House Corrino
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

If the third and final volume of Herbert and Anderson's terrific Dune prequel has any weakness, it is that House Corrino's foolhardy, self-centered Emperor Shaddam IV hasn't the depth of either Duke Leto or Baron Harkonnen. The most interesting members of House Corrino--Shaddam's wife, Anirul, and her eldest daughter, nine-year-old Irulan--exist mainly on the sidelines of the story. But the emperor's brilliant, twisted advisor, Count Fenring, comes into his own when he stumbles on a Tleilax project to develop a synthetic version of the spice called melange. The Bene Gesserit decides to tighten the tether on Leto's beloved Jessica as she nears the delivery of his child, bringing her to the imperial court, where she faces peril on a dozen unsuspected fronts. Leto, meanwhile, plans a precisely timed attack on the subjugated planet Ix, where failure would mean personal humiliation and loss of his House, Atreides. In depicting situations ranging from a mother's love for her unborn child to a bastard prince's vengeance for the death of his entire world, Anderson and Herbert draw emotional power from every character to fuel the complex political tale they tell. --Roberta Johnson

In this fully satisfying conclusion (after Dune: House Atreides and Dune: House Harkonnen) to the authors' "House" trilogy, Emperor Shaddam Corrino tries to grasp greater power than any emperor before him and to rule the Million Worlds solely according to his whims. On the captured planet Ix, the research Shaddam directs into the creation of a synthetic spice, amal, that will make him all-powerful spirals out of control, putting the entire civilization at risk. Meanwhile, the enslavers of Ix must contend with threats from exiled Prince Rhombur Vernius, who wishes to rule the planet instead. Tumultuous times are also in store for the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, whose breeding plan has been thrown off course one generation shy of its end. Tension between the houses Atreides and Harkonnen builds to a dramatic showdown. While the intricacy of the first prequel is absent here, so is the filler of the second. Because Herbert and Anderson are extrapolating from someone else's ideas and characters, they tend to overuse catch phrases (like "the Golden Lion throne") from Dune and its sequels with a resulting flatness of language. The inevitable derivative features aside, this is a good, steady, enjoyable tale, and readers who haven't read the first two books can easily follow the plot. A bold, red-and-gold dust jacket, with illustration by Stephen Youll, is a real eye-catcher. Fans who will be sorry to see the end of this series will be heartened by the hint that the Dune saga is far from over. (Oct. 9) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

As Emperor Shaddam IV seeks to consolidate his power as Emperor of a Million Worlds through the monopoly of the spice trade, other forces array themselves in opposition to his increasingly tyrannical rule. Herbert and Anderson conclude their trilogy (Dune: House Atreides; Dune: House Harkonnen) chronicling the years leading up to the events portrayed in the late Frank Herbert's Dune with a war for the liberation of the conquered planet Ix and the birth of a son to Duke Leto Atreides and his Bene Gesserit wife, Jessica. Though dependent on the previous books, this complex and compelling tale of dynastic intrigue and high drama adds a significant chapter to the classic Dune saga. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/01.] (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Third in the Dune prequel series from originator Frank Herbert's son Brian and collaborator Anderson (Dune: House Atreides, 1999, and Dune: House Harkonnen, 2000). Duke Leto Atreides plans to attack planet Ix and drive out the occupying genetic-whiz Tleilaxu, while his concubine Jessica must travel to the imperial capital, Kaitain, to give birth to her child-not the daughter she was ordered to bear by her Bene Gesserit superiors. The Emperor Shaddam grows crueler and less restrained as his conspiracy with the Tleilaxu to develop a synthetic substitute for the miraculous spice "melange" advances. Shaddam's coconspirator Ajidica, the Tleilaxu Master, has tested "amal" on himself and obtained a superhuman brain boost; better still, the imperial Sardaukar troops stationed on Ix are already addicted to amal, so that now they'll obey him rather than the Emperor. The Emperor's agent, Hasimir Fenring, isn't convinced that amal will be an effective substitute for melange and demands more tests. Regardless, Shaddam squeezes the Great Families to reveal their secret spice stockpiles; once equipped with amal, he can destroy planet Arrakis-the sole source of the natural spice-and hold the galaxy to ransom. The plot heads for one of those black-comic moments where everybody's holding a gun to somebody else's head. Even though the cracks are beginning to show, and the sheer narrative power of the superb original series is lacking, Dune in any guise is as addictive as the spice itself.

