magic unfortunately.

[@WordsinTime]

@@gearoidosullivan356 Thanks! I hope it’s helpful. I felt a little bit like that about the last two books so I’m not inclined to read the Brian Herbert books, although I hope anyone that reads them enjoys them.

[@Romenamath]

Believe it or not - i've only read the sequels, which I enjoyed. The one time I tried to read the original I was too bored too early on to continue. Children of Dune is my favourite, though God Emperor is a close second. Perhaps I need to try the original again (I've not seen the movies either).

[@WordsinTime]

@@Romenamath That’s crazy haha. I’m glad you also enjoyed Children of Dune.

[@letoiimuaddib-rm1ur]

I love the first four books, God Emperor being my favorite! I never finished Heretics, so maybe as my new year's resolution, I'll just finish reading the last two books.

[@WordsinTime]

@@letoiimuaddib-rm1ur I’m glad you enjoyed God Emperor!

[@dariowortiz]

i liked them all. last 2 were weird and definitely not the best of the bunch, but they do have their moments and their charm. for me the series is more 3 sets of 2. 1 & 2 - Pauls story 3 & 4 - Letos story 5 & 6 - random af bene gesserit / honored matres conflict also, i feel that - the first 4 books gives us the complete vision of what Dune was really about - messiah is the shortest a the most depressing, but at the same time, the most important part of the story. without it theres no golden path, no geod. - ending after 6 is quite open ended, but for me its satisfactory enough. im a 7th book draft skeptic 😂 afaik, Brian has never produced the the "draft". Havent read his books, might do it some day, just out of curiosity. 🙂

[@WordsinTime]

@@dariowortiz That’s a good way of looking at it.

[@BookishChas]

I really appreciate this video Jonathan! I’m a quarter of the way into Children of Dune right now, and really struggling lol. I’ll complete it most likely, but I may stop after God Emperor.

[@WordsinTime]

@@BookishChas I’m glad it was helpful! I liked Children and God Emperor but they are a bit slow.

[@EricMcLuen]

Took me two attempts to get theough God Emperor about 20 years apart. Least favorite by far. You really have to love Dune to get past the first three. After that, Frank's reach surpasses his grasp. Some if the same themes are still there but get convoluted. The timejumos to Heretics isnt clear just as the lack of a ju.p to Chapterhouse I have read the last two by Brian and several of the prequels. They do add a little clarity to some of the characters you would have no idea who they are without them. I was meh on the ending. But have no idea what ending woupd have been trul satisfying

[@WordsinTime]

@@EricMcLuen Yes, that is a tough part of recommending the series. I like most of the books but there isn’t a great ending.

[@ashleyashleym2969]

I read the first three so far, I plan to read the last three, I need to buy them first though. I loved the first book, I then heard the sequels werent great. I read Dune Messiah and I was like ohhh yeah the second one doesnt at all match up to the first. I still decided to five Children of Dune a try and I loved that as well, it made me super excited about reading the next book.

[@WordsinTime]

@@ashleyashleym2969 I’m glad you enjoyed Children of Dune. Hope you like God Emperor!

[@Siderite]

Every decade since I was 15 I read all six Dune books. Every time I saw it differently and felt differently than the time before. One thing was constant: I loved the books. Another is that in each volume Herbert deconstructed the book before. Rarely has an author the intuition and skill to do this.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Siderite That’s a cool perspective!

[@cindywingetbooks]

I love Dune, the next three books I liked, and I really disliked the last two. I was confused and not connected to anything. Are you planning on reading the add-ons to the series that his son and Kevin J. Anderson wrote (Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune) Or any of the prequel trilogies? I loved them!

[@WordsinTime]

@@cindywingetbooks It sounds like we had similar reactions. I don’t plan on reading the Brian Herbert books but I’m glad you liked them!

[@cindywingetbooks]

@@WordsinTime that's too bad. I would be eager to see what you thought of the prequels.

[@Tzourosaur]

- If you don't really read books as a hobby but enjoyed the Dune movies I recommend reading Dune Messiah, it's relatively small and gives a nice conclusion on Paul's story. - If you enjoy reading but are new to sci-fi literature, I recommend checking out the first two books, Dune is an absolute classic and Messiah accompanies it really well. Then you can deside if yoy want to continue depending on whether you liked the tone change on Dune Messiah. - If you are a sci-fi fan I highly recommend reading up to God Emperor of Dune. Children of Dune was the weakest one for me (still pretty good though) but it's absolutely worth it in order to get to God Emperor which I loved. I do agree on the ending being a little short/rushed, that's why I'd place under the original Dune in my rating order, followed by Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. God Emperor also ties the story together and puts a satisfying ending on the series. I did not read the last 2 books because of the open ending and the time skip, for me it wasn't worth it, I was satisfied with God Emperor's finale.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Tzourosaur Great recommendations!

