Dune: The Machine Crusade Reviews

Mahdi · September 9, 2003

Since there is only one more week to go until this book is released, I'm starting up the review thread now. After I find review threads for the other books, I will link them here.

Remember: Any spoilers must be in hidden text. If a group of you want to read a chapter a week together and discuss the book as you are reading it, thats perfectly fine, but lets do it in another thread.

Dante · September 11, 2003

MWA HA! I have read the book (bought the day this thread was created I think), and am here to provide limited review, as my time is limited, and SPOILERS! I don't really like doing it, but it's kind of unavoidable.

[hide] Right. For a start it is rather similar to the Butlerian Jihad, simplistic compared to the originals and a lot of characters that just didn't have to die, did so. This includes the Titan Hecate, who had a tragically small part considering her 'near-legendary' status. Also the introduction and subsequest removal of Jool Noret. The deaths of Xavier Harkonnen, Serena Butler, Ilbis Ginjo, the Cogitor Kwyna, the Titan Xerces, Seren'a parents, Zufa Cenva, Aurelis Venport, Tio Holtzmann... all done I suspect to try to make the book more interesting; rather than for any real purpose in the plot.

Personally, I think this was achieved through the robit Erasmus, who survived and is more interesting than ever. His conversations with Omnius provide him with a brand new experiment, a human 'son.' This in itself is an amazing concept.

However, I should stop comparing the book to the original Dune novels, it can never beat them, just as it's predecessor couldn't. As a novel in it's own right it is slightly simplistic (and full of typos). However the plot is strong, and shows elements of originality, despite some unnessecary loose ends that could easily have been more significant or completely non-existant. The histories of the groups and characters are interesting, if again, tragic. There is even a mention of... Muad'dib.

The Machine Crusade; In short, the plot is good, and so are the characters. The problem is that so many things that could have been so much better and more complex are just killed off or left lying. Loose ends. It's really tragic how they just discard so many priceless characters like that... [/hide]

My (incomplete) thoughts.

Acriku · September 12, 2003

Was it good, bad, ok, violent, etc? Come on! :P

Dante · September 12, 2003

Hey I'm limited here! I was up really late and my eyes stung!

It had less explicit violence, less violence altogether in fact. The plot was somewhat predictable, although there were a few notable excpetions [hide] such as Norma Cenva's cellular rearrangement. [/hide] The book was good, as a book. It was simplistic, like it's predecessor, but only in comparisson to the originals. I get the impression that they just wanted to get as much explaining out of the way as possible before reintroducing an element from this group of prequels [hide] such as the robot Erasmus [/hide] into 'Dune 7.'

Filled with typos, unnecessary sub-plots and loose ends, the book does not seem to hold together or relate to itself. Let's put it like this; It's a great story, but not told particularly well.

Lord J · September 16, 2003

Well, it's official, I've put in a request at my local library for a copy of the Machine Crusade...Now only for the time to read it... ;)

NHJ BV · September 19, 2003

Well, it's official, I've put in a request at my local library for a copy of the Machine Crusade...Now only for the time to read it... ;)

Meh...my local (and less local) libraries doesn't even have the Machine Crusade in their database yet...so I can't even reserve it yet :(

lanceman · September 21, 2003

Well, it's official, I've put in a request at my local library for a copy of the Machine Crusade...Now only for the time to read it... ;)

I hear ya on that one. My local library system has them on order. I just put in my reserve, and I am number one on the list.

Whoohoo!

LanceMan

Andrew · September 22, 2003

Well if you want reviews from abroad then:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon.com

Scifi.com Off The Shelf

Inoculator9 · September 30, 2003

Pretty good in my opinion so far. So much death though.... I think they were thinking "Let's make it dramatic" but forgot they were thinking that when they killed the previous person off :P It's like, if you can't think up some good way of moving on, just kill the character off :P

lanceman · September 30, 2003

I finished the book. I really liked it. For some reason I can't quite put my finger on I didn't Like Butlerian Jihad that much. Machine Crusade rocked. This was a book that I literally could not put down.