If the third and final volume of Herbert and Anderson's terrific Dune prequel has any weakness, it is that House Corrino's foolhardy, self-centered Emperor Shaddam IV hasn't the depth of either Duke Leto or Baron Harkonnen. The most interesting members of House Corrino--Shaddam's wife, Anirul, and her eldest daughter, nine-year-old Irulan--exist mainly on the sidelines of the story. But the emperor's brilliant, twisted advisor, Count Fenring, comes into his own when he stumbles on a Tleilax project to develop a synthetic version of the spice called melange. The Bene Gesserit decides to tighten the tether on Leto's beloved Jessica as she nears the delivery of his child, bringing her to the imperial court, where she faces peril on a dozen unsuspected fronts. Leto, meanwhile, plans a precisely timed attack on the subjugated planet Ix, where failure would mean personal humiliation and loss of his House, Atreides. In depicting situations ranging from a mother's love for her unborn child to a bastard prince's vengeance for the death of his entire world, Anderson and Herbert draw emotional power from every character to fuel the complex political tale they tell. ((Reviewed August 2001)) Copyright 2001 Booklist Reviews

Cook's twenty-fifth medical thriller revisits medical examiners Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery, whose romantic relationship has hit a major bump. Approaching her forty-third birthday, Laurie wants a family and has grown impatient with Jack's reluctance to commit. She walks out on Jack, but she can't avoid him at work. She soon finds herself absorbed in a puzzling case: 28-year-old Sean McGillan has landed on her table, and she can't determine what killed him. Sean had just undergone routine knee surgery, but she can't find any reason why he went into cardiac arrest in his hospital bed. When another young, seemingly healthy patient dies, she suspects foul play. She finds an ally in Dr. Roger Rosseau, the chief of the medical staff at Manhattan General, who takes a personal interest in Laurie, who has medical problems of her own: she might be carrying the genetic marker for breast cancer. When the death toll at Manhattan General increases, Laurie and Jack are consumed with the mystery even as their continued involvement in the investigation places them in peril. Fans of Cook's previous thrillers will be happy to see the return of two popular characters. ((Reviewed April 15, 2005)) Copyright 2005 Booklist Reviews.

Working from Dune creator Frank Herbert's notes, Herbert and Anderson begin to reconstruct the galaxywide events that eventuated in the highly specialized societies of the Dune novels: the wars against thinking machines that led to an absolute ban on artificial intelligence, the discovery of the powers of the spice, and the establishment of the Bene Gesserit sisters, among other things. Those thinking machines are a world mind, Omnius; his many copies operating other worlds; and the cymeks, elaborate machines with transplanted human minds. The cymeks woke up the computers of Earth and taught them to rule, not foreseeing the ultimate power that would be used against them. Humans on the machine-run Earth are slaves to an efficient "evermind." Free worlds remain, of course, their human inhabitants relying on circuitry-disrupting shields to protect them from computer-driven attack ships, and on slave labor in place of mechanization. A young Harkonnen officer is clearly the hero of the book, and Vorian Atreides, son of the voraciously cruel cymek, Agammemnon, is on the would-be oppressors' side. The planet Arrakis maintains only a few hardy desert dwellers when an exiled teen stumbles on the secret of riding the giant worms, and the sorceress Zufa trains a select group of young women in telepathic powers on the planet Rossak while rejecting her daughter, a brilliant mathematician. Herbert and Anderson strain to corral the book's many origin stories into a single plotline, and the dialogue can be stiff, but the powerful allure of the Dune mythos overcomes the awkwardness. ((Reviewed August 2002)) Copyright 2002 Booklist Reviews

