Dune Sequels Explained
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- čas přidán 23. 09. 2023
- What happens in the sequels to Dune? A quick summary of all six Dune books by Frank Herbert: Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune.
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Imagery from Dune (2021), Children of Dune (2003), Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)
Thumbnail art by Furio Tedeschi (based on a design by Devon Cady-Lee): www.artstation.com/furio
Paul art by Bella Bergolts: www.deviantart.com/bellabergolts
Duncan art by Kiaun: www.deviantart.com/kiaun
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Paul art by Greg Ruth: www.gregthings.com/dune
Holy war art by Kamen Anev: www.artstation.com/kamen
Leto II and Ghanima art by Felipe Ramos: www.artstation.com/feliperamos
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Leto II art by Alex Jay Brady: www.artstation.com/boac
Bene Gesserit art by Ramazan Kazaliev: www.artstation.com/ramazan221
Sheeana sandworm art by Dmitry Andreev: www.artstation.com/dm_a
Tleilaxu art by Dev Pramanik in Dune: House Atreides graphic novel
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Special thanks to Patrons Cameron Weiss, Michael Appell, Ryan Steele, Harry, Shane Veglia, NotGac, Tim Cunniff, T. Ledoux, Ilhuilkamina Urdiana.
0:00 Dune
1:37 Dune Messiah
3:24 Children of Dune
5:18 God Emperor of Dune
7:06 Heretics of Dune
8:23 Chapterhouse: Dune
#Dune
Frank Herbert’s relentless obsession with Duncan Idaho is the most bizarre part of Dune’s lore and that’s not an easy feat
It's a badass name can you blame him?
It's mainly because he got so many letters from fans saying how much they liked his character. That's why he brought him back for book 2 then in the others. Otherwise he most likely just remains a small character in the first book.
@Purple what are you talking about? He literally died a year after the release of the books?
@PurpleFr? He was such a minor character in book 1. Outside of his drunk scene with Jessica he really doesn’t do anything. And his death was so anti-climactic and overshadowed by Kynes death.
hey if there is a movie for the rest of the book, then jason mamoa is rich.... well he already is
It's insane how much Dune did for science fiction.
That being said, "Duncan Idaho" is still the worst fictional name I've ever heard 😂
@Tymoteusz Wiktorek it’s so goofy that it forces me to accept it with ease. Like “I guess this what we’re doing…Duncan Idaho….fuck it”
Could you elaborate. How has dune impacted science fiction?
@Jae West it influenced Star Wars
It’s the lord of the rings of sci fi
Duncan Idaho has got to be the main character of this series, or at least represent a theme.
True, even though he's variously a super-skilled soldier, a vat-grown mentat clone, and so on, he's still in a sense the 'everyman' character who represents the wider mass of humanity caught up in the power struggles of the rulers of the Dune universe.
I have always considered Duncan Idaho to be the true Kwisatz Haderach.
Paul was a failure as he was a generation early.
While Duncan was 'born' again and again, getting enhanced skills each time.
Just my opinion.
@D Dibbleyisn't that exactly what happened in " Hunters and Sandworms of Dune " ?
I remember when I saw the original movie when I was a kid I cried when Duncan died. This was way back in the 80s. Then I grew up and read the books and Duncan was my fave character.
@D Dibbley Leto II was the true Kwisatz Haderach. Paul could've been but rejected it in the crucial moments. Duncan is just a man in most incarnations.
Learning about the whole series as a whole, it now makes sense to me why the Dune books often don't make it beyond the first book in film/series adaptations (besides the obvious fact the series was never truly finished). The first story seems like a classical hero's journey that has revenge, heroism and becoming an emperor leading a proud warrior people in the end. The perfect hero fantasy so many people like. Then the sequels promptly deconstruct that and show it for the pathetic idea it is. Paul's story shows us how the hero's journey likely WOULD pan out for most people (answer: poorly) and that makes us uncomfortable.
So true
"You either live long enough to become the villain or you die fighting for something you believe in." - Twoface from The Dark Knight.
@Don Van Damn Johnson Long Fella Wasn't it "You Either Die a Hero, or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become the Villain"?
No, it often doesn't go beyond the first book because the rest of the series doesn't have a satisfying conclusion until Chapterhouse and because Messiah, despite being a crucial part of the story, isn't very marketable due to its intellectual nature.
Man, I loved this synopsis. Well done. I would argue against two things, however - Paul being emperor was not "a failure" so to speak, though Paul did fail. Dune (book 1) speaks of Paul's "Terrible Purpose," a Purpose that he both knows he must do but that he also fears because of the cost. The cost is to his humanity, billions of lives (through his Jihad), to the freedom of mankind, and to his legacy. Paul wanted more than anything to be a "good" leader - one who inspired others and who elevated the lives of others. He wanted to be a "good duke" like his father. He rejected that future and did everything he possibly could to prevent it from coming - to find another option. However, everything that he did just made things worse, because he was unwilling to do what must be done.
Leto II's brilliance is that he saw the same future but instead of fearing and rejecting it, he embraced it. He knew what he was sacrificing - not only his humanity by becoming more Worm than man, but also his legacy. People would hate him for what he did to humanity. He effectively "broke" mankind. He also paid a price of unending restlessness via his consciousness being trapped in the proto-worm entities. It was to be like forever dreaming, never being able to awake. His consciousness continue for millennia to come.
The second thing is that I would argue that the terraforming of Arrakis, leading to the death of the sandworms and the severe reduction in spice harvesting also wasn't a mistake. The Fremen certainly didn't fully understand the implications of what it was that they desired, and thus in that regard it was a "mistake" (I mean, by the time of "The God Emperor of Dune," the only remaining Fremen were known as "Museum Fremen" - basically historians that barely resembled the Fremen of Paul's day and age). The cost that the Fremen paid was to their strength as a people.