As someone previously put it, yes there is tons of violence. However, the violence is not meaningless. Characters die in the book for good reasons, reasons that advance the plot.

I think if you like the House trilogy you will like Machine Crusade.

LanceMan

Andrew · September 30, 2003

So are you guys saying there is more violence in Machine Crusade than Butlerian Jihad?

Inoculator9 · October 1, 2003

Yeah, I'd say that.

NHJ BV · October 2, 2003

Yeah, I'd say that.

I thought the amount of violence in the Butlerian Jihad wa already nearing the maximum amount physically possible on a page. :)

Dunenewt · October 3, 2003

I really need to buy the Machine Crusade!

Anathema · October 15, 2003

I haven't read MC, but still I wanted to post this...

http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2003-10-15

mattvs · October 27, 2003

reading MC now...so far its fairly decent. ginjo is pissing me off though. and the whole introduction to the ginaz people could have been done sooner than the end of the first quarter of the book. could have been more drawn out too...it was like turning the page and falling down the stairs to another death that was pretty much pointless.

Spike · October 29, 2003

1st Post : Reasonable novel with some great ideas. The execution, sadly, left a bit to be desired. Killing off so many characters seemed a bit OTT, though if the last part is set during the Battle of Corrin (i'm not sure if i'm entirely spot on with the timeline here), pretty much all the characters would be dead anyway, with the exception of the life-extended Vor Atredies.

Dune_trooper360 · October 30, 2003

I am just startong reading MC (pg 140), but I think the first book in the trilligy was better.

NHJ BV · October 30, 2003

Still no sign of the Machine Crusade here in Holland. Neither in a bookstore, nor in any library, neither in Dutch nor in English :'(

Tio_Holtzmann · October 31, 2003

OK, i've finally read it. and seeing as i havent a clue how to do hidden text cos im a techno-newbie or something like that, just look away now....

<sorry, tell me how and ill edit it>

- Iblis Ginjo's character as established in BJ always allowed for that extreme conviction in the jihad, but i wondered if he would take it to such extremes...

- I'm really not sure why Hecate was killed off, she seemed like she could have swung the balance, and all she did was regain one planet and give another one over to the titans. kinda balances out to NOTHING really.

- In GEoD Leto II says Norma Cenva invented guildships which p*sses venport off. Nothing like that happened in MC. Another inconsistency.

- Why the HELL did they reject peace with the thinking machines? It actually did seem like Omnius would have left them alone, there was no hint of treachery on the machine's part.

- What was Selim thinking?????

- Jool Noret was meant to be a teacher, surely, and yet he spends the entire novel sulking like a wuss and continually saying "im not worthy." i think chirox shoulda ownzed his ass.

- are they actually going to take over the worlds the virus infected or is omnius just going to take over them all again?

- now that xavier's dead, how will the feud be set up?

Having said that, the good deaths were Xavier's and Serena's. Erasmus continues to kick ass a a character. And there were a few good red herrings along the way. Can't remember any specific ones. Vorian is still cool, Seurat is still around <the way he blew the brains out of that neo cymek - hilarious!> Tio Holtzmann died at the hands of his own inventions, brilliant.

I can't remember much more seeing as i did most of my reading at about 4 a.m but ill be back with more once i remember more of the book.

Tis a great book, but sadly not perfect.

Mahdi · November 3, 2003

Unsticked for a little while due to all the currently sticked topics. Will be re-sticked later on.

Colonel_Worf · December 30, 2003

It doesn't say Venport was pissed off at Norma in God Emperor. It said he fathered her children...

driftingcloud · December 31, 2003

Where in God Emperor does it say that? can you reference a page? It says in the DE that Norma and Venport were married, not father and daughter as in BJ. I'm very curious to see where they are referenced to in God Emperor.

Tako · December 31, 2003

when is it going to be released out here? I really want to read it, well maybe just BJ again then :'(

Andrew · January 17, 2004

Not a review, But I just bought Machine Crusade today! I would have bought Dreamer of Dune, but they didnt have it. :(

On a side note Dreamer of Dune paperback is coming out July 2004.

And Machine crusade paperback comes out when the final installment is out.

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