In Dune: House Atreides , three men struggled with the demands and temptations of power. Shaddam Corrino conspired to acquire it, Baron Harkonnen seized and extended it, and Duke Leto Atreides struggled to hold it with justice and mercy. Unbeknownst to those three, Pardot Kynes and his son, Liet, led the Fremen in the secret battle to make Arrakis into a green paradise. Ten years later, Shaddam sits on the Peacock Throne, Leto has married the exiled daughter of Duke Vernius of Ix, and Baron Harkonnen, a victim of biological warfare, decays a little every day. Even the exorbitantly expensive Suk doctor, Wellington Yueh, can't cure the childless baron. To consolidate his clan's future influence, the baron turns to the family of his despised, outcast brother. Abulurd Harkonnen, a man of integrity and kindness, has survived his vicious relations by withdrawing to an icy world of furred whales and arctic monasteries. His sons show the vile Harkonnen temperament, however, and repair to the baron for encouragement. Meanwhile, Duncan Idaho trains with the elite sword masters of Ginaz, and Lady Margo Fenring, wife of Arrakis' imperial ruler, makes secret contact with a Fremen priestess. The power all these characters wield has great effect. Whether it be insinuating a lady in waiting into the Atreides household or secretly aiding rebels on Ix, each action lays another stone in the remarkable construct of the world of Dune, which Herbert's father began. Despite its huge cast and complex story, the second Dune series is proving to be exceptionally accessible and entertaining. ((Reviewed August 2000)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

For nearly 35 years, Frank Herbert's Dune has been a favorite of science fiction readers, the kind of novel that is read over and over again, until the characters seem like old friends or, in some cases, old enemies. Herbert talked of going back to explore the lives of the generation preceding that of his hero, Paul Atreides, but died before writing that particular story. He left behind a sheaf of notes on the characters and events of it; however, that was discovered only a few years ago. Now his son Brian has collaborated with experienced sf writer Anderson and filled out those notes. If the results don't quite live up to the blend of politics, philosophy, and action that made Dune a classic, exploring the world of Duke Leto Atreides and Baron Vladimir Harkonnen should fascinate most of Dune's vast fandom. The events behind the Atreides-Harkonnen feud, the secret heritage of Jessica, the world of the fanatical Bene Tleilax, and many other mysteries are revealed, with the promise of more to come. Tendrils of narrative follow the planetologist Pardot Kynes on Arrakis, the young Shaddam Corrino plotting for the emperor's throne, the child Duncan Idaho suffering under the Harkonnen boot heel. Other names and places will be instantly recognizable by Dune devotees. Interest should run very high for this first volume of a planned trilogy of which Herbert pere would be proud. ((Reviewed August 1999)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

What appears to be the end of the Herbert-Anderson Dune prequels opens 56 years after the death of Serena Butler. The Jihad offers hopes of victory over the sentient machines and peace on human terms to a war-scarred galaxy. Unfortunately, the machine leader Omnius conceives a final, desperate, and, coming from a machine intelligence, ironic plan: biological warfare that spreads devastating plagues across scores of human-settled worlds. Herbert and Anderson vividly depict the plagues' effects, although given such a large cast of characters, some readers may feel the emotional impacts of particular characters' fates are rather blunted. The action rises to a thunderous climax in the account of the Battle of Corrin, which occupies a good third of a long book but more than makes up for previous deficiencies in pacing. At the end, we understand why House Corrino sits on the imperial throne, why House Harkonnen is out of favor, why House Atreides is where it is, and why Ishmael has led the ancestors of the Fremen into the desert wastes of the planet known as Arrakis. Thence on, or back, to Frank Herbert's perdurable classic. As before, a job well done. ((Reviewed August 2004)) Copyright 2004 Booklist Reviews.

Years have passed since the Jihad against the overmind Omnius and the thinking machines blazed up in the instant that the robot Erasmus hurled an innocent toddler to his death. The child's mother, Serena Butler, is still the spiritual leader of the Jihadi, and the former slave foreman Iblis Ginjo is their political and military organizer. Vor Atreides and Xavier Harkonnen lead the fleet, Vor with a common touch and the good looks preserved by life-extending treatment, and Xavier with sheer determination and courage. But the decades-long war has cost countless lives and sapped the people's resolve. When Omnius makes a startling offer of peace, Serena knows it is a terrible mistake to compromise with machine intelligence but can't naysay her exhausted followers. In a desperate move to save the Jihad and the millions of enslaved humans on machine-dominated worlds, Serena goes as the sole ambassador of peace to Omnius' stronghold on the planet Corrin. Meanwhile, an isolated physicist is discovering how to fold space, Selim of Arrakis is building a tribe and a legend, and Iblis is making a demonic deal with the flesh merchants of Tleilax to provide organ replacements for the Jihadi army. Organizing a dozen plotlines takes time, so sit back and enjoy the nearly 700-page ride. ((Reviewed August 2003)) Copyright 2003 Booklist Reviews