I argue that this wasn't a mistake because without control of the spice, there is no way that Leto II could have held such sway over his Empire. Literally everyone had to come to him for spice and he was free to dole it out as capriciously as he saw fit. Without that one singular aspect, he would have likely still been a ruler, but would have been far less of a tyrant and would have not been able to usher in his "Golden Path."
One of the most interesting revelations that I've had regarding Leto II when I reread the series as an adult was the fact that he knew exactly what he was doing and why - he chose the hardest path because it was the only right path that would lead to the salvation of mankind.
Again, well done!!!
The way I saw it, was that Paul was too afraid to do what needed to be done, to sacrifice his humanity.. His son was far more brave and selfless. His son walked the Golden Path.
This is why I like book 4! I greatly enjoyed Leto2’s different and lonely approach. He will be remembered as a tyrant- but to me he will also be humanity’s lonely savior.. the farthest from human yet the most human.
What you say is true. Wish i had time for the video.
@Kris 00 so like Jesus except he will be remember as the devil?
I like to think in a parallel universe, MatPat made a video about how Leto II actually was the true hero of the story all along.
I think it's important to point out that Book 2 as so miserable because Herbert sort of failed when he wrote book 1. He wanted that message to be evident, but he was sort of too good a writer to make it clear. People read it and thought that Paul was a standard fantasy hero and loved him and Herbert sort of saw that as a failure.
It is my personal belief that Frank Herbert, in his youth, fell deeply in love with a man from Idaho named Duncan, and he never got over it.
That’s Interesting asf
@Don Swaggin no it's not
That's highly unlikely but I got your point.
@Eric Saldana yo calm down
The first Dune book is a wonderful masterpiece. I was a huge fan of the second book, personally. While not quite as flawless as book 1, I really enjoyed how you found yourself empathizing with both Paul and the conspiracy organized against him. I also thought there is some delightful trickiness to the question “how do you even conspire against someone who can see the future?”
I also read book 3. (It was fine.) I couldn’t get into the fourth book at all, and never finished the series.
TLDR: Thanks for summarizing the rest of the series. I can’t believe I almost got through my life without ever learning Duncan Idaho gets a magic penis.
i got half way theough book three and sadly gave up
@The Kiwi Ninjas | Music Same. After seeing this recap I think I made the right call.
@The Kiwi Ninjas | Music Yeah… 3 is… alright. I think some of the Alia stuff is interesting. I think I mostly find it readable from the perspective that it’s a bit of a better resolving point, and does come out feeling like a trilogy. It’s a definite step down from 2, which despite me having a real soft spot for, I must admit is a definite step down from 1.
OMG underrated comment.
If you want a story about feudalism, the nature of one's self, and family, you read the first three Dune books. If you want a story about free will and how we all must go on our own path you read the next three Dune books. And if you want to hate yourself for investing so much time into something that didn't matter you read the last two Dune books
Don-t read pass the first book you said? Ok.
@William Ocoró Yes I know the first book is separated into book one, book two, and three, however when people collectively refer to Dune they mention the book as a whole. If you only want to read the first one that's fine. There are people who have only read Enders Game or The Hobbit without ready any of the other follow up books doesn't take away from their brilliance.
@dannytheman1313 I just really liked the first one and the second one was horribly disappointing, so i-m not sure I want to read the rest.
@William Ocoró The second one is more of a deconstruction of the hero's journey like Paul defeated the evil emperor and has been crowned king! And has no idea how to run the empire. But its not a terrible book it talks about the ramifications of paul becoming a religious figure. I recommend getting to Children of Dune if you want to finish the Paul story its really good. But you can stop whenever.
So, the first book was sane, and the next 5 were way out there. Got it.
I'd commit up to Book 4. The first book is a complete story, but I love the books that follow. After the Scattering, once it skips ahead thousands of years, it's almost like starting a new Dune series, with the exception of the omnipresent Duncan Idaho.
@FOS Agreed, the last two books are still worth a read but I felt that the first four do constitute a fairly complete story cycle in and of themselves, and the last two were written more because people (and probably publishers) wanted more and the author enjoyed the setting/characters, as often happens.
Second book is sane as well. It just cuts with the selfless hero crap.
The first 3 is actually fine.
@George Ivory yes it does, it pretty much takes the p!$$ out of Lawrence of Arabia, and the White Savior trope
I never thought I would see a complete summary under an hour long, this was great. It's also a bit worrisome, no idea how Denis will be able to swing that many movies or if he'll even want to, but I'll be keeping my fingers crossed he completes his adaptation at least through Messiah. The first movie was beautiful.
Just finished chapter house. What a journey. I’ve seldom been touched by books as I have with these. I’m not one for romances in books but I genuinely was sad that Duncan and Marbella couldn’t be.
Thank you Mr. Herbert for a brilliant rollercoaster of a series.
I would never have believed that anyone could have summarized all the Dune books in just 12 minutes. Well done, well done!
“The Dune sequel books get weird.” Well put!
I started watching and figured it was 2hr video lol
Our Host here, has an excellent Radio/Broadcast voice! So he makes it entertaining and interesting!!!
Agreed
Why are you singing praises for some one invested in mind shrink,(shortening the thought train on a subject).Think of the time it took you to read that story, the time you spent giving them a mental image , the joy of discovery with each new page. That is why you read these great works, not to shrink it to a 12 minute spot.
Indeed a wonderful video.
Is “The philosophy of Dune” still in the making, or is it off the table?
I want to know this as well
I'd wager it's still in the making but likely won't come out until the next movie at least has trailers. It's probably gonna be like 3 or more hours long too haha
he was probably making it, but HOTD kinda took over everything for like 6 months and now we're just getting back to normal.
He said it will be released sometime this year
I'm also interested. Loved these vids
Dune is DEEP. Obviously way deeper than can be summed up in a short amount of time. But you've done a fantastic job of an effort to summarize it all here. I appreciate that you mention towards the end of your video that the Dune series as a whole is not necessarily just about the PLOT, but more a huge window into the philosophical, political, religious, sociological, etc ideas of Frank Herbert, who was quite the interesting mind.