[@gorans.849]

The last book in the series I read was God Emperor, I liked all of them more or less, but for re-reading only the first book comes into consideration.

[@WordsinTime]

@@gorans.849 That’s fair!

[@marjoriedonnett5467]

I read them years ago after Dune. I didn't enjoy them as much as the first one (which is my favorite book of all time), but they're definitely worth it. I also like some of the other novels by Herbert's son.

[@WordsinTime]

@@marjoriedonnett5467 I’m glad you liked them as well as some of Brian’s books!

[@JamesI88]

Definiely felt like a 3, 1, 2 breakdown to me. God emperor was my favorite, and I actually liked heretics more than I thought I would going into it. Didnt care for chapterhouse much though.

[@WordsinTime]

@@JamesI88 Glad you liked God Emperor!

[@oberstul1941]

Heh, and here I was thinking you'd be tackling the Brian sequels. Anyway, onwards and cheers!

[@WordsinTime]

@@oberstul1941 I’m not currently interested in reading them, but if anyone picks them up I hope they enjoy them.

[@pauljthacker]

Have you read the Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson books? I just found them for cheap, but haven't started them yet. There's a prequel trilogy plus a sequel based on Frank Herbert's outline.

[@WordsinTime]

@@pauljthacker Seeing as I didn’t love the last two books and people seem mixed on the Brian Herbert books I don’t plan to read them in the near future. But I hope whoever reads them enjoys them!

[@dustinneely]

I had mixed feelings on the 6 books on my first read. I love all 6 books on my 2nd read through the series.

[@WordsinTime]

@@dustinneely Nice!

[@curtisspivey234]

100% felt the last 2 books push reallllly hard on all the funky sex stuff not in a weird but like you said corny way. I took it as a old man that had some awkward feelings toward sex and wanted to express it in a funky way on paper. But i love the first 4 books and i was even lower on the last 2 books.

[@WordsinTime]

@@curtisspivey234 I had a similar reaction.

[@CptSamel]

Dune was ok for me, just ok. It felt too much like WWI era European political bickering. I tried the sequel and as I recall, it started with a bunch of people plotting around a table. Pass. I enjoyed the Faded Sun books by C J Cherryh. They’re different from Dune but share the similarity of a desert tribe style of civilization as central to the plot. For another book that socks it to a centralized oppressive power, I really enjoyed The Blue World by Jack Vance. Plus, have a drink after all your time in the desert!

[@WordsinTime]

@@CptSamel Thanks for the recommendations. I read the first Faded Sun book and I can see the Dune parallels.

[@Androsynth75]

God Emperor of Dune is the ‘these edibles ain’t shit’ book of the trilogy. The first three are all pretty coherent and similar and then God Emperor comes along and everything goes a bit off the rails. Good book, well worth reading but I’m in no hurry to re read it.

[@WordsinTime]

Haha fair enough!

[@letoiimuaddib-rm1ur]

God Emperor is actually my favorite! 😅

[@careypridgeon]

Frank Herberts Dune Saga has been a constant reading comfort of mine since my teenage years. I started reading them before Chapterhouse Dune came out and it took a while to come to terms with there being no more books to follow. I re-read all the books at least once every two or three years, sometimes more often than that, finding them as rewarding as Herodotus, or other great classical works, always more to be gained by reading them. I've read as much of Brian Herbert fan fiction as I could bear. I strongly suspect he only used the 'continuing the Dune saga' thing in order make money, because he absolutely butchers established lore in ways that 100% don't need to happen over and over. After a while this started to annoy me too much so I stopped reading them.

[@WordsinTime]

@@careypridgeon Glad you love the series so much! That’s unfortunate about the Brian Herbert novels.