As Emperor Shaddam IV seeks to consolidate his power as Emperor of a Million Worlds through the monopoly of the spice trade, other forces array themselves in opposition to his increasingly tyrannical rule. Herbert and Anderson conclude their trilogy (Dune: House Atreides; Dune: House Harkonnen) chronicling the years leading up to the events portrayed in the late Frank Herbert's Dune with a war for the liberation of the conquered planet Ix and the birth of a son to Duke Leto Atreides and his Bene Gesserit wife, Jessica. Though dependent on the previous books, this complex and compelling tale of dynastic intrigue and high drama adds a significant chapter to the classic Dune saga. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/01.] Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

First House Atreides. Then House Harkonnen. Now, continuing to plunder the material left by Frank Herbert, the authors finish off the trilogy that serves as a prequel to Herbert's immortal sf epic, Dune. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

This sf classic, set on a desert planet, is brought to vibrant life by a full cast of performers.

Ten thousand years before the fall of the Imperial House Corrino, two grand interplanetary organizations ruled the known universe: the Synchronized Worlds, presided over by thinking machines led by the evermind called Omnius, and the League of Nobles, beleaguered survivors of the machines' revolt against the Old Empire. In this era, a few individuals determined to overturn the rule of the machines sought every opportunity to gain insights into ways to defeat the human race's most intractable enemy. Herbert and Anderson (Dune: House Atreides; Dune: House Harkonnen; Dune: House Corrino) continue their prehistory of Frank Herbert's "Dune" series with a new trilogy opener set in the distant past of Herbert's galactic saga. The authors reveal the origins of the Spacing Guild and the Bene Gesserit, as well as the root of the ancient feud between Houses Atreides and Harkonnen. This compelling saga of men and women struggling for their freedom is required reading for Dune fans and an essential purchase for libraries. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

As the young Duke Leto Atreides seeks to live up to his late father's expectations, his rivals plot to bring about the downfall of House Atreides. Plots and counterplots involving the debauched Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, his Bene Gesserit enemies, and the treacherous schemers of the enigmatic Bene Tleilax escalate the tension among factions of a fragile galactic empire. Though power seems to reside in the hands of the emperor and his elite armies, the fate of many worlds hinges on the destiny of a single planet the desert world known as Arrakis, or Dune. Continuing the story begun in Dune: House Atreides (LJ 10/15/99), coauthors Herbert and Anderson reveal the prehistory of the late Frank Herbert's classic Dune novels. Strong characterizations, consistent plotting, and rich detail provide this second of a trilogy of prequels with the same evocative power of the original novels. Libraries should anticipate a demand from old series fans as well as newcomers to the world of Dune. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/00.] Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

For those of us who think Frank Herbert should have been granted a divine dispensation by which he could write Dune stories in perpetuity, the publication last year of the series prequel, Dune: House Atreides, the first volume in a scheduled trilogy, was manna from heaven. Working from a cache of recently discovered character and plot notes, son and critically praised sf author Brian Herbert and Nebula Award nominee Anderson collaborate on this lush and textured cosmos and its complex sequence of events in the 40 years preceding the inaugural book, Dune. The epic dramas and intrigues interwoven among the numerous subplots are deftly handled and include the history behind the Atreides-Harkonnen feud; the attempts of Emperor Elrood's treacherous son, Shaddam, to usurp the throne; and the maligned and long-suffering slave boy, Duncan Idaho. This work is brilliantly performed by Tim Curry, whose honeyed and stentorian voice is matched in beautiful and elegant synchronicity with the prose. Verily, a gift on all levels, this is one of the stellar audiobook contributions of the season and is an obligatory acquisition for all libraries. Barry X. Miller, Austin P.L., TX Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