Dune is very interesting. It’s a book that really feels like you’re just an observer, like Daniel and Marty. The time jumps, purposeful lack of detail, and other elements take the reader out of story and minutiae to view each book in its entirety, easily seeing the themes and philosophy in each. Forest through the trees in my experience.
I love the ideas Frank Herbert brings to the modern world in his books. He is a wonderful writer who writes and speaks to all of his readers in ideas, themes, and possibilities.
YES, read them all years ago. You captured the essence of the entire story line. Wonderful presentation!!!
I love that Dune is celebrated as this visionary science fiction masterpiece with a cohesive, detailed universe and believable, iconic characters - and also includes absolutely wild, out there sci fi concepts in the sequels. Zen clones, worm men, super speed, millennia-long schemes - but it's all somehow believable and consistent. At least the Frank Herbert novels. It's tragic he passed before finishing his last.
God Emperor of Dune especially is awesome because Leto jumps from a very impassioned debate about humanity's relationship with God to "idk the vibes I get from an all male military are kinda gay" in the space of like a paragraph
@Ka Chow Hahaha, so true
What? No it's not. Dune is a terrible universe...
@D B that’s just like, your opinion man
@Ka Chow Leto is peak fiction book 4 really resonated with me.
It is also worth mentioning that Honoured Matreses are also running from something, some people from scattering that use highy advanced biological weapon to kill HMs. And that's why they hunted Bene Geseritt to learn how to have immunity to any disease or poison.
Loved your interpretations and the way you have explained this whole story. Eager for more. I had a question. Is the "Philosophy of Dune" video still under works or was it just renamed to "Dune Book V Movie". Love the channel. Keep it up ✊
I’ve read all of these books years ago, but I never understood what was going on. A great synopsis of the series, thank you. I’ll give them another try again.
This was a great and simple explanation of the main series. You should do the other books that continued on with Brian Herbert, his son.
Excited for more Dune things. Hope you’re planning a series for all the books cuz i’d listen to that!
It's interesting how so many fans think that Leto II's Golden Path will save humanity even though a huge theme in the series is that you should be wary of powerful and charismatic leaders determining the fate of entire societies. I would not be surprised if Frank would have let the Golden Path end in a huge disaster if he had been able to finish the series.
Yeah. I think it's an open question whether Leto's Golden Path is even relevant in the later books, beyond peoples' belief in it -- Heretics of Dune ends with Odrade asking "Hey! Old worm! Was this your design?" -- "There was no answer".
He managed to convince me. He was not just the leader that bound people together he was the outsider that people resented. He was not just an emperor but a predator. Blew my mind when Moneo realized what he meant. A predator forces it's prey to evolve to get away from it. If the Golden Path fails I think it would simply be because it didn't work, not because there was anything wrong with the idea in the first place. If leaving the Earth is analogous to a child leaving the crib, I think the Golden Path is analogous to an adult getting kicked out of the house.
I never bought the idea that the Golden Path was meant to ensure humanity's survival by scattering us further across the universe. That's just moving the date of our extinction forward.
I really liked the second idea Herbert presented, that it was intended so that Leto could eradicate prescience everywhere but in him, and then destroy himself so that no one could ever possess prescience again, thus freeing us from its trap.
If only Herbert could have turned this idea into a book that wasn't a total slog to get through. Or did he even need that book to explain these ideas I just explained in three seconds? He could have worked them into Children of Dune.
@God Hand but you don't have to abuse a child in order to get them to leave the house. Yes, people need to be challenged and tested in order to grow and learn but there's no need to be cruel and vicious about it.
Great narration, far superior to just about anything I have ever heard on CZcams, including reading style, voicing, pacing, and of course excellent command of vocabulary and composition such that we get the message briefly but thoroughly. 12 minutes holy cow brilliant.
I would love to see more of these. I've always been so fascinated with these books.
Man, this gets me so excited.. the amount of movies that can be made and with a decent production and director. I just got into Dune, and am blown away.. have watched Dune 4 times Dune 1984 2 times and am now going through the mini series. Can't wait for Dune 2, and to see if it continues with the stellar movies.
Very well done. I've read the book series several times over the years and that was a damn good summary. But you forgot the mention who was chasing the final ship with the net!
This is honestly the best Dune novel explanation video I've ever seen. I read Dune and loved it and it made me love the film even more. I honestly got frustrated with Dune Messiah because of the way Herbert deconstructs Paul and really the entire story and characters from the original. I can see why most on screen adaptations only focus on the first book because it's the one true complete story that feels like somewhat of an actual conclusion. I enjoy the philosophy of Dune but so much time passed and so many characters are just gone with underwhelming conclusions to their stories that originally were important but now can't help feeling like the characters from the first novel and their stories just evolved into nothing all in the name of philosophy and I don't know if I like that or not.
I know that Dune is an incredibly deep story, filled with complex worldbuilding and it has inspired countless stories
But I can't help but burst out laughing every time Duncan gets resurrected
The man cant seem to get a rest
Duncan's resurrecting is like Kenny being killed-off in every episode of South Park to be brought back in the next episode. 😁
to be loved by God might not be so great after all!
It's crazy. In the later sequels written by Herbert's kids, literally everyone from all the books gets resurrected multiple times and then all the clones live happily ever after. Its wack.
Good video. I read DUNE in 1979 when I was supposed to be doing homework. It really captured me, and and I remember thinking of how well written it seemed to be. And that's a another thing. We watch so many videos, and movies we forget that that writing is an art unto itself. I am not well read but I remember the beautiful writing of Jane Austen, and one short story I read by Anton Chekov. About the DUNE series, I read the first 3 books at least, and I remember feeling that it was getting weird.
I thought the ending with Daniel and Marty was "just" a massive cliffhanger. "Aaah, now I'll never find out". But the fourth wall explanation presented by you makes perfect sense. Thank you!
