h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Dune Chronicles:- The Books by Frank Herbert - A1051057
Author: Kiltedjedi - (ACE, GURU) UG Miner (Kilted or not Kilted on 28/06(Nodnol meet)? Vote at my space this week.) - U225307

I submitted this a few weeks ago and took the suggestion of doing this as a Uni piece. I have since had a rethink (especially with the Uni closing down in 6ish weeks) and decided to resbmit this

Seems good to me, except for the mis-spelling of "emperor" as "emporer" a few times.

OK hopefuly got all of the spelling mistakes

I wonder if the footnote about the USDA Florence project could be worked into the text somehow so that Herbert's mention of the "Florence project" doesn't seem meaningless for those lazies who don't read the footnotes right away.

I've always been fascinated by the echoes in Dune of events in the Sudan as Gordon met the forces of the Mahdi. But maybe that's just me.

I'm sure you already know about this: http://dunenovels.com/

should you mention Herbert's short story (?) "the Road to Dune"?

Anhaga,

Thanks for the feedback.

Yes I knew about the website I was contemplating linking to it in the article if I was going to mention Dr Willis E Mcnellys tragic passing, but since the Dune encyclopaedia is not considered canon, I thought I had enough to write about.


I have to admit, until you posted, I had never heard of the story 'The road to Dune'


I will look it up and let you know.

Apart from that, what did you think?

I confess that I have not fine-tooth combed the entry. Yet. One of my initial impressions was satisfaction. The title, however, gives me pause. While I know it's not what you're saying, and while I don't quite know how to fix it (if it really needs fixing), I get an impression from the title that it's saying that all Herbert wrote was the Dune books. The two clauses of the title "the Dune Chronicles" and "the books by Frank Herbert" are, of course, not equivalent, but some how the balance of the title gives a bit of that impression. maybe it's just me. I wonder if "the Dune books by Frank Herbert" or "the Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert" might be clearer.

Don't change it on my say-so. What do others think?

I will try to look more carefully at the entry later tonight. Or I might sleep.

What about

The Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert

( Ireally want to dissaciate this from anything the gruesome twosome of Brian herbert and Kevin J Anderson have written)

Oops if my Stella addled mind had read that last post fully

I'm such a Dune addict I even read all of the B.Herbert/Anderson ones - I couldn't help myself. I've not heard of this short story either - any more info on it?

I have read House Harkonnen and House Corrino, but have resisted even reading the Butlerian Jihad book.

Seemingly they are going to write the sequel to Chapter House as well. So there goes the mystery of Marty and Daniel and what happens to Duncan and Sheeana

What about "The Real Dune Books, the original ones, by Frank Herbert"

The Road to Dune (which I haven't seen either) is in a collection titled "Eye". Apparently it's an illustrated guided tour of the planet Arrakis. Frankly, it sounds really stupid to me. Google it; you'll find lots of hits.

I have read Eye,

It had a bit written as a tourist guide going through Muad'Dibs palace. In all honesty it wasn't worth including

(Phew thought there was something By Frank on Dune I hadn't read )

okeedoke.

There's a lot of useful information in this entry about the Dune books, but I don't think it is a good introduction to the Dune world. It gets into too much detail too quickly. I think you should introduce the basics of the first book right at the start:

The desert planet
The sand worms
The Fremen
The young boy destined to become the Messiah.

These are the things that made the series what it is, although it evolved in different directions later. It is these that will grip the new reader. So you need a paragraph right at the very start giving these.

I have to agree with Gnomon. The entry starts off with a biography of Herbert, not with the books of the title. While the brief biography would be of interest at some point, it is sort of out of place as an introduction to the entry. As well, the biography is to brief to be of relevence to the discussion of the books. It really isn't much more than "Frank Herbert (1920-1986)."

I think it might be right to start off with something like "the novel Dune is the epic story of . . . ." so that there is a plot summary onto which to hang the details which come later in the entry.

Strangely, it seems to me that the section on the Genesis of Dune should come at the end. I don't know why.

Also, there should be a paragraph summing everything up at the end. As it stands, the entry just stops rather than closing.

I seem to be only mentioning things that are missing. As for what is present, it is very thorough and interesting. Really, my suggestions are just little tweaks which I think will help bring what you already have to more of a fullness.

Me again.

It's always seemed to me that in many ways the world would have been a better place if the whole thing had just ended with Dune. I find the rest of the books are extra baggage that isn't really needed. I'm sure I will read Dune many more times as the years go by, but I don't find myself feeling much reason to read the rest of them.

Is that just me?

OK, I've read this three times now.

I should have posted earlier. I would have, but I wasn't sure what to say. I love the books. I like the way you've kept the entry to a readable length (which is a real task considering).

My issue isn't with the length. It's with the organisation. I think there are areas in which you repeat yourself, and other areas where you emphasise points that are more minor, while giving less to more worthy areas.

For example, you mention the Lans-, and seperately you mention 'the Houses, Major and Minor', then you explain what they are, but you fail to say WHO they are. The major plot of the first two books revolves so specifically around the houses, that to not mention them in detail is odd.

Another thought might be to reorganise the Headers/Subheader/lists etc. Use Headers to divide into main sections:

Genesis
Books
Background
Settings
Stories

The background section could be more cohesive. The start is great:
the three main powers. Houses, CHOAM, the Bene Gesserit. This could be broadened a bit though. If you call the houses the political power, you can devide them into major and minor (subheaders) with some descriptions, the tlelaxiu and the Ix can be included here. CHOAM is of course the source of mercantile power, as is the spacing guild. Finally the bene gesserit is the obvious source of religous power, along with the fremen (more religious than political or mercantile in the long run), and the fish speakers and the groups from heretic. I know that your strucute is a little more based on their occurances in the books, but that would be a bit confusing to readers who haven't read the books yet.

Finally, you might consider dropping the stories section into the Books section. It fits there naturally (if prematurely). The books section is brief, and fits well as an introduction, so leaving it in its place is ok, but it only serves as a second introduction.

Please, don't be mad about all my criticisms. I am only commenting because I think this entry is totally WORTH everyone's effort in Peer Review. YOU'VE CERTAINLY put a lot of effort into it! Your writing is clear, and easy to read. I think it's really challenging to summarise these books simply because of the volume of detail and info in the books. However, you've done a great job so far in this regard. I think rearranging the info will make the read a little smoother.

Friar

Thanks for all the feedback so far. Will have another look through the article in a couple of days with this in mind.

Friar, I'm not mad, just glad this is getting feedback and improvement suggestions. To be honest I wasn't completely happy with this. You're right about the struggle to condense it though. I could wax lyrical on this till the cows come home

KJ

Just checking in. . .

I'm looking forward to updates!