The coming of age of Leto Atreides, heir to one of the Imperium's major Houses, coincides with a period of intense political and military political maneuverings that shift the balance of power within the Known Universe. As the decadent Baron Harkonnen attempts to consolidate his monopoly of the spice trade on the desert planet Arrakis, an ambitious prince plots his rise to the imperial throne and the Bene Gesserit sisterhood reaches a new stage in its evolutionary breeding program. Set 40 years before the events of the late Frank Herbert's classic Dune, this long-awaited prequel lays the foundation for that novel's grand-scale conflicts and personal rivalries. Working from his father's notes, Herbert (Prisoners of Arionn) and coauthor Anderson (Darksaber) have succeeded in capturing the epic feel and realistic detail that characterized Dune. A good introduction to the world of Arrakis for first-timers and a welcome return for series fans, this title (first of a projected trilogy) may warrant multiple copies. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/15/99.] Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

The son of Frank Herbert, creator of the sf classic Dune, offers a prequel. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Marker is a typical Cook book: an interchangeable, repetitive medical thriller with greedy, colluding insurance companies and muckety-mucks and beautiful doctors falling in and out of love while investigating mysterious deaths. Cook's knack for detailing every stupid little thing drove me to throw up in my mouth: "When the alarm went off the second time, Jack turned it off, threw back the covers, sat up, and put his feet on the floor, facing away from Laurie." I admit that it's not fair for me to critique one pedestrian sentence, but THERE ARE 533 PAGES OF THIS. Do you enjoy reading about what color Jack's mountain bike is or that Laurie put her pregnancy test kit box on top of the hamper? Go for it. - Douglas Lord, "Books for Dudes," Booksmack! 9/1/11 (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In his 25th case, the good doctor brings back Dr. Laurie Montgomery and Dr. Jack Stapleton (e.g., Vector) to figure out why so many healthy young people are dying in standard surgery. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

The Herberts, Frank and Brian, specialize in sweeping tales of far-off worlds that immerse listeners in an alien culture that comes alive. The human crusade led by Serena Butler and the unctuous Ivlis Ginjo against thinking machines has ground on for 20 years. In this sequel to Dune: The Butlerian Jihad, human forces are making few advances, and humanity is growing restive with the long conflict. On a backwater planet, the source of the addictive spice melange, Selim Wormrider is gathering his band of outlaws, who will play such a large role in the future. Norma Cenva, the finest mind alive, is working in a slum lab, shunned by everyone except businessman Aurelius Venport. Her discovery of "folding space" will allow instantaneous galaxywide space travel. Unfortunately, Norma is such the absent-minded scientist that she is almost a caricature. And Serena is annoying. It is the murder of her son, Manion, that was the flashpoint for this long-lasting war, yet her inattention allows Ivlis free rein not a good thing, as Ivlis is the complete villain. Still, Scott Brick is an excellent reader; he varies tone and intonation enough to allow the listener to differentiate among characters, and he speaks clearly and with enthusiasm. Dune is a staple in any sf collection; highly recommended. Nancy Reed, McCracken Cty. P.L., Paducah, KY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Seven years ago, the murder of Serena Butler's child Manion by the thinking machine Erasmus sparked a rebellion of the planets belonging to the League of Nobles against all machines controlled by the overmind Omnius. But the great jihad continues unabated. While Xavier Harkonnen and his comrade-in-arms Vorian Atreides carry on the war in space, Serena serves as the inspirational force that recruits more young men to fight, and the former slave master Iblis Gingo plots to become the power behind the jihad. The sequel to Dune: The Butlerian Jihad carries the prehistory of Frank Herbert's classic Dune forward through one of its most formative eras-the war against the machines. The authors' richness of detail and fidelity to the spirit of the original novel make this a strong addition to all sf collections. Highly recommended. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

