Jay
I do feel an immensely richer undertaking with Children of Dune. The way Herbert navigates the aftermath of Messiah and steers it towards an adventure wrought in suffering and constant dilemmas... it's really impressive to see that the book just takes on a weird life of its own, even moreso than Messiah ever had.
I do feel an immensely richer undertaking with Children of Dune. The way Herbert navigates the aftermath of Messiah and steers it towards an adventure wrought in suffering and constant dilemmas... it's really impressive to see that the book just takes on a weird life of its own, even moreso than Messiah ever had.
It's a mighty fine undertaking for Frank Herbert to continue exploring Dune towards directions that just get weirder and weirder. Case in point: Heretics. While it essentially still centers around a character being the focus of everyone's agenda, Heretics takes Dune in places far more difficult to comprehend despite the fact that God Emperor and its 20-foot long worm. If anything is to go by this book in its most layman of descriptions: there's an interconnected series of conflicts between sex priests, eugenic-loving witches, and shapeshifters in the backdrop of a mass-exodus event where a whole spur of mysterious new bloodlines emerge.
There isn't any other way to mince that for a reader whose only awareness of Dune is from the first three books. Nevertheless, Heretics energizes the saga with such a degree of insanity that history's real-life philosophies are caked into it within the context of high sci-fi fantasy. God, who can really comprehend Frank Herbert's mind at this point?
What is so jarring about Heretics is how it speeds up as the book progresses, and operates at such a disruptive pace that the last few chapters feel like Frank Herbert rushed the book to release. Totally unfortunate because Heretics is also a damn entertaining action book whose continuation heavily relies on these fascinating stealth and combat sequences. Herbert takes his readers for surprises in places where one expects and least expects, and yet it also feels a little sad that he zips through the closing chapters in a bittersweet tone.
Don't let that sourness limit you from enjoying this book, because I sure did.
It's a mighty fine undertaking for Frank Herbert to continue exploring Dune towards directions that just get weirder and weirder. Case in point: Heretics. While it essentially still centers around a character being the focus of everyone's agenda, Heretics takes Dune in places far more difficult to comprehend despite the fact that God Emperor and its 20-foot long worm. If anything is to go by this book in its most layman of descriptions: there's an interconnected series of conflicts between sex priests, eugenic-loving witches, and shapeshifters in the backdrop of a mass-exodus event where a whole spur of mysterious new bloodlines emerge.
There isn't any other way to mince that for a reader whose only awareness of Dune is from the first three books. Nevertheless, Heretics energizes the saga with such a degree of insanity that history's real-life philosophies are caked into it within the context of high sci-fi fantasy. God, who can really comprehend Frank Herbert's mind at this point?
What is so jarring about Heretics is how it speeds up as the book progresses, and operates at such a disruptive pace that the last few chapters feel like Frank Herbert rushed the book to release. Totally unfortunate because Heretics is also a damn entertaining action book whose continuation heavily relies on these fascinating stealth and combat sequences. Herbert takes his readers for surprises in places where one expects and least expects, and yet it also feels a little sad that he zips through the closing chapters in a bittersweet tone.
Don't let that sourness limit you from enjoying this book, because I sure did.
So dense I had to set the book aside multiple times out of sheer awe.
So dense I had to set the book aside multiple times out of sheer awe.
I do feel an immensely richer undertaking with Children of Dune. The way Herbert navigates the aftermath of Messiah and steers it towards an adventure wrought in suffering and constant dilemmas... it's really impressive to see that the book just takes on a weird life of its own, even moreso than Messiah ever had.
I do feel an immensely richer undertaking with Children of Dune. The way Herbert navigates the aftermath of Messiah and steers it towards an adventure wrought in suffering and constant dilemmas... it's really impressive to see that the book just takes on a weird life of its own, even moreso than Messiah ever had.