Im currently reading Messiah so I can't watch this whole video yet, but god damn I'm loving this series and can't wait to see what happens in the later books. I hear they tend more toward the philosophy/metaphysical side of things rather than action, but that's cool with me because that's my favourite stuff so far anyway
Great video. I admire your work. I can only imagine how much time you spend making these videos. Likewise, I've been your sincere follower for a lot of time. Wish you more and more new followers.
Of all the books, Dune Messiah was the most enigmatic. It's not "easy" to understand any of them, but Messiah was convoluted and complex AF.
I truly appreciate Brian Herbert and Kevin J.A. coming along to fill out and finish off the series. Frank Herbert was truly the best sci-fi writer of them all.
I love how Dune as a series continually overturns itself, to the point of being an entirely different beast in different eras. Messiah was a response to Dune, Children of Dune is a very, *very* different tone and then God Emperor is really like no other novel I can think of. Herbert took a lot of risks just being experimental and creative and crammed in so many ideas that I feel you benefit as a person reading and applying a lot of his ideas to real life, or at least understanding how others use conditioning and power.
Foundation comes pretty close.
If only his ideas in the later books could have been matched by the increasingly bizarre and sluggish narratives.
@Valar i feel like if he had more years of writing maybe he could have finished the saga and start something new with mor cohesiveness
@Brandon Butler Depending on your tastes you may even find Foundation superior.
@Wafaa For sure. He wrote plenty of books and short stories between the Dune books and he hadn't lost his touch. He lost the plot specifically with Dune.
I have read all the Frank Herbert Dune books plus all the prequels and sequels by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson. There is a coherent story arc that does come to a logical ending if you stick with it.
i can not express enough how good is this video. In only 12 min I have the summary of 6 books with enough for someone that doesnt know about them! From here on you can read them for more or not. Its up to the viewer. Simple, spot on and understandable! Amazing!
It's a description of an ecosystem that spans beyond our own geographical limits, yet stays within the human condition and its physics, philosophy or theology. The ending is as far as I am concerned the best way to gift the reader for following the story, as we have a future tied to the surviving characters and unresolved plots.
Great video thanks.
I know that they’re less good and not as popular, but I would love an explained on the later Dune novels.
This is one of my favorite movies I can't wait for more, I'm definitely excited to see where DV takes it
Dune, even in its heroic first novel, has tinges of something sinister on the horizon. Paul can see the war in his name, and willingly believes he can avoid it but every move he makes pushes it closer, not further. Frank was never a fan of the conquering hero so he wrote within that framework but always hinted that this course of action was wrong. From it being known they were exploiting a set up religious prophecy, that was deliberately set up for the soul purpose of being exploited, to Paul's arrogance that he can subvert the coming storm. The book even ends on a sort of down note. Paul is Emperor but no one is rejoicing. He took the throne out of petty revenge afterall.
I’ve only read the first novel, but the fact Paul was a supervillain was obvious to me.
@Dashiell Gillingham Read the next two at the very least (unless you didn't enjoy it of course) Paul's arc is worth the read.
And he is Emperor of the "known universe". Space is huge. "That's why we call it space," as Carl Sagan said.
From the moment I read that banned groups could flee into the galaxy outside the empire, I knew there was something more going on, something being ignored.
Emperor killing his family, friends and legions of troops is not petty, that is a major reasons to seek revenge.
@Dashiell Gillingham "Supervillian" is a strong word to use. He's more of an antihero (appropriately so, since the first book follows the "hero's journey" narrative).
I like how you explained Marty and Daniel were advanced Facedancers, leaving out the utter nonsense by Brian Herbert and KJA that they were AI, Omnius and Erasmus.
Chapterhouse:
"They had a Tleilaxu Master, too," Marty said. "I saw him when they went under the net. I would have so liked to study another Master." "Don't see why. Always whistling at us, always making it necessary to stomp them down. I don't like treating Masters that way and you know it! If it weren't for them . . ." "They're not gods, Daniel." "Neither are we." "I still think you let them escape. You're so anxious to prune your roses!"
"What would you have said to the Master, anyway?" Daniel asked. "I was going to joke when he asked who we were. They always ask that. I was going to say: 'What did you expect, God Himself with a flowing beard?' " Daniel chuckled. "That would've been funny. They have such a hard time accepting that Face Dancers can be independent of them." "I don't see why. It's a natural consequence. They gave us the power to absorb the memories and experiences of other people. Gather enough of those and . . ." "It's personas we take, Marty." "Whatever. The Masters should've known we would gather enough of them one day to make our own decisions about our own future."
I have been a big fan of the fist Dune for years. But, it looks like the new Dune is much more easier to understand. I like it so far.
That's no small task you've just pulled off there. I've wondered for a long time what was supposed to be going on in that final chapter. What you say makes perfect sense, and, you're right, in a strange way the ending does tie the series up rather nicely.
I only read the first book. It is very intriguing material, to say the least. For people who are into fantastic literature, it is a must-read.
I know it’s a pipe dream, but I would love to see the full set of books played out in cinematic format.
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There's a heap of detail and plotlines that didn't fit into this short video. More Dune videos coming. Plus House of the Dragon and ASOIAF!
can't wait for the philosophy video...i didn't realize he was still writing them when i was in high school...i got as far as god emperor...you got me excited to do a re read and continue the series...SO MAD THAT I DONATED MY DUNE ENCYCLOPEDIA because my daughter wants one!
Yeah, I’lm gonna pretend that Westworld season premier didn’t happen as well.
9:58 I see you using AI there.
*_CZcams had unsubscribed me from your channel. I have re-sub'd. This has happened 90 times to me the last years, YT just randomly ends my subscription, then recommends me a video from said channel that they removed; like yours._*
It is boring....
I really enjoyed your videos explaining Westworld, are you going to make them for season four by any chance? That would be really nice!
Another fantastic video. So excited for the sequel films.
CAN'T WAIT for the Dune Philosophy vid!!
The work done by his son and co-writers is really helping to build an amazing Universe: Corrinos, Harkonnen, Atreides, Butlerian Jihad, etc. Loves this full universe.
