Product Description

The New York Times bestselling prequel to the classic award-winning saga by Frank Herbert.

Frank Herbert's award-winning Dune chronicles captured the imagination of millions of readers worldwide. By his death in 1986, Herbert had completed six novels in the series, but much of his vision remained unwritten. Now, working from his father's recently discovered files, Brian Herbert and bestselling novelist Kevin J. Anderson collaborate on a new novel, the prelude to Dune—where we step onto the planet Arrakis...decades before Dune's hero, Paul Muad'Dib Atreides, walks its sands.

Here is the rich and complex world that Frank Herbert created, in the time leading up to the momentous events of Dune. As Emperor Elrood's son plots a subtle regicide, young Leto Atreides leaves for a year's education on the mechanized world of Ix; a planetologist named Pardot Kynes seeks the secrets of Arrakis; and the eight-year-old slave Duncan Idaho is hunted by his cruel masters in a terrifying game from which he vows escape and vengeance. But none can envision the fate in store for them: one that will make them renegades—and shapers of history.

Amazon.com Review

Acclaimed SF novelist Brian Herbert is the son of Dune author Frank Herbert. With his father, Brian wrote Man of Two Worlds and later edited The Notebooks of Frank Herbert's Dune. Kevin J. Anderson has written many bestsellers, alternating original SF with novels set in the X-Files and Star Wars universes. Together they bring personal commitment and a lifelong knowledge of the Dune Chronicles to this ambitious expansion of a series that transformed SF itself. Dune: House Atreides chronicles the early life of Leto Atreides, prince of a minor House in the galactic Imperium. Leto comes to confront the realities of power when House Vernius is betrayed in an imperial plot involving a quest for an artificial substitute to melange, a substance vital to interstellar trade that is found only on the planet Dune. Meanwhile, House Harkonnen schemes to bring Leto into conflict with the Tleilax, and the Bene Gesserit manipulate Baron Harkonnen as part of a plan stretching back 100 generations. In the Imperial palace, treason is afoot, and on Dune itself, planetologist Pardot Kynes embarks on a secret project to transform the desert world into a paradise.

Dune remains the bestselling SF novel ever, such that three decades later no prequel can possibly have the same impact. Yet in House Atreides the authors have written a compelling, labyrinthine, skillfully imagined extension of the world Frank Herbert created, which ably commands attention for almost 600 pages. It is powerful SF that continues a great tradition, and in itself is a very considerable achievement. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk

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F.H. it ain't...a fun read nonetheless.        Rating:

yes, these two clowns should have passed F.H.'s notes on to any one of todays worthy authors. who knows what we would have ended up with? something brainier than this assuredly. alas, the son takes the low road and this is what we have. a comic book.
if you take it for what it is then you will enjoy the read, for it is fun and not nearly as heavy as the original opus. therein lies the worth of these series of novels. it has now become accessible to everyone. let's face it, most of the sheep can't handle the master's original works. dune is now a cash cow and everyone can take a ride!
that's not to say these books are terrible, B.H. & K.J.A just aren't the intellectual juggernaut that the father was. i don't think ANYONE could have filled those shoes in precisely the same manner.
house atreides WAS a fun read however, and there ARE some elements involved that were gleaned from F.H.'s drafts and notes that he left behind. the read is worth it for that alone if nothing else.

i'm looking forward to house harkkonen and the subsequent house corrino.

3 out of 5 stars because i didn't hate it...

Good Book IN AND OF ITSELF        Rating:

This book uses the Dune trademark. Yet, it is not Dune--at least, this is what I suspect is the case from other readers' reviews. This was the first Dune book I've ever read; therefore, I am somewhat unbiased. I do not have the same expectations as others. I have heard great things about the "real" Dune books, however, so I am definitely looking forward to them especially, because these prequel books aren't half bad for what they are. In fact, I couldn't put this book down until I was finished with it.

These authors slam their foot on the accelerator and never let up. The car they are driving might not be as sophisticated as a BMW, much less a Lamborghini, but this book is fun in the same way jumping golf carts over sandtraps is fun. If you like action, prepare for a treat. I found myself saying over and over again in my head, "wow, this book is so over-the-top; it reads more like a comic book or a Saturday morning cartoon series than an adult novel; and most importantly--I love it!"

Granted, there are a few things that could have been explained much better to make the story more believable, but then again, I don't need an author to hold my hand the entire time. I just invented my own explanations where others were lacking. This book is simple, brutal, in-your-face fantasy. If your stuck-up "intellectual" mind thinks this is going to be "too stupid" for your tastes, read the Wealth of Nations, the Republic, Moby Dick, or virtually any truly philosophical book that I am sure could even put the "real" Dune books in their place, and spare yourself the disappointment.

