Hunters of Dune

[Dragoon Knight]

Am I being really unattentive / blind, or has no-one started a topic about this book yet?

I got it a couple of weeks ago, but put off reading it to finish the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  The blurb on the back made the book seem oddly appealing (all our favourite characters coming back into play, etc.) and the preface by the authors seemed genuine.  Instead of having a high disregard for their writing, I can at least respect Brian and Kevin for taking on what everyone agrees is the impossible job of making books equal to Frank Herbert.

As for the content of the book itself... well, I won't post any spoilers, simply because I don't feel there are any, at the moment.  I'm over half way through the thing, and nothing's happened that I didn't already know was going to.  The rest is (at the moment) seemingly irrelevant.  What it is succeeding in doing, though, is making me want to read on; keeping me anxious to know what happens on the next page, in the way that only a long-awaited sequel can.

Anyhoo, it's likely that this topic already exists somewhere under a less obvious name, and that what I've said has been said a thousand times already.  Bearing that in mind, though, if this is the first topic, then please post any spoilers in HIDE tags.

So what are people's thoughts about the book?  Have you read it?  Are you reading it?  Are you going to buy it, or merely purchase a hundred to build a merry bonfire with?  Let discussion commence!

[Andrew]

I forgot it was being released.

I'm guessing not too many ahve read it on Fed2k, otherwise more threads would have appeared (I don't remember seeing any).

Same writing style has the prequels?

Hurray my library has a copy of hunters of Dune and no one has requested it.

Did you read the jihad series? Do we need to read all the jihad series to understand this book?

I don't know if I can force myself to read Battle of Corrin (I read the other 2).

[gryphon]

I found it in the bookstore last week and was just talkin to Timenn about it. :)

My local bookstore had a copy of the UK printed book in stock. So naturally [tt]gryphon[/tt] couldn't accept that and is now waithing for a first print US version which is enroute for The Netherlands. :)

[Beonid]

I am going to savour the flames licking over one page at a time. Of course, I'll read it first.

[Dragoon Knight]

To answer a couple of Andrew's questions;

- Yes, the writing style is quite similar to the prequels.  However, if people thought that those books felt 'rushed' in comparison to the originals, you may actually explode when reading these.  It feels as though the book is really just chapter after chapter of highlights of certain events; the continuity is there, but it doesn't feel very well... connected, is about the only way I can describe it.

- Yes, I've read the Houses and the Jihad series', and both seem better than this book so far, and that seems to be saying a lot.  I'm reading simply because I need to know what happens next - despite its inadequecies, I can't stop reading the blasted thing.  A lot of what is mentioned is a direct follow-on from Chapterhouse: Dune, and doesn't require that you've read the prequels.  Some names are there, but nothing so far has drawn from what was mentioned.  This is only to be expected, really, as the material this book was based on came from the original 6 books only.  The prequels were probably only specks on Frank's horizon.

I would say to anyone that's going to read this; make sure that you've read the original series at some point, at least.  I haven't read them in over two years, but Hunters provides welcome snippets of summarisation; reminders of what happened in previous books to refresh your memory.  I can't speak for the rest of the book, but I imagine that an equal amount of knowledge about the prequels would be required for the next book in the series.

Right now, I would say that this book isn't really what I expected it to be.  Some things are too obvious, some are pointless, some are so stupid you can immediately tell that Frank had no part in it.  But the core of the story, the plot that enthralled us all, is there and being continued in some way, and it's that which we will remember when we think back, months after reading it.  Rent it from the library or buy it, but give it a read.

[Dragoon Knight]

*Stops reading for a second*

What's hidden below isn't an actual spoiler, as it doesn't contain any actual details, but it does outline one of several things that happens during the book.  An example might be "someone important dies", rather than "Snape kills Dumbledore".  Anyhoo, read or don't read the hidden text, but at least read the book.

[hide]Oh come on!  That's the origin of the Honored Matres?  I mean, yeah, I can see why they're so pissed off, but that is the weakest explanation ever!