Thanks for this, I was going to look at the other books so you've saved me some time and money. Won't hold my breath for a sequel following pt2 either!
More dune stuff please!!!! You cover it so well ❤
I love that it ends with the tribute to his wife. Because for me, the Dune series is a story of love and how love is one, if not THE, thing that makes us humans.
I always thought there was not nearly enough love in the Dune universe. I actually think it's a key failing of the series. Everyone is a power-hungry monster and anyone who isn't e.g Kynes is killed off. This universe has many highly developed human minds, but all done in the service of power and domination. Whereas we see that all of the sophisticated 'inner technology' techniques in our world have all been put in the service of cultivating love and wisdom - e.g. Buddhist meditation, Christian mysticism, Sufism, Advaita Vedanta Hinduism, native American use of psychedelics.
@Valar yeah, for me Alia becomes mad because of lack of love, paul does what he does at the end of book 2 out of love, leto II realises love is what makes us human after alooooot of time. Jessica and Leto I do what they do out of love. Best Duncan Idaho, aka Duncan from book 2, is torn from love. And ofc it ends with star crossed lovers, Duncan and murbella. As well As the letter from Herbert to his wife
@Valar ofc there are tons of other ideas explored, these are mostly my initial surface feeling after have read them, but its the one that resonated with me the most at the time
@Fredrik I accept what you're saying. I still think the series is too nihilistic and that there is not nearly enough grace and compassion - and love - in it for my taste. The examples you listed are pretty much it in six books.
Fremen society in Dune is absurdly, irrationally violent. Kill off your best people in stupid fights? Why? What a waste, especially when you're already battling an existential threat.
It's not until the very end of Dune Messiah that we get emotions other than cold calculation. The rest of the book is a nasty slog. Paul is an asshole. I know that's the point, but even so.
The God-Emperor sacrifices himself to free humanity. That's a remarkable moment. But the rest of the book is kind of sterile. And the result of his sacrifice is pretty horrendous in the short term. Like, dear god, Frank. Cut us some slack!
Duncan and Murbella aren't star-crossed lovers as much as they are sexually addicted to one another. Frank's letter at the end is beautiful, but it's not part of the story. I didn't get a sense of much going on between the two characters at the end.
I love Dune, but it has its flaws. It's my personal preference, but I would pick the often-compared LOTR over Dune as a balm for the soul any day. It's a reflection of the very different backgrounds and personalities of Herbert and Tolkien.
One thing that strikes me is that Herbert never saw combat in WW2, yet his books are graphically violent. Tolkien saw combat in WW1 at the Somme, one the of the biggest battles in history. He did not write about violence graphically. Neither did Robert Jordan, who was a gunner on a helicopter in Vietnam. Perhaps it was because they had actually seen war that they could never write about violence the way Herbert does.
These are just my thoughts and if you disagree I certainly am not going to be offended. Art is in the eye of the beholder after all.
Now do the prequal with the machines and all the books Franks son co-wrote. Great job by the way. It was fun seeing this. I read those books back in the 80's and 90's.
Great summary. Just finishing the books myself. Just imagine if they would make all of this into movies with star wars budgets... 🤤 Probably will never happen, the story is too sophisticated.
Thank you for the summary.
I personally only read up through God Emperor of Dune, and wouldn't read further - so this summary was useful.
As a series, Dune explores very interesting ideas. However, as a narrative, I believe that it falters as later works escape far too much from the original premise.
You can separate out the books into three major "eras." First is the era of Dune proper and of Paul Atreides, and this arguably ends with Dune Messiah (though for the purpose of the upcoming 2023 Dune Part 2 I am unsure if Dune Messiah should be adapted to film or not, it's good book though). Second is the era of Paul's children and especially of Leto, with Children of Dune introducing what is to come and God Emperor of Dune concluding things quite well. Third is the era that you explained which involves completely new characters and political intrigues, but one that is so disconnected from the past (with the exception of those like Duncan Idaho who was revived endless times) that I couldn't get into them.
For a "casual reader," I would recommend reading through Dune at the very least, and Dune Messiah if you want to see the conclusion to Paul's path (even if it is tragic for him personally).
If you want to see the path that Paul's son Leto is able to achieve, a path that Paul didn't have the willingness to pursue - then read Children of Dune and God Emperor of Dune. Children of Dune in particular has some very interesting characters and cool things happening, like with Vladimir Harkonnen possessing Alia's mind. God Emperor of Dune is more like an epilogue in my opinion to the previous books - showing us how things end up after Leto succeeds in his plan, and if you read it with that in mind I find it to be enjoyable.
Paul: I don't want to do this
Dune Universe: Too bad.
Paul: Mother, I don't want to do this.
Mother: Too bad, YOU... will try.
Paul successfully disengaged, but didn't anticipate sin son to re-engage.
@The Artistworst line in scriptwriting history
@hWalnut nah it's the best.
I noticed this week that in theory that Leto, Ghanima's twin, is Leto III, because baby Leto II was killed some 12 years before.
In addition to your great narration, clever commentary and inclusion of excerpts from the book, I really appreciate that you include so many illustrations. These videos are really well done and just what I needed now that I'm in the middle of another Dune deep dive 😂 thank you
It's been over 20 years since I read the Dune sequels, and I only remember three things:
1) that time Leto II covered himself in fish
2) God Emperor was secretly the best out of the series
3) The sentence "It could order him to blink, fart, gasp, shit, piss-anything" was in Heretics of Dune. I distinctly remember reading that, taking a moment, putting the book down, and thinking to myself "huh, well... that was quite the sentence I just read."
You forgot "adult beefswelling."
@Jay Maker ...in his loins.
Completely agree with point #2.
As much as God Emperor is great, the ending is so anti-climatic; it just ends. It made me feel so unfulfilled. Thankfully, Chapterhouse had a satisfying ending.
I'm currently reading Heretics. Good to know there is such a beautiful line to look forward to
Como todos dejan sus aportes solo diré: Noree es la segunda mejor chica de la saga!!! La amo con todo mi corazón, es rarisima en gustos de pareja... pero es agradable.