[@careypridgeon]

@@WordsinTime I normally don't follow booktube channels, but this one seems interesting so I'll give it a go. I'm currently butchering a novel in it's fifth draft to cut down the word count because after many read throughs I decided it's too slow and much of it could easily be moved into another book. The difficulty of doing this is rather eased by this novel belonging in a much larger universe I've been working on for years. This is the second book I've finished, but I've yet to try and get either of them published because I'm sure they could both be written better. Not perhaps the healthiest way to think, but the chances of my actually making any money even if they are published is pretty much non existent, so why not do what I want?

[@WordsinTime]

@@careypridgeon Yeah, I would focus on writing it the way you want to write it and making it the best you think it can be rather than trying to cater to anyone else because it's an expression of you as an author. Best of luck!

[@dqan7372]

Good presentation! I recall liking the first book OK, but I'm not sure I even considered reading the other books. Read the first three Foundation books though. (OK, I thought about it in the same way I think about reading all the LOTR supplemental books. I'd love to be a completist, but it doesn't seem like time well spent for where I am in life. Or even where I was thirty years ago!) Maybe I prefer more science in my science fiction? Or less of whatever Dune was... 🤷‍♂ I was pretty young when I read it, so a reread would, I'm sure, be a different experience.

[@WordsinTime]

@@dqan7372 Thanks! The Dune series gets even less sciencey as it goes on haha

[@TeddyDaniels1992]

Up until God Emperor of Dune, YES, absolutely YES.

[@WordsinTime]

@@TeddyDaniels1992 Haha fair enough

[@martinbrisebois1831]

I totally agree with the modulated answers. However, I always find Messiah being a bit on the boring side (I read the whole series four times over a span of 35 year) as Heredicts and Chapterhouse being the GREAT payoff of Emperor God. And yes, I've always beeen fascinated by the Bene Generessit, so that might explain this. Also, each of my four reread travels have been totally different experiences, not only because the first two were in French, but also because I grew older.

[@WordsinTime]

@@martinbrisebois1831 That’s cool! I’m glad you got to re-read them and enjoy different reading experiences!

[@jdracing551]

3-1-2 all the way, I have read them all even the Brian books

[@WordsinTime]

@@jdracing551 Nice! And yes, that breakdown makes sense.

[@FrankOdonnell-ej3hd]

Never even got around to reading Dune 1 or even seeing any of the films. As I’ve said before giant sand dunes just aren’t my thing! Be well bro. ⚛️❤

[@WordsinTime]

@@FrankOdonnell-ej3hd Haha there is a lot of sand

[@Paul_McSeol]

I really enjoyed the sequels. I think God Emperor ended on too mucho of a cliffhanger wish we’d gotten the seventh and final book to wrap things up. The Herbert/Anderson books are OK, but I don’t think they went where Frank would have gone.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Paul_McSeol I’m glad you enjoyed the sequels. I probably won’t try the Brian Herbert books myself.

[@juanreinbergcortes7893]

I read the first book, I didn't like at all that he gave in the second chapter what could be consider the spoilers of the book. It's like if Hebert despised mistery novels. The second and third books do pretty much the same thing. The second book pissed me off because I felt like Herbert deliverately lied to us about the nature of Paul Atreides and his place in history, I never expected that I was reading the teenage years of a terrible human being... I felt that book two was a joke on the reader, it need a book 1.5 for us to know What happened and why paul resorted to genocide... The next two books are great, interesting and kind of groundbreaking. The last two I only finished because I liked the rhyming stories of Miles and the Ghola

[@WordsinTime]

@@juanreinbergcortes7893 I think some of the Brian Herbert novels are written in the time period between Dune and Dune Messiah but I’d be more inclined to read them if they had been written by Frank Herbert.

[@curtjarrell9710]

Hi Jonathan. I've read Dune twice and enjoyed it both times. I read Dune Messiah and thought it was K, but a recent attempt at a re-read failed in boredom and DNF. I read a bit of Children of Dune and didn't like the tone of the story. I haven't tried the later novels. I still own copies of all these books and may return to them in the future. Thanks for your overview.

[@WordsinTime]

@@curtjarrell9710 I think Children and God Emperor are worth a shot but they might not be for everyone and that’s okay.

[@TaylorCantTint]

I’m on the last 100 pages of Dune and I agree so far except I don’t like the jessica/hawat chapters and love the Paul characters

[@WordsinTime]

@@TaylorCantTint Nice! Hope you enjoy the series if you continue.