Dune Fan Speaks        Rating:

One of the most well known science fiction series was begun by a world renowned author Frank Herbert; he wrote the founding books of this series, Dune, and 5 sequels, including God Emperor of Dune and Children of Dune. However Frank Herbert died an unexpected death at age 65, leaving his fanatical followers with one of the worst cliff hangers in history and many things in the Dune Universe unfinished.
Then in 1999, more than 10 years after Frank Herbert's death, his son, Brian Herbert, took the reins, publishing Dune: House Atreides in collaboration with an already acclaimed Sci-fi writer, Kevin J. Anderson.
Brian was already an established science fiction author, having written several books on his own, including titles such as Sidney's Comet and Prisoners of Arionn, he also has published a book titled Dreamer of Dune, which is a biography of his father.
House Atreides looked into the near past of Dune, exploring the lives of Paul Atreides' father, Leto Atreides, and grandfather, Paulus Atreides, following the events leading up to Paulus' death and Leto's early rise to power. Leto is pushed into the role of Duke at age 15 and is shortly after wrongly accused of a heinous crime which he did not commit. He is forced to gamble with everything he posses in order to clear his good name in the most risky form of trial known in the empire.
The book is full of deeply entwined plots and stories following at least 7 other people in this incredibly developed fictional universe. One of these stories is that of the Atreides rival, the infamous House Harkonnen and its violent, evil Baron, Vladimir Harkonnen. The Baron is currently in control of the biggest source of profit in the known universe, the planet Arrakis, called Dune by its natives, the planet produces the incredibly addictive substance known as Melange, or Spice. The Harkonnen part of the story is full of violent murders, betrayals, and deaths and always keeps the reader wanting to know more about these evil people.
Arrakis is a complete mystery to all people in the universe, even The Fremen (Fre-men), Dune's natives; this prompts Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe Elrood to dispatch a planetologist to the desert planet to observe how spice is created. This part of the story follows Pardot Keynes and his investigation of the desert planet. He ponders the disappearance of Dune's water (the most valuable research on the dry planet), the survival of the Fremen, and how to terraform the planet. It follows him as he becomes a prominent figure in Fremen society, losing loyalty to the Imperial Throne, becoming a powerful and water rich prophet to them, all well maintaining the illusion he is still a loyal Imperial servant by sending frequent reports on the ecology of Arrakis.
The receiver of these reports is Shaddam Corrino IV, heir apparent to the Imperial throne. He and his confidant and assassin, Hasimir Fenring, plot against Shaddam's father, then Emperor Elrood Corrino IX, in order to achieve a hurried crowning of the young prince. Dangerous obstacles stand in their way, requiring quick thinking and fast talking to avoid the detection of their fiendish scheme, a scheme that will change the history of the empire for ever.
There are several schools of thought mentioned throughout all of these stories, one being the Bene Gesserit. This school of thought only accepts women, and has an extensive breeding program, which Gaius Helen Mohiam is part of. She is ordered to bear a child via Baron Harkonnen in order to achieve the goals of this program. The idea is to produce their version of a Messiah, a Kwisatz Haderach. She must deal closely with the treacherous Baron, and things are undoubtedly going to get messy.
This book focuses on the development of House Atreides and its morals. Honor pervades the theme of this book, with the young Duke Leto working tirelessly to save the honor of himself, his friends, his father, and his mother in a world full of political turmoil and distrust.
The amount of detail put into this book, and indeed this series, leaves literary masterpieces such as the Lord of the Rings looking almost bare bones in comparison. The depth of the characters, coupled with the rich description, intense plots, and beautiful writing leaves the reader's mind hungering for more. After you read this book you will certainly understand why it made the New York Times Best Sellers list.
Star Wars fans and people who enjoy a political thriller will be enthralled with this book, it's intense sci-fi universe full of alien tech coupled with its wheels within wheels plots leave one breathless with anticipation, waiting for the next unexpected twist. This book is undoubtedly a 10 out of 10 in my mind.

book 1 of a new trilogy        Rating:

i anticipated this book only because i wanted to read more.

i wasnt looking for FHs writing style or even a return to the complex and dense information available in each chapter.

honestly, after reading god emperor, every dune book was like a cake walk.

i really had no interest in the history of the atreides. i was more interested in the origins of jessica, gurney, and duncan.

there was a lot to digest in this book and perhaps it deserves another read but it wasnt my favorite.

i was more interested in house harkonnen.

overall, this is more stories in the universe i love. im content with reading more about the characters i grew to love over the past 15 years. but i certainly dont have the time to pick all these books apart.

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