And the stupid method used for restoring that ghola's memories!  Yeah, just get a big damned box, that'll do the trick.[/hide]

Not finished the book yet, but getting very close. :)

[Dondo]

I just finished reading Hunters.

I enjoyed reading the House Series, and I struggled to finish the Jihad Series. To me, Hunters was almost up to the level of Houses. (Maybe because my expectations were so low).

[HIDE]http://dune2k.com/forum/index.php?topic=18063.0

Those who want confirmation- that thread is fake. But there is a bit of SuperFriends feeling in the book![/hide]

[Dragoon Knight]

Finished it last night as well.  Can't say there's a lot of surprises in the entire book, but it is a welcome continuation.  If this really is what Frank Herbert planned, then it lends some credibility to the prequels, especially the Jihad series.

Just to let potential readers know; you may have to at least read a summarisation of what happened in the Jihad prequels to understand what happens towards the very end of the book.

[buzmalli]

I can't wait to get my hands on it! it has not been released in my country yet! Im reading Chapterhouse now for the third time in preparationg for hunters. BRilliant. I hope hunters will be as brilliant.

[MrFlibble]

Frank Herbert planned, then it lends some credibility to the prequels, especially the Jihad series.

Let me remain skeptical about this :P

SPOILER WARNING!!!

1. If the "true" Enemy is the Thinking Machines, why do the HMs in Chapterhouse cling to their Weapon so much, and even try to find means of duplicating it, if the Weapon is purely biological: it kills only organic life and is useless against machines?

2. This one struck me:

It is revealed that Daniel and Marty, the Ancient Enemy, are in fact new incarnations of the machine overlord Omnius and the independent robot Erasmus, who were destroyed in the Butlerian Jihad.

Now, now. Haven't they read the very last chapter of Chapterhouse? Just a couple of quotes (phrases in bold marked by me):

"... I would have so liked to study another Master."

"Don't see why. Always whistling at us, always making it necessary to stomp them down. I don't like treating Masters that way and you know it! If it weren't for them..."

"They are not gods, Daniel."

"Neither are we."

<...>

"They [Tleilaxu Masters - Mr.F.] have such a hard time accepting that Face Dancers can be independent of them."

"I don't see why. It's a natural consequence. They gave us the power to absorb the memories and experiences of other people. Gather enough of those and..."

"It's personas we take, Marty."

"Whatever. The Masters should've known we would gather enough of them one day to make our own decisions about our own future."

I think that's enough. Speaks for itself, kind of :P

[Dante]

I can't wait to get my hands on it! it has not been released in my country yet! Im reading Chapterhouse now for the third time in preparationg for hunters. BRilliant. I hope hunters will be as brilliant.

*Snort*

But in all seriousness, I have not purchased the book and probably never will. I may, however, take it out from the library if such a time arises when I am that bored and all my razor blades are too blunt (or the skin on my wrists is too thick, whichever). Meantime, feel free to post spoilers up here, I don't care. What I've seen so far only conirms my... suspicions, that the sequels will be... bad. I wanted to use far more adjectives there but I didn't.

My plan is actually to wait for Dragoon Knight to pressure me into reading it. It could happen. Though the downside of this is that if he lends me his copy I'd feel guilty if I burnt it.

Wouldn't stop me, I'd just feel guilty about it...

[Tako]

I'll call for ni verdict untill I have red it, 27-11 it will be released in Holland

spek to you about this in December

-arutha-

[SpiceGuid]

Im reading Chapterhouse now for the third time in preparationg for hunters. BRilliant. I hope hunters will be as brilliant.

Not a chance it can equal the subtle feeling of mixed nostalgia and accomplishment that is Chapterhouse.

What i hope is an imitation, please imitate, mimick, parody, please try rather than pretend you try.

[gryphon]

I'll call for ni verdict untill I have red it, 27-11 it will be released in Holland

spek to you about this in December

-arutha-

they already have it where I live ..  even took just a week to get a first print US version in here.