[@bendybruce]

I'm pretty much on the same page as you. I would add the following points. I felt the standard of writing was consistently high across all of the books so there is definitely coherence across the series in terms of raw quality. I would probably have rated the last two books a little higher than you perhaps a 7.5. Lastly I note you didn't mention there are more books in the series written by his son and another co author. These books were terrible And although they did have some high points, and certainly concluded the story with notably more action, the standard of writing fell so precipitously it really is quite jarring. I distinctly remember while reading the last several pages of the last book how much I just wanted it to end but the author just dragged on. I felt bad for his son, as I know he tried his best. Bottom line no one should read them unless like me you are a completionist.

[@WordsinTime]

@@bendybruce I’m not interested in the Brian Herbert books but if anyone takes the time to read them I hope they enjoy them.

[@bendybruce]

@@WordsinTime According to his son he never intended to finish the story but several years later discovered a collection of notes written by his father as to where the story was going to go next. We can take it from that the final books are at least to a certain extent true to his father's vision. Unfortunately he was simply not a skilled enough writer to do it justice and it would have been better had they never been written

[@douglasdea637]

I would rate them differently. (Note: I read them 30+ years ago, can't remember all the details and might feel differently today.) Dune: 5/5. Dune Messiah: 3/5. Children of Dune: 2/5. God Emperor: 4.5/5. Heretics: 4/5. Chapterhouse: 4/5. I love the themes of the future of mankind and how we prevent our extinction. Remember that Herbert was writing in the 60s and 70s when nuclear war was a real possibility and the ending of humans a danger. Plus the idea of religion, what it's for, and what it means when Earth is a distant memory, if that, and mankind is spread across hundreds of worlds. One aspect of the Dune series that is rarely talked about is strength vs. weakness. The strong and capable survive while the weaker perish. Compare that with the real world. Smokers and drinkers are weaker and more dependent than those who don't indulge. People who exercise and learn how to fight have a higher chance of surviving adversity. Those who are intelligent and knowledgeable do better than the dumb and ignorant, etc. (Also,. compare and contrast with what Asimov does in his Foundation books, particularly the later ones. There may be no aliens in this galaxy but what about other galaxies? Must mankind develop psychic powers and the Overmind to successfully meet and deal with aliens?) Leto II, the God Emperor is one of sci-fi's most interesting characters, I believe. The entire weight of trillions of humans and the future of humanity rests on him, for over 3000 years. His every decision has endless consequences. Absolutely fascinating. I also love the idea of what the final solution to mankind's problems could be. The evolution of the Bene Gesserit into a benevolent (?) guiding force of society and destiny I found fascinating. Imagine if we tried that today. What if every president, congressman, senator and other world leaders were all PhD holders and martial arts black belt experts? What if we remove greed and race/tribal identity from the equation? How would society and politics be run then? Some of Herbert's ideas I didn't like. I forget if it's the 2nd or 3rd book but the whole mental ghost of Baron Harkonnen starting to control Alia was crazy. That's not how genes and proteins work. So too the idea that a fetus still in the womb can be sentient and hold conversations. There are limits here! I'm sure there were a couple other ideas I disagreed with (Miles Teg's speed power) but I just don't remember the details. Overall still my favorite sci-fi series, although Pohl's Gateway books and Asimov's Foundation books are pretty much equal in my opinion.

[@WordsinTime]

@@douglasdea637 Interesting analysis! I’m glad you also enjoyed Leto II as a character. And I actually liked the Baron’s return even though it felt more like fantasy than sci-fi haha

[@lurchEbean]

Here's how the series went for me: Dune: 5/5 - It's great, there's a reason it's #1 on 95% of the top whatever sci-fi books lists. Dune Messiah: 3/5 - I feel like this might be higher on a reread. I thought the whole Ghola assassination plan was stupid to begin with, and despite Paul seeing through every step of their plan it felt like he just rolled his eyes, went "Golden Path, I guess" and walked right into it. Children of Dune: 4/5 - I thought this was good, but man did Alia get a raw deal in this book... God Emperor of Dune: 4/5 - Things get a little weird, but I still really enjoyed it. Duncan came off as a real dick in this one, though. Heretics of Dune: 3/5 - Honestly, probably more of a 2/5, I don't feel right rating this the same as Messiah. Frank starts a new Dune series and wants it to be all about freaky sex powers. Chapterhouse Dune: DNF - I was halfway through this, and I was SO BORED. It felt like everyone was just waiting around until either 1) the Honored Matres came to kill everyone or 2) Duncan "reawakens" the ghola's memories (a big WTF to how that's done since Heretics). Considering it wasn't even a finished series, I saw no reason to continue.