In this fully satisfying conclusion (after Dune: House Atreides and Dune: House Harkonnen) to the authors' "House" trilogy, Emperor Shaddam Corrino tries to grasp greater power than any emperor before him and to rule the Million Worlds solely according to his whims. On the captured planet Ix, the research Shaddam directs into the creation of a synthetic spice, amal, that will make him all-powerful spirals out of control, putting the entire civilization at risk. Meanwhile, the enslavers of Ix must contend with threats from exiled Prince Rhombur Vernius, who wishes to rule the planet instead. Tumultuous times are also in store for the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, whose breeding plan has been thrown off course one generation shy of its end. Tension between the houses Atreides and Harkonnen builds to a dramatic showdown. While the intricacy of the first prequel is absent here, so is the filler of the second. Because Herbert and Anderson are extrapolating from someone else's ideas and characters, they tend to overuse catch phrases (like "the Golden Lion throne") from Dune and its sequels with a resulting flatness of language. The inevitable derivative features aside, this is a good, steady, enjoyable tale, and readers who haven't read the first two books can easily follow the plot. A bold, red-and-gold dust jacket, with illustration by Stephen Youll, is a real eye-catcher. Fans who will be sorry to see the end of this series will be heartened by the hint that the Dune saga is far from over. (Oct. 9) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

The bestselling physician/author is in top form as he revisits the love/hate relationship between New York City medical examiners Laurie Montgomery and her lover, Jack Stapleton (last seen in 1999's Vector) in this gripping medical chiller. Childless and facing her 43rd birthday, Laurie moves out when Jack, still traumatized by the accidental deaths of his wife and children over a decade ago, refuses to talk marriage and babies. They've still got to work together at the office of the chief medical examiner, though, and it's there that Laurie's charged with autopsying the bodies of two people who died after minor surgeries at the same Manhattan hospital. As similar deaths mount up, Laurie struggles to convince Jack et al. that something's fishy. (Early on, a shadow plot introduces homicidal hospital employee Jasmine Rakoczi and Mr. Bob, the mastermind of a sinister but undefined plot to "sanction" selected patients using an undetectable medical agent.) Laurie's superiors forbid her to discuss her suspicions with anyone outside the OCME, but she disobeys these orders when she meets the dreamboat chief of medicine at the hospital in question and successfully engages his interest in her theory that a serial killer is on the loose. The body count climbs as another hospital is involved and political pressure mounts to suppress information. True love runs a rocky course, and the plot thickens before the denouement crackles to an electric edge-of-the-seat finale. Agent, Lynn Nesbit. (May) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

It was a daunting task to describe the origins and intricacies of the many feuds, alliances, schemes and prophesies of one of the most beloved SF novels ever written. Herbert, the son of Frank Herbert, who wrote the original Dune, and Anderson (coauthor, Ai Pedrito!, etc.) have met the challenge admirably. Within a web of relationships in which no act has simple or predictable consequences, they lay the foundations of the Dune saga. Duke Atreides and his son Leto are faced with an attack by their ancient rival, House Harkonnen. Eight-year-old Duncan Idaho strikes a small blow against the cruel Harkonnens by escaping their territory and defecting into the service of the duke. Emperor Elrood, Ruler of the Known Universe, takes vengeance on the machine planet Ix in retribution for a personal affront. Elrood, in turn, is maneuvered off the throne by his son Shaddam. The Bene Gesserits' 1000-year-old plan for breeding a perfect being the Kwisatz Haderach nears completion. And behind it all lies the harsh, desert world of Dune, the only planet in the known worlds to harbor the mysterious and powerful Spice, which everyone wants to control and one man, paleontologist Kynes, seeks to understand in his quest to make Dune flower again. Though the plot here is intricate, even readers new to the saga will be able to follow it easily (minute repetitions of important points help immensely), as the narrative weaves among the many interconnected tales. The attendant excitement and myriad revelations not only make this novel a terrific read in its own right but will inspire readers to turn, or return, to its great predecessor. (Oct.) FYI: Dune: House Atreides launches a proposed trilogy. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

The sands of time have not diminished the impact Dune has had on the evolution of SF, and this new prequel by Frank Herbert's son and bestseller Anderson, following 2001's Dune: House Corrino (the concluding volume of their "House" trilogy), offers the kind of intricate plotting and philosophical musings that would make the elder Herbert proud. Reaching back into the beginnings of Arrakis, the authors show us Selim, a boy cast out by his tribe who discovers how to ride the fearsome giant sandworms. Selim tastes and learns the visionary power of the magical spice, melange, and how the future of Arrakis hinges on who controls it. At the same time, on planets far removed from the desolate dunes of Arrakis, others are involved in a Great Revolt. Free League World humans, led by Tercero Xavier Harkonnen and Serena Butler of Salusa Secundus, battle Omnius, a computer "evermind" intent on extending its dominion. The ominous Omnius seeks to conquer all planets not yet incorporated into his Synchronized Worlds system with the help of servile robotic extensions and colleagues, including Erasmus, a Thinking Machine "Hannibal Lecter" whose whimsical Mr. Spock-ish meditations enliven the proceedings immeasurably. Throughout, key revelations regarding the Zensunni Wanderers and their fight for freedom and other historical Dune elements lend an air of discovery to this fast-paced tale. (Sept. 24) Forecast: A $250,000 marketing campaign, including a national author tour and SF convention appearances, should launch this one onto bestseller lists. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