Ame mucho el final del sexto libro q w q)
Very well done. Now bring in the Post-Frank Dune books that his son co-authored with Kevin J. Anderson from Frank's original notes.
I have read these books like so many over and over my favourite, although it took some time to get there, is God Emperor of Dune, it has real depth. Dune is a classic and that can never be denied but God Emperor is where I feel Frank Herbert finally stretched his ability to the limit and wove a story covering their past, their present and future. Every time I read this book I see more I expect age helps you see things you miss when younger and wow is it relevenat now.
Frank Hernbert was clearly a clever guy and undoubtedly a visionary in his own right. I don't mean he could see the future but he understood the direction we are going in and it worried him. So much of what he talked about is unfolding today and I am genuinely worried for all our futures.
Read all of Frank Herbert's Dune books they are more than just stories but also a warning which we need to learn before it is too late for us all.
I agree, anyone who stops before reading God Emperor of Dune is truly missing the apogee of the story. One can stop there and not read Heretics or Chapterhouse and still have the essence. I think both Heretics and Chapterhouse are worth the read (as I think the 3 main trilogies of Brain's prequels are), but not essential. God Emperor is essential, and brilliant. I'd also suggest people go beyond just the Dune series/universe and read many of Herbert's other books and short stories such as, The Godmakers, Whipping Star, The Jesus Incident, The Lazarus Effect, and The Dosadi Experiment to name a few. And I would even highly recommend one of his non science fiction novels, the White Plague.
I loved the first book but not the rest. Just seemed to get weirder & weirder.
Thanks for the video. It really made me understand the continuing plotlines better.
Amazing summary in 10 minutes. That was quite an accomplishment, I am really impressed. I think the first 2 books look really interesting. Hope the movies will cover them. But the series really needed to end after book 3. The last three books look like a completely waste of time.
I feel very strongly that if frank Herbert had more of an interest in honing the plot of his work into a more consistent and cohesive narrative it would have done a lot to bolster and flesh out his philosophical and existential ideas
As much as I like the universe & really enjoyed the first book, I couldn't focus at all on the 2nd and 3rd. All the talking about possibilities of the mind and dreams really drew me out. I enjoyed the plotting and the action, limited as it was. I get why people enjoy the existencial ideas in it. I hate it.
The narrative not being cohesive is a mirror of the Dune universe. Each successive book is a rejection of what came before. There is no overarching story of humanity. The best we can do is lay the groundwork for as much diversity and randomness as possible and then get out of the way.
I highly suggest reading some of his other books. Free from the expectations of Dune fans, he produced some really brilliant books. For example, The Jesus Incident, about an insane colony ship AI which uses an entire world to explore its Lamarckian fixation is brutal, well-told, instructive and incredibly thought-provoking.
@Peter Hansen, is that the book that ends with the ship telling the people to decide how they will worship it (ship)?
@Chibi Papa Nurgle Same here.I I think a lot of people stranded somewhere in children of Dune and never bothered reading Emperor , heretics and chapterhouse.
Wow this channel really has some nice insights into dune. Thanks for the content !
It feels almost criminal summarizing one of the most complicated/influential sci-fi series there is in just 12 minutes but my man did it
Good job. I started reading Dune in 1979 when I was supposed to be doing my homework. My mother was teaching high school at the time, and got a soft cover copy of the novel from one of her students. I couldn't put it down.
The first book looks like a cool story, I'm just afraid that the rest goes too far for me because it seems complicated
The best series I have read. Hands down. Incredible!
I've been mystified by this and the last Dune video. I was never interested in the movie, and didn't know much about the book, but these summaries have been truly enthralling. Fantastical stories, mortifying concepts, thank you for making them so much more accessible.
You really should read the books, these descriptions barely do justice. Be warned though, the books are long and you will have to put them down frequently to reflect.
because a movie is not accessible?
@Andrew W No, not as accessible as this. I was never interested in the movie, whereas this video is free, convenient, and really well written to be succinct and still interesting/compelling.
@Vyshnav Reddy before seeing these videos, I was not considering reading the books. Now, the first one at least is definitely on my to-read list.
@Ally Kaman My personal favourites are 4 and 5, God emperor and heretics. Stuffed full of contemplative monologues, soliloquies and conversations
I always, always gave up midway through the Children of Dune. I think I gave the series five-six tries, roughly once every 5 years or so, but the Children always get me.
I read the series when I was 13 in a single summer. The philosophy of the mind was something I was very open to learning at the time. "Fear is the mind killer" has been like a motto to me. People who make emotional decisions, especially out of fear, often cause harm. We see it in the world today. Scared people vilify a perceived opponent. Like conservatives making up names for liberals. I believe making decisions out of fear shows a person is of low intelligence. Where did I get that idea? The Dune Series.
There's a fairly decent mini TV series Children of Dune. The authors developed Alia as a likeable and tragic character and this helped a lot to give depth and human dimension to the story which otherwise risked coming across as wooden and mechanical. Cinematography is very good too. I'm not a great fan of sequels after Children of Dune.
Was that the SciFi channel adaptation? I never really understood the character of Alia until seeing that. So, yeah, they did a good job of adaptation distillation.
0:01: 📚 The Dune sequel books reveal the true meaning of the story, with bizarre elements and abstract ideas.
3:34: 📚 The Dune series explores the dangers of blindly following religious and political leaders and the consequences of changing the environment of Arrakis.
6:19: 🌌 Leto's Golden Path leads to the liberation of humanity and the merging of the Bene Gesserit and Honoured Matres.
9:43: 📚 The final chapter of Dune features an elderly couple who represent the author and his late wife, and the open-ended conclusion reflects the central themes of the series.
Recap by Tammy AI
One of the best summaries of this series I've ever heard. 100/100
I don't know if you're aware, but the picture of the plant you used when you describe the vegetation of Arakis is Portulacaria afra - a South African plant that's used to rehabilitate overgrazed arid areas and exceptionally good at carbon storage and promoting rainwater infiltration. A coincidence or a nice nuanced touch.
