(no subject)

[brigdh]

I just finished reading Dune. I've heard bad things about the sequels, but I'm not sure which ones that applies to, or if it's all of them. So, what do you say? Should I read the sequels?

Comments

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

No. Flee from the sequels. They are teh suck.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hee. Alright, I'm sure I'll have no problem finding something else to read.

[p-zeitgeist.livejournal.com]

I would second this, except that I can only speak with real authority to whichever one it was that came directly after Dune itself. After that, I saw no point in giving the next one a chance.

My sense was, and remains, that Herbert wrote a big complex book that said everything he had to say about the relevant universe and characters. And then it turned into a commercial monster, and following it up with sequels that would similarly be commercial monsters was irresistable. Unhappily for all of us, though, he had nothing left to say, and the sequels make that very clear. (The first book is a gazillion pages, and the sequels are each something like a standard 192 pages, which tells you something right there.) I don't blame him for going for the fortune on offer -- a guy's got to eat and put his kids through college, after all -- but really, there's no reason to read the sequels unless you're so in love with the original that you'd read stuff about it that you found on ff.net.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Heh. That was my impression of things- anytime a series includes books written by people other than the original author, it's usually a bad sign. Thank you; since I certainly feel no need to read fanfiction, I don't think I'll need to read the series.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

I think I got about ten pages into the first sequel and went, "Oh, yes, he killed my favorite character last book and now there's nothing more I care about, right."

[enishi-sama.livejournal.com]

Well, I liked Dune Messiah, which is book 2 of the series, but your Milage May Vary, I guess. Children of Dune (book 3) isn't that bad either. But, of course, neither book is as awesome as the first one!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

*grins* That does seem to be what most people think. I'll probably try at least the second one, but I'll wait until I've read some other things in my to-be-read pile first.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Well, did you enjoy Dune? What about it did you like? That will alter my answer.

Generally, though, Messiah is meh but concludes Paul's story (though you may not like the conclusion, Children has some good Wacky Desert Incest, God-Emperor has a kick-ass woman in the prologue but is otherwise dull, and everything after that is unreadable.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I liked it alright. I wasn't enthralled, and wouldn't call it the greatest sci-fi novel ever, but I'm still glad I read it. I liked the world-building and the politics and mythology (religion? superstition? I'm not sure what to call it, even), but the characters all felt fairly flat to me, and I thought Paul came off as a bit of a Mary Sue.

Thank you!

[rm.livejournal.com]

I am also watching V for Vendetta. Heaven.s

Dune Messiah (erg, posted wrong book title first time) is worth it, after that, not so much.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hey, it's on TV! Everyone should enjoy the free terrorist violence.

(No worries, LJ's not sending me comment notifications, for some reason, so I haven't seen it.) That does seem to be the general opinion.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it since it got sick, so it's tripping me out.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I saw it in theaters, and then never again until tonight, so I'd forgotten how much I'd liked it.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I was floored in the theater. But I grew up with that comic. The comic was how I came to come out to my friends, and the movie, my parents.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Wow, really? That an inspirational way to do it, though. I still haven't read the comic, though I know, I know I should, and I've read other comics by Moore.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well pop culture owns my soul. But seriously, it's hard to pride yourself on not being a coward and watch that and still justify, if not cowardice, avoidance and complacancy.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

True. It does feel a bit awkward to watch it while lounging around and eating, or playing on the internet, or whatever.

[rm.livejournal.com]

What surprises me most about it is that it still hits just has hard. I thought it was just a moment in political time, but it's turning into one damn unfortunately long moment.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Sadly, yes. It was strange and far too similar to turn from it to the Daily Show.

[rm.livejournal.com]

John Stewart is Gordon!

[iilii.livejournal.com]

Children of Dune was my favorite from the series. I think I liked that better than the first novel. As I recall, I was reading the series in high school, when I was devouring all the SF/fantasy I thought I "should" read.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, now I'm curious- everyone else seems to hate the sequels, though they mostly gave up after the second one. I suppose I'll read some other things for a while and then see if I'm still interested in the Dune series.

[coffeeandink.livejournal.com]

I remember being really freaked out by the one in which Leto turns into a giant sandworm and really like the very late one in which Duncan Idaho is resurrected as yet another clone, but that may have been because I was (a) fourteen and (b) had a huge crush on Duncan Idaho.

I think I need an LJ icon that says "May Not Reflect Opinions or Judgment of Adult Self" or something.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

*laughs* If you make that icon, I'll need a copy of it.

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