[Tako]

I want the dutch version that is....

[SpiceGuid]

Haven't read that before:

It is revealed that Daniel and Marty, the Ancient Enemy, are in fact new incarnations of the machine overlord Omnius and the independent robot Erasmus, who were destroyed in the Butlerian Jihad.

:O :O

OMG, please, may they rest in peace.

[Moose212]

Let me remain skeptical about this :P

SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!!!

SPOILER WARNING!!!

1. If the "true" Enemy is the Thinking Machines, why do the HMs in Chapterhouse cling to their Weapon so much, and even try to find means of duplicating it, if the Weapon is purely biological: it kills only organic life and is useless against machines?

2. This one struck me:Now, now. Haven't they read the very last chapter of Chapterhouse? Just a couple of quotes (phrases in bold marked by me):I think that's enough. Speaks for itself, kind of :P

I was wondering about that as well. So did they change the outline left by FH to fit the machine's into the story or maybe FH planned it that way?

[MrFlibble]

Although it is not impossible that FH considered introducing thinking machines (e.g. like those Siona sees in her vision - a very Terminator-like vision, by the way; on the other hand, it is implied in GEoD that Leto II averted the creation of arafel), it is quite naive to believe that in book 7 he planned to hastily retcon the events of book 6, especially in such a crude way. "Dune Chronicles" demonstrate an amazing integrity, into which the "Daniel and Marty = Omnious and Erasmus" plot "twist" doesn't fit really good.

[driftingcloud]

2. This one struck me:Now, now. Haven't they read the very last chapter of Chapterhouse? Just a couple of quotes (phrases in bold marked by me):I think that's enough. Speaks for itself, kind of :P

I've read Chapter House at least a hlaf-dozen times or more, and it was always pretty clear that Daniel and Marty were some sort of rogue, independent, evolved face dancers. I could see by some great stretch of the imagination that face dancers were in fact evolutions or partial-evolutions of the machines from the Jihad, but there is no evidence of that really in the 6 Dune books. The 6 actually imply that everyone in them has developed ogranic means of doing what machines may have done so long ago. Face Dancers were an organic evolution, or mutation, or intentional experimental product of years of breeding humans by the Tleilaxu, just like the Kwizatz Haderach was for the Bene Gesserit.

[piterdevries]

hmm... i wonder what happened to vorian atreides? he wasnt mentioned in Hunters

[SpiceGuid]

Why can't Brian Herbert respect the feeling that Daniel & Marty are in-book incarnation of Frank & Beverly?

I mean overexploiting the legacy material this way he overlooks richer plot alternatives.

Moreover he further contributes to the splitting, he leaves no way the sequel could accommodate the traditionnal interpretation, he just alienates the original readers, that hurts continuity and isn't commercially wise.

Edit: i forgot to mention, in my french edition of Chapterhouse there is a postface by G

[Egeides]

hmm... i wonder what happened to vorian atreides? he wasnt mentioned in Hunters

To be followed in the next book. But as Brian or Anderson said in the recent podcasts, they have no intention of exploiting the Dune legacy by an endless serie of books by respect for Frank and his legacy. So maybe they just left him somewhere.

[buzmalli]

I am a quarter done with Hunters now and i have to say that i'm kinda disappointed...it's but a shadow of the original series...i'm gonna finish it nevertheless. I've already come so far....

[spookyu]

I'm most of the way through it and this book has its ups and downs. Once in a while it seems like it will get stuck in a rut but it seems to pick back up after a few pages. I enjoy the different writing style, I'm glad he didn't try and imitate Frank's, but I can see unintentional echoes of it in the book (father like son I guess?). I'm getting frustrated at how many unanswered questions there still are, suspense is good and all but I hope these questions get answered sooner or later in the book. Overall I give it a an 8 out of 10 as far as comparing it to the other dune books.

[Tako]

Well I finished it a while ago and have to say it is better than the prequels but it is still no FH,

Liked it and that is all, Liked!