[@WordsinTime]

@@lurchEbean Those are pretty valid ratings.

[@mariosalerno8766]

In my opinion NO. I love Dune but exclusively the first volume. I tried to read the other volumes but they didn't work for me.

[@WordsinTime]

@@mariosalerno8766 That’s fair enough.

[@alberton.1601]

Same here.☝️

[@jpotter2086]

Dune messiah isn't a sequel, it's the reprise to the first novel; it's the rest of the arc. After that .... everyone gets off the ride somewhere. Read until bored or no longer compelled ... wouldn't recommend anyone embarking on the series thinking they must go all the way to Chapterhouse ... or, gods forbid, deep into the millions of pages published after Frank Herbert died. Dune + Messiah is a complete story, and a great one. If a reader enjoys any part of the "expanded universe" great, if not, no loss, IMO.

[@WordsinTime]

@@jpotter2086 I’m not interested in the Brian Herbert books but if people read them I hope they enjoy them.

[@billcook4768]

I do like Dune Messiah… but it always felt like Herbert was annoyed people didn’t get the message he intended from Dune. So he wrote an extra book to beat us over he head with that message

[@frozunyogert6159]

If you enjoyed the first book, you owe it to yourself to read Messiah and Children of Dune.

[@WordsinTime]

@@frozunyogert6159 That’s fair!

[@billcook4768]

Just to share my opinion. Book #1 is an all time classic. #2 and #3 are good page turners, but nothing special. #4 is awful, the worst book I ever read. Not the worst book ever written obviously; normally I wouldn’t read anything this terrible but I felt stuck. #5 and #6 are bad. Better than #4, but there are so many better books out there to read. My advice is always to stop after #1. While #2 and #3 are worth reading, you might be tempted (or worse, feel obligated) to read the later books.

[@WordsinTime]

@@billcook4768 I can understand that perspective.

[@jerryB75]

I’ve read all six and plan to one day read the sequels to Chapterhouse written by the son. I did read all 6 the first. I got stuck in Heretics. Years later on a reread I tried again and got through all 6. I really enjoyed all of them. There are lots of crazy ideas in SF, psychohistory anyone?, so sexual control stuff doesn’t bother me. It’s supported by the story and gives Herbert a way to explore ideas of sex, power, politics, etc.

[@WordsinTime]

@@jerryB75 I’m glad you enjoyed them! I don’t mind adult content, I just thought the execution wasn’t the strongest part of the last two books. Hope you like the Brian Herbert books!

[@Halfogre]

Doon

[@WordsinTime]

@@Halfogre Dyuun

[@psikeyhackr6914]

I quit after the 3rd book. I was Duned out. There is too much other interesting SF. I have read more Ender's Game and Vorkosigan Saga books than Dune books. After the first book the sand runs out. .

[@WordsinTime]

@@psikeyhackr6914 That’s fair.

[@psikeyhackr6914]

@@WordsinTime Did you ever do a video on Bujold's Vorkosigan books? By the quality and quantity of ratings on Goodreads they seem to be kind of neglected compared to how good they are. That is of course just MY Opinion which is Never humble. .

[@WordsinTime]

@@psikeyhackr6914 I’ve only read The Vor Game. I need to read more from Bujold!

[@psikeyhackr6914]

@@WordsinTime Start with *Cordelia's Honor.* It is an omnibus of *Shards of Honor* and *Barrayar* , the 1st and 2nd books in the series. The first is decent but it was the second that surprised me with how good it was and hooked me on the series. I have probably read it 4 times.

[@travislee6967]

Don't read the last 2 books (the ones not written by Frank) they were atrociously bad. Loved the first 6 books.

[@WordsinTime]

@@travislee6967 I’m not interested in reading any of the non-Frank Herbert books.

[@travislee6967]

@WordsinTime there were thing I liked about the last two books but overall just way too many plot conveniences

[@jasongrundy1717]

The more you read the less sense and worse the universe becomes and the worse it makes the first book. The bad ideas and silliness add up and make the whole series pretty bad.

[@WordsinTime]

@@jasongrundy1717 I felt that way about the last two books

[@Calcprof]

The 2nd and 3rd volumes are unreadably bad, really poorly written. But some of the later one, such as God Emperor of Dune are interesting.

[@WordsinTime]

@@Calcprof God Emperor is unique.