Nothing is a coincidence
I think that’s a shot from the 2021 film, in the ecological station sequence?
Fitting that the Portulacaceae...the Purslanes...being such a succulent xeric loving and thriving plant...that it would be one of dominants in colonizing this new habitat...along with Euphorbiaceae, Cactiaceae and xerix non-epiphytic terrestrial Bromeliaceae.
@MRHOUSE things just are.
Unpopular opinion #1: The last two novels are really great, but they're overshadowed by the original (which is undeniably class). They're as good or better than many other sci-fi books/series. However, they're largely underrated because, well, it's just a long and arduous journey to get there. It's almost the opposite of the classic problem with the Star Trek movies where the even-numbered ones were good, but you had a dull one in-between. With the Dune series, the first one's epic, then there's a downer. Then it picks up again with twin heroes with powers, then look out, time jump... and the hero turns out to be a tyrant (No, *the* Tyrant!). Most people give up by or well before the fourth book. They miss out on what should have been another trilogy that extends the ideas of the series up to that point.
Unpopular opinion #2: Brian Herbert's follow-up novels (i.e., "Hunters" and "Sandworms") that wrap up the series are actually very enjoyable. They are nowhere as rich in ideas as his father's work, but they do respect the material. Why I recommend them is purely because they are fan-pleasers. They wrap up the series nicely and give you everything you wanted. It's not what Frank would have written, but I lived for many, many years believing many threads in the saga would forever loose and frayed. Brian added some more material and wove those into something that tied it all back together with connections to all of the series. Getting closure on a saga that was unresolved (not just open-ended) was like therapy that healed an ache that dated to my childhood when I first read the series.
I have taken the Dune journey many times, for over half of my lifetime, it is true the last two books are magnum opuses, with such scintillating, complex dialogue and characterisation the likes of which i have never found anyway else. they challenge you and enthral you, yet reward you again and again for your efforts.
How does Brain respect the material? He even tried to change Marty and Daniel from Facedancers to super AI (Omnius and Erasmus). Which is OBVIOUS nonsense.
Chapterhouse:
"They had a Tleilaxu Master, too," Marty said. "I saw him when they went under the net. I would have so liked to study another Master." "Don't see why. Always whistling at us, always making it necessary to stomp them down. I don't like treating Masters that way and you know it! If it weren't for them . . ." "They're not gods, Daniel." "Neither are we." "I still think you let them escape. You're so anxious to prune your roses!"
"What would you have said to the Master, anyway?" Daniel asked. "I was going to joke when he asked who we were. They always ask that. I was going to say: 'What did you expect, God Himself with a flowing beard?' " Daniel chuckled. "That would've been funny. They have such a hard time accepting that Face Dancers can be independent of them." "I don't see why. It's a natural consequence. They gave us the power to absorb the memories and experiences of other people. Gather enough of those and . . ." "It's personas we take, Marty." "Whatever. The Masters should've known we would gather enough of them one day to make our own decisions about our own future."
In fact, like the work of J R R Tolkien, Frank left a lot of material ready, but not finalized in a book. This material was found by his son, and in it there was the entire conclusion of the saga. Daniel and Marty are revealed and we discover that these characters already existed long before the story of book 1. The conclusion of the saga is fantastic, it is without a doubt the best science fiction story of all time.
Most book fans hate the Brian Herbert novels and don't consider them canon.
i just can't do the brian herbert books.....they read like early 90s star wars books.
Yes, Brian Herbert claims to have found material. No one in the fanbase believes him.
@Malcom Alexander the premise/idea of the baddie in the 2 books brian and the star wars guy wrote to follow "chapterhouse" does seem like it could have came from frank, but those 2 just went about it so ham fisted and predictibly. it seriously read like a comic book
You should do an additional video on how the series was carried on and finished by Brian Herbert.
I love these books and have read them all...even the 'prequels'(urgh) but I'd forgotten just how wacky it really got. Thanks for the recap
Thanks for doing this. I loved Dune, read it twice, but just never could get into the second book. Something about it just never held my interest.
I recently finished the 6 original novels and I just have to say, wow the art in this video is fantastic. I loved seeing the different interpretations of characters. Nayla, the Duncan ghola, Hwi, and Siona were especially great. Cudos the the artist(s). I also just have to say that going through the major plot points make these books seem a lot more readable and exciting than they actually are haha.. but again as you said, its about the ideas not the plot.
Those portraits of Nayla, Duncan, Hwi and Siona were made for this video in Artbreeder, a free AI image gen tool! Gonna make more for future videos :)
Marc Simonetti is the GOAT!
@Alt Shift X dude?? What are you doing? Remember the Butlerian Jihad!
In case you don't know the 7th and 8th book written by the Son are actually after the extensive notes of Frank and finish the plot as he'd imagined it. Very much worth the read imo, very different style, but it works quite well given what the last book was supposed to be
At the end of the day, aside from the first Dune book, the other books are absurdly dull. I would not recommend anyone a read.
The characters did, indeed, “get away”, only to be captured by the evil Brian Herbert who, through the powerful magic of his hack writing (and that of his even lamer sidekick Kevin Anderson) enslaved them all.
I used to work in a bookstore and when people asked about the Brian and Kevin books I would tell them to read them because they would never read anything that bad again.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way. His "conclusion" to his father's works was a slap in the face.