A few events central to the development of the Dune saga, which alone would have made a good short tale, wind up nearly hidden in a book that's twice as long as it needs to be. Lacking the complexity, intrigue and depth of the first prequel to Dune, House Atreides, this installment revs up interminably before attaining liftoff in its last third. Leto Atreides, now Duke Atreides, has grown into manhood with his loyal servant, Duncan Idaho, and his friend, Rhombur (the exiled crown prince of IX), at his side. As Duncan heads off for eight grueling years to train as a Swordmaster of Ginaz, Rhombur takes a Bene Gesserit concubine, who prods him to free his enslaved people. Meanwhile, Rhombur's sister, Kailea, becomes Leto's concubine and later turns against both him and her brother, spurred by a handmaiden sent by emperor Shaddam to disrupt the household. Continuing the breeding program for the Kwisatz Haderach, Jessica, a Bene Gesserit, joins Leto as another concubine. Although myriad plot lines abound and plans are afoot in every Great House to bring down the Kwisatz's enemies, very little actually happens for much of the book. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

SF space opera titans Herbert and Anderson continue to investigate the tantalizing origins of Frank Herbert's Dune universe, this time achieving mixed results in their fifth action-packed collaboration, the bloated but occasionally brilliant second installment of the trilogy that started with Dune: The Butlerian Jihad (2002).Twenty-four years have passed since the independent Thinking Machine, Erasmus, killed Serena Butler's son and began a bloody Holy War against Ominius, a computer "evermind." Leading the League's Army of the Jihad are Primeros Xavier Harkonnen and Vorian Atriedes, the son of cymek (human brain/robotic body) General Agamemnon, who, along with his fellow "semi-immortals," shares the computer evermind's wish to eradicate all unnecessary humans but secretly also wants to destroy Ominius. Harkonnen and Atriedes loyally report to their Priestess leader, unknowingly the political puppet of Grand Patriarch Iblis Ginjo, a former Earth slave-master. Unfortunately, the short spacehopping chapters neglect some characterizations and more intriguing story lines, such as the Arrakis conflicts swirling around Selim Wormrider's growing outlaw band and the relationship of Erasmus with his human "son," in favor of too long battle segments and extraneous details about the emotionally remote Ginaz mercenary, Jool Noret. Despite the flaws, Dune fans will still enjoy the sweeping philosophical power that surfaces, invoking the senior Herbert's remarkable vision. Agents, Robert Gottlieb and Mart Bialer of Trident Media Group. (Sept. 16) Forecast: A $250,000 marketing campaign, including extensive advertising in publications for U.S. military personnel, should propel this, like its predecessor, onto bestseller lists. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Dune addicts will happily devour Herbert and Anderson's spicy conclusion (after 2003's Dune: The Machine Crusade) to their second prequel trilogy, Legends of Dune. A fearsome robot-engineered plague opens the tumultuous Battle of Corrin, climaxing the century-long galactic war between humans and the computer Omnius's robotic Synchronized Empire. Varian Atreides, supreme commander of the human Army of the Jihad, initiates the no-holds-barred feud between House Atreides and House Harkonnen by exiling Abulurd Harkonnen for cowardice, while Varian's granddaughter Raquella molds the Sorceress survivors into a biochemically based sisterhood and Ishmael leads his people into Arrakis's sandwormy desert to become Fremen of Dune. All the Dune themes—religion and politics, fanaticism, ecology, opportunism, totalitarianism, the power of myth—exhaustively prepare the way for Frank Herbert's sweeping classic of corruptibility and survival. Agent, John Silbersack at Trident Media Group. (On sale Aug. 17) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.