I know I'm in the minority but I like the "final" books, except for the cascade of deus ex machinas at the very end. But the Daniel/Morty stuff at the end of Chapterhouse (by far my favorite of the saga) was just weird and out of place.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
This was exactly what I needed. Thank you so much!
i literally just finished reading all dune books, now i can finally watch this video. Thank you Schwift
Didn't expect to cry at the end, so adorable that he loved his wife and knew what was important in life
Princess Irulan really does a whole lot of 'drawling' in, "The Children of Dune", I do remember that. I read the first 4 books of this series by Frank Herbert. I also read a book, "Doon", from National Lampoon and found more dept and entertainment from that one book than anything that Herbert ever wrote. I only wished that National Lampoon would have actually written and marketed the joke sequels to, "Doon", "Doon Meschugama", forgive the spelling, "Men, Women, Children, and Pets of Doon", and "Lord God Help Us, Another Sequel to Doon". Forgive me for panning Frank Herbert, but I can't find entertainment in a book that will devote 2, very dry pages that go into intricate detail of a room, the setting, and have the characters say, but a few lines of dialog, before moving on to a different scene. I will give accolades to Herbert for, "The White Plague". For his book, "The Dosadi Experiment", however, I don't believe that he deserves any. A legal system that has goofy written all over it and a super intelligent star that goes by the name, Fannie May? At least, I know where a lot of the ideas in the book, "Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy", came from.
The latest dune movie got me interested in the books. Read the first one and just watched the 2000 miniseries. Your videos couldn’t have come at a better time
Juan Cena xDDD
Still have to recommend you read the sequels, at least up through God Emperor (though 5 & 6 are also excellent).
I'm concrete stan of yelling "those bastards" with explosions in the background
If you go through them all, I do recommend Brian Herbert's final 2 books that finishes the story and his prequels starting with the Butlerian Jihad and Machine Crusade books
When I watched Dune I hated the movie but this video has helped me a lot and now I don’t know if I still hate the series or if I’m obsessed
This series has legitimately changed my life and the way I view the world and its challenges.
I highly recommend reading the small piece Frank Herbert wrote about his wife Beverley even on its own. The man has beautiful view on life and an even better ability to describe it.
Rest in peace Frank and Bev, you've touched many more lives than you could possibly know... may they live on forever in other memory
Herbert was inspired to write Dune by the story of T.E. Lawrwnce a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia. Dune is basically the story of what happened in the Middle East during the first half of the 20th century. Oil is the spice that makes the world run.
I never read any of the books. I only ever knew the 1984 film (which I still love) and the 2021 remake, which I had serious doubts about, but was very surprised and love as well.
Concerning Frank Herbert:
Based on the information in this video, by my estimation, Herbert's either the epitome of the adage "there's a fine line between genus and insanity"
Or this is the kind of sculpted projectile vomit that is produced when extremely intelligent people do drugs.
Every bit of information about these books had me asking myself "who comes up with this kind of thing? " (in a negative way).
The character arcs for main characters are convoluted at best, there are no redeeming qualities to any of them, the purpose of mankind seems to be nihilistic as anything, and the stories as a whole sound entirely depressing and pointless!
Just finished reading book 6. I agree that the first book is the best one by far. Books 2,3 and 4 are also good but not as good as 1. But I am afraid that I admit that books 5 and 6 are weird and not as enjoyable as the others.
Dune Messiah is my favorite of the series and I hope we get it as a film
Hey man I just wanted to tell you I really appreciate all your work. I've been seeing your videos since 2013 and the new Dune stuff is amazing. Don't know if you'll revisit ASoIF for House of The Dragon but I'll watch anything you put out.
Thanks so much! Yup, House of the Dragon and ASOIAF videos are coming.
@Alt Shift X Tyrek horse video incoming!
11:14
@Alt Shift X 2:00 That's not Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohaim.
@Alt Shift X God love ya :)
There's a lot of debate about what value or even meaning Leto 2's Golden Path was. Those that support him and like what his plan represented think that he and his plan were the best of all, terrible, options. But I maintain that, possible or not, the Bene Gessirit plan was superior. Leto's plan had two parts. One was to oppress people so entirely and for such a long time that a resistance to tyrants was imprinted on their souls. But as we know from human history, this doesn't happen. Oppression doesn't refine people or make them freedom loving. In fact, oppressed people build up so much anger and resentment that more often than not, once they break free of their oppression and gain power, they in turn oppress others even more.
The second and more central part of Leto 2’s plan was to breed humans that were invisible to prescience so no future oppressor with the power of prescience could see what they are doing, find them and control them.
The problem with this plan is that it doesn’t seem to improve the human condition, at best it seeks to ensure that at lest some portion of them have a chance to continue on in the same savage existence they have experienced for the past thirty or so thousand years.
In contrast, the Bene Geserit program was not just to produce the Quizach Haderach and control him to control the universe. Their objective was not just control for controls sake. Their plan was to use that control and also the QH’s powers to guide all humanity and breed the savagery out of them.
Remember, one of their great abilities in accessing past female memory was the capability of great empathy (even though they were ruthless in attaining their goals). And their motivation was not just to ensure the continuation of humanity but also to improve and refine humanity so that they were capable of organizing themselves into communities where oppression was not the norm due to the quality of heart and mind of most or all of the individuals who made up those communities; including those in power.
This is exactly the influence that we see of Christianity over a refinement period of two thousand years where the teachings of love and empathy found in both the Old and New Testament washed over people and generation after generation they began to accept the concept of human dignity and human rights. To the degree that, despite there still being evil in the hearts and actions of people, they even came to a humanity first decision to voluntarily end slavery; as well as care for all the poor, give women equal rights and even send vast amounts of their wealth to other nations and cultures to ease their suffering. So as much as people of the world are still very much flawed, Christianity has had a refining effect on them in the same way that the BG planned but failed to achieve due to their plans and group being steam rolled by a tyrant with a far more basic goal of just survival.
That’s why I think the BG are the real heroic force in the Dune Universe. At least in their intentions.
Whether it was possible to achieve their desired aim was another matter. And maybe Leto 2 was able to see that the ultimate, noble aim of the BG was not actually possible. But possible or not, I never really understood his disdain/contempt for them.
How do you feel about Brian Herbert’s Prequels? It seems they’ve released too many books in a short span and I couldnt get into House of Atredies.
i remember reading this book a couple years back, and i can definitely say :"now i remember why i didn't like them" they weren't for me